AR aging is computed, not exported
AR aging buckets in AccountDesq are computed directly from open invoice balances every time you view them, not maintained as a periodic export or a spreadsheet someone updates weekly. As invoices are issued and payments are recorded and allocated, the aging view reflects reality immediately - there’s no lag between what happened and what the report shows.
The Settlement Engine: what happens to advances and credits
When a customer sends money ahead of an invoice, or is owed a credit from a return or adjustment, that value doesn’t sit in a side note waiting for someone to remember it. The Settlement Engine records it as a real credit balance and applies it against open invoices - automatically where possible, or manually selected by whoever is working the account - without requiring a manual journal entry to move the money into place.
Worked example: a partial advance applied to the next invoice
A wholesale customer sends a partial advance ahead of their next order. AccountDesq records that advance as a credit balance through the Settlement Engine. When the next invoice is issued, that balance is available to apply against it directly - the customer’s outstanding amount reflects the advance instead of showing the full invoice value as still owed.
Promises-to-pay: turning "they said Friday" into a record
- 1
Log the commitment
When a customer commits to a payment date, record it as a promise-to-pay against their account - not a note in an email or a sticky note.
- 2
Track it against the real date
The promise carries its own status, so it’s visible whether it’s still pending, kept, or missed.
- 3
Follow up when it lapses
A missed promise date is a clear, specific trigger for follow-up - not something that depends on someone remembering to check.
Disputes don’t block the rest of the queue
A contested invoice moves into its own dispute workflow rather than sitting in the same queue as invoices that are simply overdue - so one disagreement with one customer doesn’t require special handling every time you review the rest of your receivables.
Working the collections center instead of the whole aging report
Rather than scanning a full aging report every morning to decide who to call, the collections center surfaces accounts that actually need attention - overdue balances, lapsed promises-to-pay, and accounts with open disputes - as a working queue. It turns receivables from a report you read into a list you work through.
Does AR aging update automatically as I record payments?
Yes - aging buckets are computed from real, current invoice and payment data every time you view them, not from a periodic export.
What’s the difference between a credit note and the Settlement Engine?
A credit note is the document that creates a credit balance (for a return, a billing correction, and so on). The Settlement Engine is the mechanism that applies that balance - along with customer advances - against open invoices.
Can I track that a customer promised to pay by a specific date?
Yes - promises-to-pay are logged as a real record with their own status, and the collections center follows up when a promised date passes without payment.
Resources
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