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Requests for Payment

Description

For Release 3.0A, it is possible to enter requests for payment for customer or vendor invoices. Here the invoice can also be parked.

A request for payment triggers a payment by the payment program. It is thus possible to pay parked invoices punctually and without losing cash discount even if posting the invoice is done later. For invoices already posted, requests for payment provide the option of a partial payment. To do this, the invoice is blocked for payment and a payment request is entered for the required partial amount.

Storing a request for payment is done in a similar way to a down payment request as a noted item. That is, no transaction figures or other totals are updated.

Entering a request for payment

You enter a request for payment in the Accounts payable menu via Document entry -> Payment request or in the Accounts receivable menu via Document entry -> Others -> Payment request.

On the initial screen, you specify the number of the invoice for which you want to enter the request for payment. If only the document number and the company code are specified, both the fiscal year and the item are automatically determined or a selection screen may appear. If requests for payment, partial payments or credit memos already exist for the selected line item, the respective total of the amounts is displayed for information purposes. In this case, the remaining amount is proposed on the entry screen, otherwise the total amount of the referred item. If you confirm your entries on the initial screen by pressing ENTER or choose the Document header key or the Goto -> Document header function, you reach the screen for entering the data for the document header. Here the current date is proposed as the document date or posting date and "AB" as the document type (or the document type defined as the default value in customizing), and all other fields are copied from the referred invoice item. If you want to copy these default values without viewing them, confirm your entries on the intital screen using the Line item key or the Goto -> Line item function. In this case, you reach the screen for entering the data for the line item directly.

The cash discount amounts and possibly withholding tax amounts are proportionally transferred from the referred invoice item. When referring to a parked document, these amounts as well as the terms of payment and the tax code can be changed. If no tax code is specified in this case, an additional screen appears where you can divide the amount of the request for payment between up to three different tax codes. With the Tax breakdown function, you can correct the amounts for the tax breakdown.

You can reverse requests for payment that are no longer to be carried out.

Handling requests for payment in the payment program

Requests for payment are noted items and thus have a special G/L indicator. A requirement for processing by the payment program is that this special G/L indicator is entered for the special G/L transactions to be settled. For more information, refer to the section on customizing.

A request for payment is paid by the payment program upon reaching the due date. The due date calculation is done as for an invoice. The system also checks that the underlying invoice is not to be paid in the same payment run, and that the underlying invoice has not already been paid. Double payments or overpayments are thus avoided. If a request for payment cannot be paid due to one of the reasons described, it appears on the payment proposal exception list. In this case, you should reverse the request since execution is no longer possible.

For every request for payment paid, an item reflecting the amount paid is created in the payment document. The item refers to the respective invoice item. Below, such items are referred to as Pre-payments. The agreed cash discount and, if necessary, also the corresponding portion of withholding tax is withheld during payment.

Handling pre-payments in the payment program

Pre-payments are only cleared by the payment program if the respective invoice is also paid. The only exception to this rule is if the invoice has already been cleared. This is the case, for example, when the invoice has been reversed or paid manually, without deducting the pre-payment already made. The pre-payment is then dealt with as a payment on account which can be cleared immediately.

If it is determined in the payment proposal that an invoice has been completely settled with one or several pre-payments, neither the invoice nor the respective pre-payments appear on the payment medium or on the payment advice note. Also, these items do not appear when processing the payment proposal. The items are cleared automatically.

In the payment proposal list these clearing procedures are also listed with the respective items.

Special features for the POR procedure (Switzerland)

If the underlying invoice contains POR specifications, these are copied into the request for payment if the full invoice amount is to be pre-paid. If only one partial payment is to be made, this cannot be made with the POR procedure. In this case, the POR data is not transferred into the request. The settlement is then carried out via another payment method, for example, by check.

If the underlying invoice is to be paid later, then it is no longer possible using the POR procedure if pre-payments are to be cleared. In this case, you also switch to another payment method.

Change system parameters in customizing

Posting keys, special G/L indicators and special G/L accounts are to be defined for the entry of requests for payment. In the standard system, the keys 09 and 39 and the special G/L indicator "P" are used; furthermore, the special G/L accounts 198000 and 198100 are defined in the GKR chart of accounts and the special G/L accounts 266900 and 266950 in the IKR chart of accounts.

You maintain the posting keys and the special G/L indicators using the Financial Accounting Implementation Guide. For further information see the "Prepare automatic posting for payment request" chapter.

For the specification of the special G/L accounts or for the creation of a new special G/L indicator you also use the Financial Accounting Implementation Guide. Refer to the chapters "Define alternative reconciliation account (vendors)" and "Define alternative reconciliation account (customers)".

To change the "AB" default value for the document type, choose the step "Define document type and posting key" in the Financial Accounting Implementation Guide and enter the required document type for transaction F-59. For further information see the "Define document type and posting key" chapter in the Financial Accounting Implementation Guide.

For the payment program, you must take the above selected special G/L indicator into account in every paying company code. To do this, choose the step "Set up payment program" in the Financial Accounting Implementation Guide and then choose Company codes -> All. After selecting a company code, you can enter the special G/L indicator for payment requests for vendors and customers in the Sp. G/L transactions to be paid field. For more information, refer to the "Set up payment program" chapter in the Implementation Guide.