Accounts Receivable | User Docs | Striven

AR & Collections

Accounts Receivable

Support Guide

  • Overview

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    Transactions are anything that posts to your General Ledger, and in the case of A/R Transactions, anything that posts to your A/R Account(s). A/R Transactions do not include Sales Orders as they do not post to your General Ledger until they are invoiced. This guide will explore different A/R Transactions that will affect your Collections process including Invoices, Payments, and Credit Memos and how each functions in Striven.

    Read this guide if you are trying to:
    ✔ Manage A/R Settings in Striven.
    ✔ Understand and utilize the Transactions List.
    ✔ Report on financial transactions.

  • A/R Settings

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    Before your Company starts to receive Sales Orders in Striven, it is recommended you visit the Sales Settings to ensure your Accounts Receivable suits your Company’s needs. Here you can note the next available number(s) for Sales Orders and transactions, when to process Auto-Pay, and more. Below is a screenshot demonstrating how the A/R Settings appear and details of what can be accomplished there.

    To view your Sales Settings, use the following steps below:

    Company → Settings → Accounting → Sales → Settings

    1. General: This section has many options, which are described further below:
      • Require Bill To/Ship To: Establishes whether you wish to require Customer Bill To and Ship To addresses on Sales Orders and A/R Transactions including Invoices, Credit Memos, etc.
      • Default Sales Rep on Creation: If a Category is selected, the Sales Rep will be whomever is assigned at the Customer level for that Category. If no one is assigned, the default Sales Rep will be the person creating the Sales Order, Invoice, or Sales Receipt.
      • Allow Grouping of Line Items for Sales Orders, Invoices, and Sales Receipts: Enables the ability to organize Items into groups on AR entries.
      • Show Cost and Markup: Establishes whether you want to calculate cost and markup on Sales Orders and A/R Transactions including Invoices, Credit Memos, etc.
        • Prompt to update the Item Cost if it is changed while creating Sales Orders and Invoices: Establishes whether you want the cost and/or markup Items updated if they are changed on Sales Orders and Invoices.
      • Show Profit in Subtotals: Establishes whether you want to show estimated profits on Sales Orders and A/R Transactions including Invoices, Credit Memos, etc.
    2. Sales Orders: Global settings options for Sales Orders. These options include:
      • Auto-Expire Recurring Sales Orders: Establishes whether you set recurring Sales Orders to automatically expire.
      • Lead Time for Invoice Generation: Designates how far in advance recurring Sales Orders are generated.
      • Allow 0 Quantity Line Items on Sales Orders: Provides the ability to include Line Items on Sales Orders with a 0 quantity.
      • Invoice Memo: Allows you to create a Memo that will be used for Invoices that are automatically generated from Recurring Sales Orders.
        Merge Fields for the Invoice Memo enable you to populate information such as Order Number, Order Name, Next Billing Period, and Prior Billing Period. Manually generated Invoices will not be created with this Memo line.
    3. Invoices: There are many options in the Invoices section including the following:
      • Next Number: Here you can choose the next available number for Invoices created in Striven.
      • From Email: Displays an email address on Invoice emails sent to Customers from Striven so they see an email address they are familiar with and can recognize. Users can select a Sender for the New Invoice notification upon creation or when resending the notification for an existing Invoice. This option displays when the Compose Email window is open. The From field will allow you to choose from a drop-down menu to select who the email is from.
      • From Name: Displays a name on Invoice emails sent to Customers from Striven so they see a name they are familiar with and can recognize.
      • From Category: If a Category is selected, the Invoice will be sent from whomever is assigned at the Customer level for that Category. If no one is assigned, the default Invoice from email and name would be used.
      • Payment Terms: Designates the default Payment Terms for Invoices.
      • Format: Allows you to set the default format used when creating Invoices.
      • Automatically Generate the Invoice PDF for Printing Once a Day.
      • Don’t Set Invoices “To Be Printed” if on Auto-Pay: For Customers with Auto-Pay enabled, their Invoices will not be set to be printed by default.
      • Ignore Lead Time on Sales Orders if on Auto-Pay: For Customers with Auto-Pay enabled, any Lead Times on Sales Orders will be disregarded.
      • Ignore Lead Time if Invoices are NOT set “To Be Printed”: Lead Time on Invoices that are not set “To Be Printed” will be disregarded.
  • A/R Additional Configuration

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    Within the Sales Settings, you can also configure how A/R Transactions function including Credit Memos, Payments, Sales Receipts, and Finance Charges. Below is a screenshot displaying how the Sales Settings appear and details on what can be accomplished there.

