Returns & credits
When goods come back, the invoice shows them under RETURNED ITEM(S), the subtotal drops, and the customer may be owed money back. A return never credits more than its line was charged. Recording the return itself is covered in Returns & cancellations.
Who uses it
- Supplier staff record returns, then refund or credit the customer.
- Restaurants see the returned items and any refund on their invoice.
How it works
- A return is recorded against an order line, as reshelf or discard.
- The invoice gets a RETURNED ITEM(S) table: negative quantity and negative total. Reshelved and discarded quantities for the same line are merged into one row; box weights can show "WEIGHT (LB) – Reshelf:" and "– Discard:".
- The subtotal becomes Subtotal After Return, and every percentage discount and fee is worked out from that new figure.
- The header gets an Item(s) Returned badge.
- If the customer had already paid more than the new total, Balance Due stays at $0.00 and Available Refund Amount appears with the overpaid amount. On a Paid invoice the return's success dialog offers Issue a Refund, which opens Manage Payments on Issue Refund, where Issue Full Refund suggests that overpaid excess. See Refunds.
- If store credit had been applied and the total drops below it, the extra credit goes back to the customer automatically ("Store credit returned because items on order INV-1001 were returned.").
- If every item is returned and nothing was paid, the invoice becomes Void.
Calculations
A return's credit = its quantity × unit price, rounded to the cent, but never more than the line was charged.
$2.599/LB × 10 LB bills $25.99. Returned as two 5 LB returns:
| Rounded on its own | Merged and capped | |
|---|---|---|
| Return 1 (5 LB) | $13.00 | |
| Return 2 (5 LB) | $13.00 | |
| Total credited | $26.00 (one cent more than charged) | $25.99 |
The invoice prints one merged row of 10 LB at −$25.99, and the Subtotal After Return for that line is $0.00.
Goods returned that this order never sold are recorded as additional returns: they are listed on the invoice at no value, and they change no total.
Full example
Invoice $500.00, paid $500.00 in cash. Customer returns goods worth $120.00.
| Before return | After return | |
|---|---|---|
| Subtotal After Return | $500.00 | $380.00 |
| Payment | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Balance Due | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Available Refund Amount | — | $120.00 |
| Status | Paid | Paid |
| Bookkeeping | Cash Payment +$500.00 | — |
Where it shows up
Invoice page, PDF, the returned-order email to the restaurant (with the PDF), and store credit history.
Permissions
Recording returns needs the returns permission.
Decisions
- Returns are capped at the line. Rounding each return row separately could credit a cent more than was charged and leave a negative subtotal. (CLAUDE.md "Returns are capped at the line")
- The invoice prices the same merged row it prints. Pricing two rows and printing one could disagree by a cent. (CLAUDE.md)
Known limitations
- A part-paid invoice isn't offered a refund after a return. The success dialog offers View Invoice only; the supplier can still open Issue Refund from the invoice.
- Goods returned that the order never sold (additional returns) carry no credit.
FAQ
Why was the customer credited $25.99 and not $26.00? That's all the line was charged. Two returns of half each would round to $26.00, so the extra cent comes off.
The customer returned goods and had already paid. How do they get money back? The invoice shows Available Refund Amount. On a Paid invoice, press Issue a Refund in the return's success dialog, or open Manage Payments → Issue Refund. A part-paid invoice isn't offered the dialog button; open Issue Refund from the invoice. See Refunds.