Handle airtime refunds and credits in your monthly records
Keep the original airtime sale in the ledger and link any refund or credit to it. Record the date, reason and approval on a separate line. Finance can then trace each movement and apply your accounting policy.
Adjustment record
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Original order | Internal and supplier reference |
| Adjustment | Refund, credit, reversal or correction |
| Amount and date | Exact value and effective period |
| Reason and evidence | Supplier notice, customer case or approval |
| Accounting link | Account, cost centre and reviewer |
By Freepaid · Published
Keep the original transaction intact
Preserve the original order record with its status and customer receipt. Add an adjustment entry rather than changing the original amount or deleting the line. This allows finance to see what was ordered, what happened later and how the balance changed.
Distinguish between a supplier credit, a customer refund, a reversal and a correction. A supplier credit changes the supplier account. A customer refund returns money to a customer. These may occur at different times and amounts. Do not assume that one automatically proves the other.
A supplier credit and a customer refund
Say the supplier confirms a R50 order, then credits R50 to the same reference. Record the R50 order and the R50 credit on separate lines. The two movements net to zero in the supplier account. If you also refund the customer R50, record that payment separately with its own approval and receipt.
If the supplier credits only R20, leave the other R30 open or attach the evidence explaining how you accounted for it. Show separately how much, if anything, the customer received.
Match adjustments during close
Include credit notes, account statements, bank transactions, customer refunds and original order exports in the month-end pack. Match each adjustment by reference and check that its effective date is clear. If a credit is received in a later month for an earlier order, record the timing difference and link it to the original period.
Maintain an exception list for credits promised but not received, unexplained account balance changes and refunds awaiting approval. Assign an owner and next review date. Do not use a general balance adjustment to clear a difference without supplier evidence.
Check why adjustments keep coming back
Record the reason, product, outlet, value and time to resolve each case. If similar adjustments keep appearing, use the original records to check for entry mistakes, confusing terms or problems in the process. Check who can authorise refunds and who can edit the supplier balance.
File the approval, supplier correspondence and final reconciliation together. Ask your accountant to confirm the ledger accounts and tax treatment, and check the supplier’s terms for adjustments. Freepaid bulk airtime