    1. Credit Memos: Allows you to choose the next available number for Credit Memos created in Striven and decide if open Credit Memos are automatically applied to the oldest Invoices during nightly background Invoice process windows. If you choose to have Credit Memos automatically applied, a second checkbox will appear. If selected, this will add a restriction where “Open Credits related to Sales Orders can only be applied to Open Invoices related to the same Sales Order”.
    2. Sales Receipts: Allows you to choose the next available number for Sales Receipts created in Striven.
    3. Payments: This section contains many options, which are described below:
      • Next Number: Allows you to choose the next available number for Payments created in Striven.
      • Format: Allows you to designate the default Printable Format for Payments.
      • Send Invoice Payment Receipt: Designates whether an Invoice Payment receipt will be sent to the Customer.
      • Process Auto-Pay on: Allows you to choose whether to process Auto-Pay based on Due Dates or Invoice Dates.
      • Don’t process Auto-Pay on Accounts with Open Credits and Payments: Determines whether or not to process Auto-Pay for Customers with Open Credits and Open Payments.
      • Failed Payment Notification Recipients: Allows you to choose an internal user who will be notified when Customer Payments fail to be processed so that the Customer can be notified.
      • During nightly automated Invoice creation process apply Open Payments to oldest Invoices: Determines if you would like open Payments to be automatically applied to the oldest Invoices during nightly background Invoice process windows.
    4. Finance Charges: Allows you to designate the Item associated with Finance Charges along with the Annual Rate and minimum amount to charge.
    5. Save: Saves your changes.
  • Payment Terms

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    Payment Terms are time conditions on which two parties agree to fulfill a sale by a certain date or period. Payment Terms are available for both Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Transactions and will allow your Company to track late Payments in Collections. You can add new Payment Terms from the Payment Terms List. Below is a screenshot exhibiting how adding Payment Terms appears.

    To view Payment Terms use the following steps below:

    Company → Settings → AR → Sales Orders → Payment Terms

  • Discounts and Convenience Fees

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    Convenience Fees and Discounts allow you to to configure an automatic percentage to be added to or subtracted from your Customer’s Invoice upon tendering payment with a specific payment method. You may only configure a Convenience Fee or Discount for payment methods which have been enabled within your Payment Integration settings.

    Navigate Company → Settings → Accounting→ Sales→ Discounts/Convenience Fees to begin configuring these your Discounts and Convenience Fees.

    The Manage Discounts/Convenience Fees page allows you to view a list of your configured payment methods, and whether a Discount or Convenience Fee has been configured for that payment type. The payment methods available on this page are determined by your Payment Integration. Selecting the name of the payment method will allow you to edit a configured Discount/Convenience Fee or create a new one.

  • Creating a Convenience Fee

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    When selecting a payment method which has no Fee or Discount set up, the Payment Method – Settings page will display. By default, this page will open ready to configure a Convenience Fee.

    To configure the Convenience Fee, you will need to fill out the fields detailed below.

    1. Convenience Fee: Using this field, you can choose an Item that has been configured with a Discount item type to associate to the Fee. This Item will be displayed as a line item on the Invoice for the Fee.
    2. Convenience Fee Percent: Allows you to set the percentage charge that will be added to the Invoice when paid with the chosen payment method.

    Once you have selected the item and Fee percentage for the Convenience Fee, select the Save button. After the Convenience Fee has been saved, the Fee will be automatically processed and invoiced once a Customer tenders payment using the specified payment method.

  • Creating a Discount

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    After selecting the payment method you would like to configure a Discount for, the Payment Method – Settings page will display, by default the page will present options for a Convenience Fee. Select the “Set up Discount” button to continue.

    After selecting “Set up Discount“, you will be able to configure a normal Discount for the payment method, or a Discount for when the method is used to enroll in AutoPay.

    1. Discount: Allows you to associate an item with a Discount Item type. This will display as the line item for the Discount on an Invoice once payment has been tendered using this payment method.
    2. Discount Percent: Utilizing this field will allow you to choose the percentage amount to Discount when using this payment method.
    3. AutoPay Discount: If you would like to encourage your customers to enroll in AutoPay, you will be able to designate a Discount item for this purpose. This item will serve as a line item for the AutoPay Discount on Invoices.
    4. AutoPay Discount Percent: Allows you to choose the percentage amount to Discount when enrolled in AutoPay with this payment method.
    5. Allow Discount if Past Due: The “Allow Discount if Past Due” checkbox allows you to dictate if past due payments are eligible for Discounts. Leaving this checkbox unchecked will not add a Discount to payments tendered past their due date for with this payment method.

    Once you have finished configuring your Discount settings, select the Save option. Once saved, the Discount will be automatically applied to payments tendered with this payment method.

  • Managing Discounts and Convenience Fees

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    If you wish to not charge a customer a Convenience Fee on Invoices related to a specific Sales Order, you can utilize the “Do not charge Convenience Fee” checkbox located on the Sales Order within the Invoicing section.

    If you wish to disable Convenience Fees for only one Invoice, the “Do not charge Convenience Fee” checkbox can be selected at the individual Invoice level.

    To deactivate a Discount or Convenience Fee, navigate to the Manage Discounts and Convenience Fees page, and select the payment method with the Discount/Fee you would like to remove. When viewing the Payment Method – Settings page, click the Remove option to deactivate the Discount/Fee.

  • Charge Convenience Fees & Apply Discounts on Sales Receipts

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    You can charge Convenience Fees or apply Discounts when utilizing Sales Receipts in Striven.

    For example, when you charge a Convenience Fee while creating a Sales Receipt paid via credit card, the Subtotal section of the page will display the amount of the calculated Convenience Fee.

