MealTime

Zeroing out account balances is often done at the end of school year for graduating students. This is a simple four step process that includes the use of MS Excel and can be used for both positive and negative adjustments. The process includes exporting a balance list, modifying the balance list in Excel, creating a balance adjustment import definition and executing the import definition to finalize the balance adjustment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Step One - Customer Balance List
• Step Two - MS Excel
• PREPARING THE CSV
• INVERTING THE BALANCES
• Step Three - Balance Adjustment Import-Design
• Step Four - Balance Adjustment Import-Execute
• Confirmation
  
  

Step One - Customer Balance List

The first step in this process is to export a Customer Balance List that includes all the students who's account balances need to be zeroed out. When the list is exported, make note of the total number of students who's accounts will be zeroed and the total amount of $ being adjusted. This information will be in the exported list.

-> Go To: Point of Sale > REPORTS > Customer Accounts > Customer Balance List

Step Two - MS Excel

The second step in the process is to import the customer balance list from step 1 into Excel to remove unneeded data and invert the balances. This means if balances are negative, make them positive. If they are positive, make them negative. We do this so that when we import this file back in to MealTime in step 4, the newly inverted balances cancel out the current balances, effectively setting them to zero. 

Two columns from the balance list are required for the adjustment: Customer ID and Available Balance. Everything else can be removed if it helps to organize the file. You may also want to add a Notes column with a short comment as to why the adjustment was made. 

Only rows that contain customer data are needed. All rows that do not contain customer data should be removed from the balance list. (You can keep the single header row if it helps now and remove that row from import later).

PREPARING THE CSV

INVERTING THE BALANCES

Step Three - Balance Adjustment Import-Design

The third step in the process uses the Balance Adjustment Import-Design page. Here, you will create a new definition, upload the file you modified with Excel in step 2 and map the required fields from the balance list to the same fields in MealTime. The three fields that are mapped at this stage are Customer ID, Balance and Notes.

-> Go To: Point of Sale > CUSTOMERS > Importing > Balance Adjustment Import-Design

Click On to Execute to move on to Step 4 and execute the balance adjustment.

Step Four - Balance Adjustment Import-Execute

The fourth step in the process takes the Balance Adjust Import definition you created in step 3 and executes it in MealTime, applying the newly revised account balances. Once this process is complete, all account balances in the balance list should be zero.

-> Go To: Point of Sale > Customers > Importing > Balance Adjustment Import-Execute

3. Click the Continue button to move on to the Balance Adjustment Import Preview to validate the adjustments before processing them or click the Cancel button to cancel.

3. Click the Accept Import button to accept and execute the balance adjustment import, click the View Pending Changes button to download the Preview file or click the Cancel button to cancel the import.

Clicking Accept Import will present you with a final message asking if you are sure you want to import the file. 4. Click the I Am Sure button to accept the import and execute the balance adjustments or click the Cancel button to cancel.

Confirmation

With the balance adjustment complete, it's a good idea to revisit step 1 and run the Customer Balance List again using the same filter settings as before. You should see that there are no longer any remaining balances in the list.