Separate prepaid float from completed airtime spend
A top-up moves cash into the supplier account. The business can still have that cash in its wallet days later, with no airtime delivered. Track funding, available float, completed orders and open orders separately so you can see what happened to the money.
Basic movement ledger
| Event | Debit or balance effect | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fund supplier account | Cash decreases. Supplier balance increases | Bank reference and supplier receipt |
| Completed order | Supplier balance decreases. Spend is allocated | Order reference and final status |
| Fee or adjustment | Balance changes per documented term | Invoice line or credit note |
| Pending order | Held for status follow-up | Original reference and case record |
By Freepaid · Published
Record the movements separately
Maintain a supplier balance account in the ledger or finance workbook, linked to bank funding records and transaction exports. Each completed order should include product, amount, date, internal reference, supplier reference, team or outlet and cost centre where known. Post fees and credits from supplier evidence rather than estimating them.
Ask your accountant which ledger accounts and posting dates to use for available float, delivered value and amounts that are still unused or disputed.
From opening float to closing balance
Say the account opens at R2,000. You add R1,000, complete R1,500 in orders and incur R10 in fees. Expected closing float is R2,000 + R1,000 − R1,500 − R10 = R1,490. If another R100 order is pending, keep it on the exception list and check whether the supplier statement shows a debit or hold. Use that evidence and your accounting policy to decide what to post.
Compare your calculation with the balance the supplier shows. If they disagree, check for an incomplete export, duplicate rows or a mismatched date range. Save the reports and record when you checked the balance.
Reconcile differences
At each close, compare opening balance, funding, completed orders, fees, credits and closing balance. List pending or disputed items with an owner and next check date. Trace mismatches to original references. Do not net an unexplained difference against unrelated sales to make the total agree.
If a credit arrives for an earlier order, link it to that order and document the period affected. If funding is still in transit, retain the bank evidence and confirm when it appears in the supplier account. Keep the statement, invoice, order file and reconciliation together.
Give each figure its own label
Show funding, completed spend and available float in separate columns. Add the reporting dates and say where pending activity appears. Check which of those figures the supplier report gives you. Freepaid bulk airtime
Track funds that are still on the way
Keep approved funding, cash sent and value available in the supplier wallet as separate statuses. A transfer can appear on the bank record while the wallet still lacks usable funds. Record the bank reference and look for the corresponding wallet entry before deciding whether a further transfer is needed.