    Once you save the Sales Receipt, Striven converts the Convenience Fee to a Line Item configured for that fee.

    Similarly, when you apply a Discount while creating a Sales Receipt paid via E-Check, the Subtotal section will show the amount of the Discount calculation and display it as a negative number.

    Once you save the Sales Receipt, the Discount is converted to a Line Item configured for that Discount amount.

  • Printable Formats

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    Customers can view Sales Orders and transactions in many ways from the Customer Portal, Email, or Mail. However, to provide a visual outside of the Portal, it’s recommended you create Printable Formats. Using the Printable Formats will allow a PDF printable version to be shared with the Customer. If they’re using the Portal, they will be able to view and print out the transaction so they have a hard copy for their records. There are default Printable Formats in Striven for your use, but you can also create your own. These are available with all Sales Orders and transactions including Invoices, Credit Memos, Payments, and Sales Receipts. Below is an image of the Invoice Formats List from which you can edit or add Printable Formats.

    To view Invoice Printable Formats, use the following steps below:

    Company → Settings → Accounting → Sales → Invoices → Invoice Formats

    • Note: You can access other Printable Formats from the Settings, such as Credit Memos, Payments, and Sales Receipts.

    When creating a new Printable Format, there are three main sections available for you to configure to suit your Company’s needs including Content, Items, and Totals. Let’s discuss each section one by one and explore what each section can help you accomplish with Printable Formats.

  • Content

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    This section will allow you to utilize a text editor to add merge fields. Using merge-fields is very important when setting up Invoice Formats. The merge fields will take information from the Sales Order or transaction and merge it into the PDF automatically. Things like the Company Logo can also be added in using merge fields. Content sections can serve as Headers, Footers, or Terms & Conditions sections. Below is a screenshot illustrating how this section appears with merge fields and formatting.

  • Items

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    This section will allow you to configure how the Items appear on the Printable Format. To configure the section header, you can choose a column header background color, as well as a font size and color. Within the Items, you can also choose what to include and exclude in the section from Quantity, Name, Description, and more. The columns can also be renamed and rearranged to fit your needs. Below is a screenshot featuring how the Items section appears.

  • Totals

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    The Total section will add everything up and total Line Items on the Invoice. This section also allows you to hide information deemed less vital to your Company using a series of checkboxes. By toggling the checkbox, this notes that the section will be hidden on the format. Below is an image displaying how this appears and what can be configured there:

    • Note: For information regarding Printable Formats for Line Item Grouping, visit the Sales Order Setup section of our Sales Orders Guide.
  • Page Numbers in Printable Formats

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    Striven’s Printable Formats have the option to include page numbering on transactions. To turn on page numbering for your transaction formats, you will need to find the page number checkbox on the Format Settings page, above your format sections.

    When the box is checked, further options appear for you to select the page number font color, type, and size.

    These page numbers will display in a “Page __/__” format on the bottom of your transaction pages, but only when printing a particular transaction. Printing in batches from the Invoice Print Queue, for example, will not display the page numbers.

  • Currency Settings on Printable Formats

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    Currency display settings can be determined for transaction Printable Formats. These settings options are located on the Content, Items, and Totals sections of your formats. Striven provides the ability to select whether currency shows with currency symbols or currency codes.

    The default setting for all Printable Formats will be to show the Currency Symbols (i.e. $, £, €, etc.), but you will also have the option to show the Currency Codes (i.e. USD, EUR, AUD, CAD, etc.) in addition to, or instead of the symbols.

    If you wish to remove a currency setting from displaying, simply uncheck the box next to the display option you do not want to be displayed.

  • Transactions

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    The Transactions List is where you can find all the financial transactions in Striven. You can view individual transaction data from here as well. There are import tools located here which include ways to import Invoices, Payments, Bills, and Journal Entries. With each transaction listed here, there are two helpful hyperlinks including the Customer/Vendor Name and the transaction number. By clicking on a hyperlink, you can either view the Customer information by clicking on the Customer/Vendor name or the transaction details by clicking on the transaction number. Below is a screenshot representing how the Transactions List appears.

    To view the Transactions List use the following steps:

    Accounting → Transactions

  • Invoices

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    Invoices are transactions that represent money owed by Customers for goods or services you sell. Invoices can be generated from Sales Orders or generated on their own. On this page, you can add attachments to the Invoice if desired as well. Once the Invoice is generated, the transaction will post to GL Accounts in your Striven system and the Customer will be responsible for fulfilling Payment by the due date. Below is a screenshot depicting how adding an Invoice appears and details on what can be accomplished there.

