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Record your first payment

This guide covers the complete payment lifecycle in Makronexus Education: recording payments, verification, allocation to invoices, reconciliation, and receipt generation.

Overview​

The finance workflow in Makronexus Education:

Fees → Billing Run → Invoice → Payment → Receipt

Payments can be:

  • Allocated — Applied to specific invoices
  • Unallocated — Held as credit on account
  • Partially allocated — Split across multiple invoices

Prerequisites​

Before recording payments, ensure:

RequirementNavigationWhy needed
Fees configuredFinance → FeesKnow what to charge
Student existsPeople → StudentsLink payment to student
Invoice generatedFinance → InvoicesPayment applies to invoice
Payment permissionCheck with adminRecord payments access
Testing the flow

For initial setup, create a test student, run a billing run for them, then record a test payment to verify the complete workflow.

Recording a payment​

Navigation: Finance → Payments

Step 1: Open payments page​

  1. Click Finance in the sidebar
  2. Click Payments
  3. You'll see the payments list with filters for status, date, and method

Step 2: Create new payment​

Click Record payment or Add payment button.

You may see two options:

  • Quick payment — Simple form for single payment
  • Payment wizard — Guided multi-step process

Step 3: Enter payment details​

FieldRequiredDescriptionExample
Student✅Search and select student"Tatenda Moyo"
Amount✅Payment amount500.00
Currency✅Payment currencyUSD
Payment method✅How payment was madeCash, EcoCash, Bank Transfer
Payment date✅Date received2026-02-01
ReferenceOptionalReceipt/reference number"ECO-12345"
NotesOptionalAdditional details"Term 1 tuition"

Step 4: Select payment method​

Available payment methods (configured by admin):

MethodDescriptionReference fields
CashPhysical cashReceipt number
EcoCashMobile moneyTransaction reference
Bank TransferDirect bank depositBank reference, deposit date
ChequePaper chequeCheque number, bank, date
CardDebit/credit cardTransaction ID
ZIPITInterbank transferZIPIT reference
OnlinePayment portalTransaction ID

Step 5: Save the payment​

  1. Review all entered information
  2. Click Save or Record payment
  3. Payment appears in the list with status Pending or Verified

Payment statuses​

StatusDescriptionActions available
PendingRecorded but not verifiedVerify, Edit, Delete
VerifiedConfirmed as receivedAllocate, Reconcile, Refund
AllocatedApplied to invoicesView allocation, Reallocate
ReconciledMatched to bank statementView reconciliation
RefundedReturned to payerView refund details
CancelledVoided paymentView cancellation reason

Verifying payments​

Verification confirms the payment was actually received (important for non-cash payments).

Step 1: Open the payment​

  1. Find the payment in Finance → Payments
  2. Click to open the detail view

Step 2: Verify the payment​

  1. Click Verify button
  2. Enter verification details:
    • Date verified
    • Verified by (auto-filled with your name)
    • Verification notes (e.g., "Confirmed in bank statement")
  3. Click Confirm verification

The payment status changes to Verified.

Auto-verification

Your administrator may configure certain payment methods to auto-verify (e.g., cash payments).

Allocating payments to invoices​

Allocation applies the payment amount to specific invoices, updating their balance.

Automatic allocation​

If you used the Payment Wizard and selected invoices, allocation happens automatically.

Manual allocation​

  1. Open a verified payment
  2. Click Allocate button
  3. Select invoices to apply payment to:
    • See student's outstanding invoices
    • Enter amount to apply to each
    • Total allocation must not exceed payment amount
  4. Click Save allocation

Allocation rules:

  • Oldest invoices first (FIFO) is common
  • Can allocate to multiple invoices
  • Remaining amount stays as credit

Example allocation​

Payment: $500.00

InvoiceAmount dueAllocatedRemaining
INV-001 (Term 1 Tuition)$300.00$300.00$0.00
INV-002 (Term 1 Exam Fee)$100.00$100.00$0.00
INV-003 (Sport Levy)$150.00$100.00$50.00

Unallocated credit: $0.00

Issuing receipts​

Receipts are generated automatically or manually after payment recording.

