Payment requests, money received and refunds

Distinguishing the request, the payment and the invoice

A payment request describes what needs to be paid: the customer, billable line items, quantities, prices, VAT and total amount. A payment records money received against that request. An invoice is a separate document, available under Documents. Creating a request therefore does not prove that the customer has paid; creating an invoice does not collect money through the bank either.

A request can contain several payments, for example a partial bank transfer followed by payment of the balance. Conversely, a training registration can be linked to several requests, particularly when payment is split into instalments. Check the linked requests before concluding that an entire registration has been paid for.

The Payment Requests and Payments menu pages let you track the amounts requested and the transactions recorded respectively. The available actions depend on your permissions in the active organisation.

Creating a manual payment request

Before starting, check the customer's details, your business information and the VAT settings.

1. Open Payment Requests and choose to create a new request.
2. Select the customer. Check their identity and billing address.
3. Add one line item per service or product. Enter a clear description, quantity, unit, unit price excluding VAT and applicable rate.
4. Add a discount line if needed. It reduces the amount; check the sign and VAT on that line.
5. Optionally enter a buyer reference, such as an order reference supplied by the customer.
6. Check the totals excluding and including VAT, then create the request.

The language used when creating the request comes from the customer when one is linked. Invoices generated from this request then use the request's language. Do not assume that the dashboard language determines the language of the customer's documents.

Calculation example, not a recommendation of a VAT rate: two services at €50 excluding VAT amount to €100 excluding VAT. With a configured rate of 21%, the displayed total is €121. A quantity of two must represent two units actually sold; changing the unit code does not automatically convert a duration.

Sharing the payment link

Open the request details and use the action to copy or open the public link. This link is available for requests linked to a customer. Share it only with the intended recipient: it provides access to this request's page and payment information.

The customer can view the summary and then continue to the configured payment provider. Creating a link does not by itself send an email or create a successful payment. The provider's return screen may still be waiting for payment confirmation: check the final status in Bookelio before recording an additional payment.

Recording a bank transfer or manual payment

1. Open the relevant request and check the existing payments.
2. Choose Add Payment.
3. For money received outside the online payment process, choose the external processor.
4. Enter the amount actually received, the date and, if available, a reference that will help you find the transaction.
5. Choose the status that reflects the actual payment situation and confirm.

Adding a payment manually records a transaction in Bookelio. It does not debit the customer's account. Do not select Mollie or Stripe to simulate money received that does not exist with that provider, and do not re-enter an online payment that has already been confirmed.

The suggested amount is the outstanding balance, but you must still check it. If €40 has been received against a €100 request, record €40, not the full amount. The request remains partially paid until the balance is received.

Understanding statuses and the balance

The details distinguish the total paid, refunds and the net amount. Pending refunds, as well as completed ones, are taken into account when calculating amounts already committed to a refund; failed refunds are not.

Example: a €100 request has received €100, then a €20 refund is recorded. The displayed net amount decreases. This does not necessarily mean that you intend to ask the customer for another €20: the commercial context and any credit notes must also be considered.

Refunding a payment

Open the refund action on a completed payment that still has a refundable amount. Enter the amount, the reason and, for a manual transaction, a useful tracking reference.

For Mollie or Stripe, this action actually requests a refund from the provider. For an external payment, it records a manual refund: make the corresponding bank transfer or return of funds separately according to your procedure. A refund cannot exceed the original payment minus the refunds already committed.

Credit pack purchases cannot be refunded through this generic action: their handling also requires an adjustment to the credits. Contact your administrator for this case. A refund does not automatically create a credit note and does not, by itself, cancel a booking.

Editing, filtering and checking

A request can be edited as long as it has no payments and no documents that have not been deleted. Once a financial history exists, changes to the line items, language and buyer reference are blocked, even if a payment attempt failed. Do not create a duplicate to work around this protection.

The request list can be filtered by creation dates and customer. The Payments list provides date, customer, status and processor filters, as well as a CSV export of all results matching the filters, not just the visible page. To investigate an unexplained amount, start with the payment, open its request and examine the linked documents.

If you are unsure about money received, note the reference, amount, date and exact message. Read the troubleshooting guide before retrying an action that could debit or refund money.