    1. Customer Info: Displays who is purchasing goods or services from you and who they are dealing with from your Company. This section includes the following described below:
      • Customer: The entity who is purchasing Items from you.
      • Bill To: The Location that will be billed for the Items
      • Ship To: The Location the Items will be shipped to.
      • Sales Rep: The Employee who made the sale.
      • Note: Customer/Vendor address changes will not reflect on existing transactions, only new transactions after the address change was made.
    2. Transaction Info: Information about the transaction and is described further below:
      • Dates: Allows you to choose the date and due date for the transaction.
      • Payment Terms: Choosing Payment Terms here will automatically adjust the due date based on the date chosen.
      • Order: Allows you to associate a Sales Order to the Invoice. If the Invoice is generated from the Sales Order, the Order will be associated.
      • AR Account: The Accounts Receivable Account the Invoice will post to.
      • Format: Allows you to choose the Invoice Printable Format.
      • Memo: Allows you to write a memo for the Invoice.
      • Do Not Charge Convenience Fee: Allows you to disable charging Convenience Fees on Payments related to this Invoice
      • To Be Printed: Checking this box will add this Invoice to the Print Invoices Queue.
    3. Set as Recurring: Allows you to set the Invoice as recurring. By clicking this button, you can set either a daily, weekly, or monthly recurrence.
    4. Options: The Options tab enables you to add Unbilled Items associated with a Customer to the Invoice, and allows you to adjust the Line Item Grouping for Items on the Invoice.
    5. Default Class: This option will only appear if you’ve chosen to track GL Classes in your Accounting Settings (reference our Accounting Setup Guide). By choosing a GL Class here, each Line Item added will automatically be assigned this GL Class. Classes can also be overridden at the Line Item level as shown by the number 4 in the sample screenshot.
    6. Items Section: Allows you to add Items that the Customer is purchasing. Options are described further below:
      • Item: Choose the Item in your system the Customer is going to purchase.
      • Description: The chosen Item’s description.
      • Quantity: The number of Item units to be sold to the Customer.
      • Unit Price: The price a single Item unit will be sold for.
      • Amount: The price you are charging the Customer for the quantity ordered.
      • S&H: Here you can enter shipping & handling charges per Item.
      • Tax: Charges applicable taxes if checked.
    • Note: For information regarding the Discount Calculator on transactions, visit the Discount Calculator section of our Sales Orders Guide.
    Sorting Line Items on Invoices

    Line Items can be dragged/dropped to rearrange them into whatever order you wish them to display on the Invoice. This sorted order will be reflected throughout the system and any changes made to the Line Item order will be noted on the History page.

    The Line Item order will also be maintained in the Portal view, as well as in the Printable Formats, as long as the format used hasn’t overridden the Sort Order Column setting at the Sales Order Format level.

    When creating an Invoice from a Sales Order, whether manually or automatically, the Line Item order specified at the Sales Order level will carry over to the Invoice.

    And while you will be able to rearrange Line Items within an Item Group, you will not be able to drag/drop Line Items between groups when Line Item Grouping is selected on Invoices.

  • Credit Memos

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    Credit Memos are transactions that represent money that is credited or refunded to Customers who have purchased goods or services you sell. Credit Memos can facilitate crediting damaged products received by the Customer, and once saved there are three options to apply the Credit. One option is to create a Refund Check to the Customer from the Credit amount. Another option is to keep it as an Open Credit for the Customer, which will allow you to apply it to an Invoice later. The final option is to apply the Credit to an Open Invoice, which you can perform after choosing that option. Below is a screenshot demonstrating adding a Credit Memo and details of what can be accomplished there.

    1. Customer Info: Represents who have purchased goods or services from you and who they are dealing with from your Company. This section includes the following described below:
      • Customer: The entity who purchased Items from you.
      • Bill To: The Location that will be credited or refunded for the purchase.
      • Ship To: The Location the Items will be shipped to.
      • Note: Customer/Vendor address changes will not reflect on existing transactions, only new transactions after the address change was made.
    2. Transaction Info: Information about the transaction and is described further below:
      • Date: Allows you to select the date of the transaction.
      • Order: Allows you to associate a Sales Order to the Credit Memo.
      • Format: Allows you to choose the Credit Memo Printable Format.
      • Memo: Allows you can write a memo for the Credit Memo.
    3. Set as Recurring: Allows you to set the Credit Memo as recurring. You can set either a daily, weekly, or monthly recurrence.
    4. Default Category: This option will only appear if you’ve chosen to track GL Categories in your Accounting Settings (reference our Accounting Setup Guide). By choosing a GL Category here each Line Item added will automatically be assigned this GL Category. Categories can also be overridden at the Line Item level as shown by the other 4 in the sample screenshot.
    5. Items Section: Allows you to add Items to the Credit Memo transaction. Options are described further below:
      • Item: Allows you to select the Item in your system for which the Customer will be credited.
      • Description: The selected Item’s description.
      • Quantity: The number of Item units to be credited to the Customer or returned from the Customer.
      • Unit Price: Displays the price for which a single Item unit will be sold.
      • Amount: The amount for which you are issuing the Credit or Refund.
      • S&H: Enables you to enter shipping & handling charges per Item.
      • Tax: Included applicable taxes if checked.
  • Payments

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    Payments are financial transactions representing money received from Customers for goods or services sold. You can create Payments from Invoices, or independently. If you create a Payment directly from an Invoice, the Payment will automatically be applied to that Invoice. However, if you create a Payment independently, you have the flexibility to allocate it to one or multiple Invoices belonging to the same Customer post-creation. Below is a screenshot displaying adding a Payment and details on what you can accomplish there.