Automatic receipt​

If configured, receipts generate automatically when:

  • Payment is recorded
  • Payment is verified
  • Payment is allocated

Manual receipt generation​

Navigation: Finance → Receipts

  1. Click Generate receipt
  2. Select the payment
  3. Customize receipt details (if needed):
    • Receipt number (auto-generated)
    • Date
    • Additional notes
  4. Click Generate

Receipt information​

A receipt includes:

SectionDetails
HeaderSchool name, logo, address, contact
Receipt numberUnique identifier (e.g., RCT-2026-00001)
StudentName, ID, class
Payment detailsAmount, method, date, reference
AllocationWhich invoices the payment applies to
BalanceRemaining account balance
FooterSignature line, terms
  1. Open the receipt in Finance → Receipts
  2. Click Print or Download PDF
  3. Provide to guardian/student

Payment reconciliation​

Reconciliation matches payments to bank statements for audit purposes.

Why reconcile?​

  • Ensures all payments are accounted for
  • Identifies discrepancies early
  • Required for financial audits
  • Prevents duplicate entries

Reconciliation process​

Navigation: Finance → Payments → Reconcile

  1. Select a payment
  2. Click Reconcile
  3. Enter bank statement details:
    • Statement date
    • Bank reference
    • Matched amount
  4. Confirm reconciliation

Handling special cases​

Overpayment​

When a guardian pays more than the invoice amount:

  1. Record the full payment amount
  2. Allocate to invoices up to their value
  3. Remaining amount shows as credit balance
  4. Credit applies to future invoices automatically

Underpayment​

When payment is less than invoice amount:

  1. Record the actual payment amount
  2. Allocate to invoices (partial payment)
  3. Invoice shows remaining balance
  4. Student account shows outstanding amount

Refunds​

If a payment needs to be returned:

  1. Open the payment
  2. Click Refund
  3. Enter:
    • Refund amount (full or partial)
    • Refund reason
    • Refund method
    • Date processed
  4. Confirm the refund

The system:

  • Reverses the allocation
  • Updates invoice balances
  • Creates refund record
  • Updates student account

Payment corrections​

To fix an incorrect payment:

Option 1: Delete and re-record (if pending)

  • Delete the incorrect payment
  • Record a new payment with correct details

Option 2: Void and re-record (if verified/allocated)

  • Void the payment (creates audit trail)
  • Record correct payment
  • Link to voided record

Payment reports​

Available reports​

Navigation: Finance → Payments → Reports (or Finance → Reports)

ReportShows
Daily collectionsPayments received today
Payment summaryTotals by method, date range
Outstanding paymentsUnverified, unallocated payments
Reconciliation statusReconciled vs unreconciled
Student payment historyAll payments for a student

Export options​

  • PDF for printing
  • Excel/CSV for further analysis
  • Email to stakeholders

Quick reference: Payment workflow​

1. Guardian makes payment (cash, mobile money, bank, etc.)
                    ↓
2. School records payment in system
                    ↓
3. Payment is verified (for non-cash)
                    ↓
4. Payment is allocated to invoices
                    ↓
5. Receipt is generated and issued
                    ↓
6. Payment is reconciled to bank statement

Troubleshooting​

Payment doesn't appear​

Possible causes:

  • Wrong school selected
  • Filter applied (check status filter)
  • Payment for different date range

Solutions:

  • Clear filters
  • Expand date range
  • Check if payment is under different student

Can't allocate payment​

Possible causes:

  • Payment not verified
  • No outstanding invoices
  • Amount already fully allocated

Solutions:

  • Verify the payment first
  • Check student has unpaid invoices
  • Review existing allocations

Receipt not generating​

Possible causes:

  • Payment not complete
  • Receipt template not configured
  • Permissions issue

Solutions:

  • Ensure payment is saved and allocated
  • Contact admin to check receipt templates
  • Verify receipt generation permissions

Balance not updating​

Possible causes:

  • Payment not allocated
  • Allocation to wrong invoice
  • Cache/display delay

Solutions:

  • Allocate payment to correct invoices
  • Refresh the student account view
  • Check allocation was saved