Handling reservations with a balance due

Having your campers check out with a balance due isn't fun (and unless you change the Program Option, it isn't allowed in Campground Master), but it probably happens once in awhile.  Here are a few ways you can handle this, depending on the overall situation and how you want them reported.

If it's a write-off (you don't expect to see that customer again), there are a few options:

Option 1. Add a Payment Method (in Pick Lists) for "Write-off" and enter the balance due as a Payment, selecting that payment method.  This would show on reports like Receipts by Payment Method and figure in your total receipts, though, which may not be desirable.

Option 2. Enter a negative Charge in the category that's being written off (and appropriate negated taxes), e.g. the same way you would do for shortening a stay or refunding an item.  (Manager access is usually required for entering negative Charges).  You can also use the Reverse Charges function to do this.  This would not affect total Receipts, but would show in reports like Charges by Category.

Option 3. If you want to keep the original amount of the Charge reported in its original category even though it's being written off, first add a Transaction Category (in Pick Lists) for "Write-off".  Then enter it on the Reservation as a Charge with a negative amount as above, selecting the new Write-off category.  You also need to move the Write-off charge so it's above their last payment (if there was one), through Reservation Details / Transaction History, so it's reflected properly in Receipts by Category reports.  For instance, if there was a Rent charge of $50, a payment of $10 and then a Write-off of $40, and you want it to show as Rent: $50, Write-off: -$40, then you need to move the Write-off charge above the payment. Otherwise it would show only as Rent: $10 and the Write-off would not show on Receipts by Category.

Note that options 2 and 3 require that you are allowed to Check Out reservations with a balance.  In versions prior to v10.0, go to Maintenance / Program Options / Functions, and uncheck "Don't allow a reservation to be checked out if it has a balance".   As of version 10, the option to allow checking out with a balance is not a Program Options setting, it's an Access Level (Maintenance / Park Setup / Access Levels), with a default setting of "Reservations".  You can set the operator level allowed to check out with a balance as needed, for either balance due ("Check Out a Reservation with a balance due") or a credit balance ("Check Out a Reservation with a credit balance").

Alternatively, if it's a balance you want to keep on the Customer info (you expect them back some day to pay the balance), then you would need to enter a negative Charge for the original category so the reservation balances out (again moving that above any payment), and enter an equal (but positive) charge for the same category through Customer Details / New/Edit Transactions.  This leaves a balance due on the customer but the reservation is zeroed out.