    Adding a Payment

    Adding a Payment in Striven should be relatively quick and easy. The following details are provided to assist you in understanding the fields on the Add Payment page and how they function in Striven:

    1. Customer: Allows you to select the Customer who is paying you.
    2. Received From: Allows you to choose who is paying you from a list of the Customer’s Contacts.
    3. Payment Method: Provides a list of Payment Methods for you to select from as the Customer’s method of Payment.
    4. Amount: Allows you to enter how much the Customer has paid you.
    5. Reference #: Assigns a reference # of your choosing for the Payment.
    6. Payment Date: Using the Calendar icon, you can choose the date on which you received the Payment from the Customer.
    7. Memo: Allows you to enter a memo relating to the Payment.
    8. AR Account: Notes the selected Accounts Receivable account to which the Payment will post.
    9. Format: Enables you to select the printable format for the Payment. This will provide the ability to print a Payment Receipt in an organized format.
    10. Attachments: Provides the ability to upload attachments to the Payment. You can click to select a file or drag/drop to this field to add the attachment.
    11. Open Balance/Payments/Credits: Once a Customer is selected, their Open Balance, Open Payments, and Open Credits will display on the page. Each is hyperlinked to the list page for each entity for easy access to view these Customer-specific details.
    12. Open Invoices: Shows a list of open Invoices to which you can apply the Payment. You can check the box next to the invoice(s) you wish to apply the Payment to, as well as determine how much of the Payment you wish to apply to the individual Invoices, and the totals will reflect in the Payment Details section below.
    13. Search: Provides search filters to find Invoices based on Invoice Number, Amount, or Due Date Range.
    14. Payment Details: Notes the Payment Amount, Payment Used, and Remaining Payment totals based on the settings selected or entered in the fields on this Payment. These totals will adjust as you make changes to the Amount to Apply for each Invoice selected.
    15. Save: Provides options to Save, Save & Add New, or Save & Close.
    Sending a Payment Notification

    After a Payment is created, you will be prompted to email a Payment Receipt to a Contact associated with the Customer on the Payment, an Employee within your system, or you can enter any email address you desire.

    The Message, the Format, and the Subject of this email can be edited or customized on the spot, or you can navigate to the Notification & Portal Content settings to manage the default message content for the Payment Notification email. The default content editor has optional merge fields available, including the Portal-Payment-PDF-Link merge field that will allow the recipient to view the Payment as a PDF as long as there is a Payment Format selected. Once your email has been composed to your liking, you can click Send.

    • Note: If you plan to resend a Payment Notification using the Email button on the Payment Info page, please review the Notification & Portal Content for the Resend Payment Receipt email to add the Portal-Payment-PDF-Link merge field, if desired.
    Editing a Payment

    When viewing a Payment saved in your system, there are a selection of fields that can be edited after the Payment has been created. You will be able to edit the fields for Received From, Payment Method, Reference #, Payment Date, Memo, and Format.

    There are a set of rules in place that will allow you to edit the Amount on a saved Payment, but only under certain conditions:

    The Amount field will be editable if the new Payment amount is GREATER than the originally saved amount.

    If the new Payment amount is LESS than the amount from the originally saved amount (something less than the amount that was applied) you will not be able to save the changes.

    • In this case, the Amount field will turn red and an alert will display, stating “Amount cannot be less than the applied amount”.
    • The Payment Used total will highlight red and an alert displays: “Payment Used cannot be more than the Payment Amount”.
    • The Payment would need to be unapplied from the Invoice(s) before the Amount could be reduced.

    If a Payment was processed by a third party integration (i.e. Authorize.net or Stripe), the amount cannot be changed because it has already been processed, regardless if it was applied to an Invoice or saved as an Open Payment.

    Payment Info Page

    The Payment Info page will display all the details of the Payment, with a variety of actions available in the Payment Actions Toolbar located at the top of the page. The available options on the Payment Info page are explained below:

