Build an airtime transaction reference system
Give the request its own reference before it leaves your system. Save the supplier’s order number alongside it. Use the internal reference to find the approval, recipient or outlet, result, receipt and reconciliation entry, even when several orders have the same value.
Reference record
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Internal reference | Stable key across your own systems |
| Supplier reference | Identifies the supplier-side transaction |
| Requester and approver | Establishes authorization |
| Product, value and date | Describes the intended order |
| Final status and evidence | Supports reconciliation and support |
By Freepaid · Published
Choose a simple pattern
For example, FP-261103-0042 combines a short business prefix, date and sequence number. Leave out phone numbers, payment details and other personal information. Check the length and characters the supplier accepts before settling on a format.
References must be unique. Decide how sequences reset and how concurrent users avoid collisions. If multiple branches create orders, add a branch identifier or use a central sequence. Record the creation time and person responsible. Do not recycle a reference after a failed or cancelled request. Preserve it for audit and issue a new one for an approved replacement order.
Carry references through the workflow
Capture the internal reference in the purchase request and pass it into the supplier order field where supported. If the supplier generates its own reference, save both values in the same record. Put the internal reference on internal receipts and reconciliation worksheets where appropriate. Keep recipient personal data separate and access-controlled.
If a supplier channel cannot accept your reference, create a mapping record immediately after submission. Include enough detail to find the supplier order, but do not rely on amount and date alone because many transactions may share them.
Detect duplicate references and orders
Look for repeated internal or supplier references when you import a report or close the period. The same reference may appear twice because a file was imported twice. Different references can also belong to an accidental repeat order. Check the recipient or outlet, product, value, time, operator and status before you remove a row or report a duplicate purchase.
For example, two R50 requests in the same minute could be legitimate for two customers or an accidental repeat for one customer. The value and time alone cannot resolve the question. Use the original request, cashier record and supplier status evidence.
Follow one reference from approval to export
Periodically sample orders from approval to supplier export and back. Confirm that the same internal reference appears at each handoff, or that a reliable mapping exists. Review missing references and define who corrects the record. Keep a log of changes so a reference is not overwritten without explanation.
Ask your supplier which reference fields they return when you place an order and which ones appear later in the export. Give staff and finance one short guide to where those references are stored. SIMcloud