    1. Previous/Next Arrows: Allows you to click the back/forward arrows to navigate through existing Payments in your system based on the Payment Date. Clicking the Next arrow beyond the last Payment record will display the Add Payment page to allow you to create a new Payment.
    2. Payment Actions Toolbar: Provides a variety of functions and options related to the Payment. These options are described below as seen from left to right on the toolbar:
      • Actions: Displays available actions that can be taken from the Payment.
        • Apply to Invoices: If the Payment is Open and the total amount is not already applied to Invoices, you can choose this option to select the Open Invoices to which you wish to apply the Payment. This option is unavailable if the Payment total is already completely applied.
        • Give a Refund: Provides the ability to issue a Refund to the Customer for the Payment. You can choose the Payment Method for issuing the Refund, the Refund Amount, the Bank Account you wish the Refund to be issued from (or check the box for Undeposited Funds), and the Date for the Refund. You may also include a Memo or select a Class, if applicable.
        • Void: Allows you to void the record of the Payment in Striven.
          • Note: This will only void the record in Striven, not the transaction if processed by a third party integration like Authorize.net or Stripe.
      • Share: Offers share options for an Internal Link or a Customer Portal Link.
      • Attachment: Provides the ability to click to upload or drag/drop files to add as attachments to the Payment.
      • Print: Enables you to select the Printable Format you would like to use to print the Payment.
      • Compose Email: Displays a popup allowing you to send a Payment Receipt via email to a Contact or Employee selected from a drop-down list, or you can enter an email address not saved in the system. The email will include the Customer Name, Payment Date, Payment Method, Reference #, and Amount by default, but you will also be provided with the option to edit the content of this message before sending it.
      • Posting Journal: Displays a popup of the Posting Journal report related to the Payment, with the option to view the report based on an Accrual or Cash basis.
      • History: Shows a detailed Payment History page of all edits made to the Payment. The default view is the current state of the Payment, but in the top right corner there are links to view previously saved states of the Payment.
        • All edits will be highlighted on the page as described in the small legend found in the upper right corner as well. Hovering over the edits will show the previous value for that field.
      • Related To: Shows a list of related transactions. The transaction’s title will link to the related transaction in Striven.
      • Audit Log: Keeps track of changes made to the Payment’s status. If a Payment is voided, the status change will be logged.
    3. Payment Details: Shows the recorded details and settings related to the Payment, including the Customer, Received From, Payment Method, Amount, Status, IP Address, Transaction ID, Reference #, Payment Date, Memo, AR Account, and Format. Some of these fields are editable, as noted previously in this guide.
    4. Unapply All: Provides the option to un-apply all Invoices to which the Payment has been applied.
    5. Applied Invoices: Presents all of the Invoices to which the Payment has been applied. There are columns for Invoice #, Sales Order, Due Date, Amount, and Amount Applied. You can click the hyperlinked Invoice # or Sales Order Name to view them directly in another browser tab. You will also be provided the option to un-apply each Invoice listed individually.
    6. Save: Provides you with the option to Save, Save & Add New, or Save & Close the Payment.
    7. Payment Discussions: Displays existing Discussion threads and provides the ability to create a new Discussion related to the Payment.
  • Payment Refunds & Negative Deposits

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    Striven provides the option to create Refunds related to Payments. This feature is only available when Payments are in the Approved status and can only be issued against Open Payments.

    To issue a Refund within Striven, select the Give a Refund option from the Actions Menu on the Payment you wish to return to the Customer. See example below for reference.

    While creating the Refund, you can specify the Bank Account or select the Undeposited Funds Account. When the Undeposited Funds Account has been selected, the Bank Account selection is no longer available for selection. Once the Refund Check is created, it will be applied to the Payment to affect its open balance. The Refund will also display in the Related To transactions section of the Payment to show the Check Refund as a hyperlink to view the Refund.

    Once the Refund is created and you view the Refund Check you’ll notice the Bank Account field can be changed to any Bank Account as long as the Refund Check is not deposited.

    When adding a deposit, the Refund Check will show with a negative amount. Once the deposit is completed, you’ll see the Bank Account field can no longer be changed when processing the Refund Check and the check cannot be voided.

    The deposit will also display in the Related To transactions section for reference.

    Voiding Payments & Credit Memos Related to Refund Checks

    In order to ensure that your accounting reports are accurate, users will not be able to un-apply Payments and Credit Memos related to Refund Checks. When viewing a Payment/Credit Memo where a Refund Check has been issued, the Void Payment option under Payment Actions has been grayed out and cannot be selected. Additionally, when viewing the Applied Payments on the Payment, you may not un-apply the Check Refund as the checkbox is grayed out.

    In order to void a Payment or Credit Memo related to a Refund Check, the Refund Check will need to be voided first.

  • Sales Receipts

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    Sales Receipts can be employed to keep a record of any sales your Company makes. Once a Sales Order has been completed and the Invoice has been paid by the Customer, a Sales Receipt can be generated. Sales Receipts can also be created for sales made outside of Striven that affect your inventory count, such as over-the-counter transactions.  This feature functions the same as a receipt from a point-of-sale would. An example of what creating a Sales Receipt looks like and the options available there are displayed below.

    You can create a Sales Receipt from the Quick Add menu, or by navigating to:

    Customers → Financial → Sales Receipt.

    1. Customer Info: Displays who is purchasing goods or services from you and who they are dealing with from your Company. This section includes the following:
      • Customer: Entity who is purchasing Items from you.
      • Bill To: The Location that will be billed for the Items. This can be selected once the Customer is selected.
      • Ship To: The Location the Items will be shipped to. This can be selected once the Customer is selected.
      • Sales Rep: The Employee who made the sale.
      • Note: Customer/Vendor address changes will not reflect on existing transactions, only new transactions after the address change was made.
    2. Transaction Info: Information about the transaction:
      • Date: Allows you to choose the date for the transaction.
      • Reference #: Allows you to easily keep track of and reference the Sales Receipt.
      • Payment Method: The method of Payment for the transaction.
      • Payment Profile: Allows you to select Authorize.net Payment Profiles for the Customer. This setting becomes visible when Credit Card or E-Check are selected as the Payment method. This will be displayed depending on the Payment Method.
      • Order: Allows you to associate a Sales Order with the Sales Receipt.
      • Format: Allows you to select the Printable Format from your saved formats within Striven.
      • Memo: Allows you to write a memo for the Invoice.
    3. Set as Recurring: Allows you to set the Invoice as recurring. By clicking this button, you can set either a daily, weekly, or monthly recurrence.
    4. Scan Barcode: Allows you to enter a barcode number associated with an Item to easily add that Item to the Sales Receipt.
    5. Items Section: Allows you to add Items that the Customer is purchasing. Some of the general options available here are described further below:
      • Item: Choose the Item in your system the Customer is going to purchase.
      • Description: The chosen Item’s description.
      • Quantity: The number of Item units to be sold to the Customer.
      • Unit Price: The price a single Item unit will be sold for.
      • Amount: The price you are charging the Customer for the quantity ordered.
      • S&H: Here you can enter shipping & handling charges per Item.
      • Tax: Charges applicable taxes if checked.
    • Note: There is a settings feature that allows you to add Custom Columns to your Sales Receipt format as well. To designate the settings for Custom Columns per Line Item for Sales Receipts, navigate to Company → Settings → Accounting → AR → Sales Receipts → Custom Columns.
    Sorting Line Items on Sales Receipts

    Line Items can be dragged/dropped to rearrange them into whatever order you wish them to display on the Sales Receipt. This sorted order will be reflected throughout the system and any changes made to the Line Item order will be noted on the History page.

    And while you will be able to rearrange Line Items within an Item Group, you will not be able to drag/drop Line Items between groups when Line Item Grouping is selected on Sales Receipts.

  • Journal Entries

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    Journal Entries are transactions in which Line Items represent GL Accounts which are either debited or credited to create an equal amount of Debits and Credits. When adding a GL Account on a Journal Entry, you can enter the amount in either the Debit or Credit field as needed. Debit and Credit fields will either show up or down arrows depending on the GL Account Type and how debiting or crediting affects the Account. In Striven Journal entries Accounts Receivable can be added on a Line Item, but A/R can also be billed to a Customer as well. Below is a screenshot exhibiting how Journal Entries appear.

    To view Journal Entries use the following steps:

    Accounting → Journal Entries

  • Importing A/R Transactions

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    Striven has several imports available to allow you to import transactions en masse. Imports are available for A/R Transactions including Invoices, Payments, and Journal Entries. Though the mapping for each import is different the import setup functions much the same for all the imports. For more information about all imports, view our Import Management Guide. Transaction Imports can be accessed by clicking the Import button found on the Transactions List and choosing what type of transaction you would like to import into Striven. Each Import page appears with the same importing options which are described further below. A screenshot featuring how the Invoice Import page appears is also provided for reference.

    • The Generate Sample File button initiates a Mapping popup detailing what goes into the import spreadsheet and allows for the selection of other available importing information options.
    • The Download Sample button at the bottom of the Mapping popup provides a spreadsheet with pre-filled column headers (listed on the mapping) to assist with entering data.
  • Reports

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    There are many reports in Striven that help you gain insight into income you have made along with receivables that are still expected. Below is a description of some of the built-in reports in Striven that are geared towards reporting on your income and receivables.

  • Income by Customer

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    The Income by Customer Report will list out each Customer in order of how much income has been made within a given start and end period. The list is sorted by default by which Customer has contributed the most to the overall income within the selected time period. Below is an example of the Income by Customer Report and what configurations can be conducted, along with the path to the settings in Striven:

    Reports → Income & Receivables → Customer

    1. Available Search Filters: There are many useful search filters available for this report in order to see the list of Customers that mean the most to you. Filtering based on Assignment can be a useful way to quickly see your Customers versus the overall list.
    2. Customer: Lists the Customer’s name as a hyperlink. Clicking on their name will navigate you to their Dashboard for additional information.
    3. Income Amount: Sums the total income that has been entered related to the Customer. The date range filter will determine which transactions are to be included within this calculated column.
    4. Income %: Displays how much the Customer has contributed to the overall income for your Company. Knowing which Customers have contributed the most percentage to your total income can help determine processes in regards to these types of Customers.
  • A/R by Customer

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    The A/R by Customer Report will display useful information to a collection representative as they work through their list of overdue Customers. With the ability to update information right from the report, this becomes a working list that reps can work off of during their daily duties. Below is an example of the A/R by Customer report in Striven and what can be configured or accomplished using this report.

    To run the A/R by Customer Report, navigate to:

    Reports → Income & Receivables → AR by Customer

    1. Available Search Filters: Search filters are available to filter down the list of Customers you wish to be included in the A/R by Customer report. Filtering by the who is assigned to the Customer, how many days the Customer is past due, as well as only having the Customer appear if their open balance is greater than their credit limit are all useful filters that can be used and saved with Saved Searches within the A/R by Customer report.
    2. Customer Number: Displays the Customer ID associated with the Customer.
    3. Customer: Displays the Customer’s name. Clicking on their name will navigate you to the Customer’s Dashboard for additional information.
    4. Primary Phone: Displays the primary number that is on file for the Customer. Displaying the primary number allows for this report to be used as a list for collection reps to quickly have a list of which Customers to call in regards to late Payments.
    5. Status: Displays the current status of the Customer. This will allow a collection rep to see from the list which Customers are currently active versus which ones have been set as lost.
    6. Credit Limit: If there has been a credit limit entered into the Customer’s info page, it will display here within this report.
    7. Open Balance: Displays the sum of the Customer’s open balance as a hyperlink in this column. Clicking on this link will navigate you to the Customer’s A/R tab with the filter to only show open transactions checked.
    8. Collections Log: Allows the collection rep to enter a note which will be date and time-stamped. The person who entered the note will also have their name displayed as well. Utilizing the Collection AR Log is a useful way to enter a note in order to make sure anyone who needs to be aware can look into the log.
    9. Next Call Date: Displays the date that has been set as the Next Call Date. This is a useful tool for collection representatives to note when they will next need to call the Customer with regard to their collections.
    10. Last Collection Notice: Indicates when the last Collection note has been sent to the Customer. Clicking on this link will display the note that was sent, when the note was sent, along with who sent the Collection notice to the Customer.
  • A/R Aging

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    Another tool you can utilize to help increase your collections workflow is the A/R Aging Report. The A/R Aging Report displays Customers who have an open balance and how far behind their Payments are based on the transaction’s Payment Terms. This report is very helpful to see transactions and the Customer’s open balance details on one report. Below is a screenshot representing how the A/R Aging Report appears and details on what can be accomplished there.

    To view the A/R Aging Report use the following steps below:

    Reports → Income & Receivables → AR Aging

    1. Date As Of: The date in which you are reporting from. The date can be selected by using the Calendar icon.
    2. Intervals: Represents a duration of days that you choose to report on and default to a 30-day interval. You can change intervals by entering a new number in this field.
    3. Buckets: Represents the max number of days you wish to report on based on the chosen intervals and default to 90 days. You can change the bucket by entering a new number in this field.
    4. Customer (Filter): Allows you to choose a Customer for which they can narrow down results to only display that Customer’s open balance.
    5. Customer (Name): Lists all the Customers who currently have an open balance. Customer Names are hyperlinks, which when clicked will populate the Customer’s Dashboard in a new tab.
    6. Total: Displays the overall open balance for each Customer and is a hyperlink, which when clicked will populate the Customer’s A/R Aging Detail report. The A/R Aging Detail will show all transactions with an open balance that make up the Customer’s Total.
  • Income by Item

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    The Income by Item Report allows you to see how much income is being made for the Company broken out by Item. This will indicate which Items are either the most sold or the most profitable based on transactions that have been created with the selected Item. Below is an example of the Income by Item Report in Striven.

  • Income by State

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    The Income by State Report allows you to see how much income you make for the Company based on each state that is set on Invoices and Credit Memos. This report can be filtered based on the Ship To address or the Bill To address that has been selected on transactions. Clicking into the amount for each state allows you to drill into the details as to what is making up that amount. Below is an example of the Income by State Report in Striven.

  • Revenue Projection Report

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    The Revenue Projection Report is a way to view your Company’s projected Invoice revenue over a specified date range. Date ranges on this report include today, next 7 days, next month, next 30 days, and custom. Custom allows you to select your own Invoice date range to report on. Other search filters include Division, Customer name, and Order Items. There is also a filter to limit results to either one-time Invoices, recurring Invoices, or both recurring and one-time. When you are ready to run the report, you can click the search button and you will be greeted with the following message: 

    • “The report you requested is currently being processed. This may take a few minutes. We will email you the report as soon as it is ready to view.”

    After clicking Search, you will receive an email with a hyperlink, which when clicked will display the report’s results and the date and time the report was run. This way of reporting lets you continue the work you are performing without losing any time in waiting for results to load. 

    Results on the report will be displayed in a few columns and sorted by Invoice date. Columns include Customer, Type of Income, Date, Related Order, Item Name, and Amount. The amount column also includes the total amount on the report at the bottom and top of the Amount column to provide the total at a glance on the report. Below is an example of how the Revenue Projection Report appears in Striven after you receive your confirmation email.

  • Recap

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    With this guide, we’ve discovered how to create and manage Accounts Receivable transactions, Printable Formats, and more to suit your Company’s needs. We explored some of the built-in reports within Striven to assist in tracking your financial transactions. We’ve also discovered ways to view and monitor Customer activities and settings to ensure the best user experience when managing financial transactions in Striven.

FAQs

  • My Customer has not gotten back to me yet. How can I tell if they have seen the Invoice yet or not?

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    If you view a Customer’s Transactions page from the Customer Navigation waffle menu, you will see a list of all your transactions with that Customer. There will be a Magnifying Glass icon next to the transaction name. If you click on that icon, there will be a list of the date and time of each time the Invoice was viewed on the Customer/Vendor Portal. This will also give you the name of the Contact who has viewed the transaction as well. If there is no Magnifying Glass icon next to the transaction name, that means it has not been viewed yet.

Heads up!

Striven uses relabeling. Based on industry, your system may use different terminology. Please see our Company Setup guide for more information or reach out to Striven support if you need help.