Troubleshooting a Payment Batch
Troubleshooting for a payment batch begins with identifying the current status of your payment batch so that you can determine the best course of action. You can review the payment batch status in the Payment Batches window.
Most payment batch problems are due to a printer malfunction during check printing, resulting in skipped or ruined checks. However, occasionally payment batch concurrent programs fail. Details on how to handle each category of problem are discussed below:
To confirm a payment batch after the printer failed during check printing:
If you have printer problems during check printing, you will still confirm the results using the Confirm Payment Batch window. Follow the examples below to find a situation similar to yours, then refer to Confirming Payment Batches.
Record partial batch and restart check printing
In the Confirm Payment Batch window, record the checks as either Setup, Skipped, or Printed then choose Restart Payment Batch. DO NOT record any checks as Spoiled; instead void any destroyed documents.
Assume the payment document is defined to have two setup checks. For example:
| Checks 100-101
| setup checks, printed successfully
|
| Checks 102-109
| printed successfully
|
| Checks 110-199
| did not print because the database went down
|
In the Confirm Payment Batch window, Payables records checks 100-101 as Setup. You record checks 102-109 as Printed. Choose Restart Payment Batch. When Payables prompts you to enter the document number with which it should resume printing, enter 110. Payables restarts processing the remainder of the payment batch using check 110 as the beginning check number. When you choose Restart, Payables builds payments and formats a new output file for the invoices that should have been paid with checks 110-199. You then print and confirm, using the same payment batch name. Continuing with the example above, when you print the restart portion of the payment batch, Payables will use checks 110 - 111 as Setup checks and will print on check 112 the check that originally should have been paid on check 110.
Record partial batch and cancel the remainder
In the Confirm Payment Batch window, record the checks as either Setup, Skipped, Spoiled or Printed then choose Cancel Remainder. This is similar to the previous example, but instead of restarting the payment batch, you cancel the remainder and plan on initiating another payment batch at a later time.
Assume the payment document is defined to have two setup checks. For example:
| Checks 100-101
| setup checks, printed successfully
|
| Checks 102-140
| printed successfully
|
| Check 141
| destroyed when jammed in printer
|
| Checks 142-199
| did not print because the printer jammed
|
In the Confirm Payment Batch window, Payables records checks 100-101 as Setup. Record checks 102-140 as Printed, 141 as spoiled, then choose Cancel Remainder. Payables updates to Paid the status of the invoices paid by the Printed checks, and updates to Unpaid the status of the invoices associated with the spoiled and the remaining payments. Initiate a new payment batch to pay the invoices that should have been paid by checks 141-200.
Record completed payment batch if a check skipped during printing
Assume the payment document is defined to have two setup checks. For example:
| Checks 100-101
| setup checks, printed successfully
|
| Checks 102-140
| printed successfully
|
| Check 141
| skipped
|
| Checks 142-199
| printed
|
In the Confirm Payment Batch window, Payables records checks 100-101 as Setup. Record checks 102-140 and checks 142-199 as Printed, and record check 121 as Skipped. When you record a check as Skipped, Payables automatically adjusts the check numbering sequence to reflect the printed results. You can then reuse the skipped check for a manual check, or void it in the Payables Document region of the Banks window.
Record completed payment batch if a check was damaged during printing
Assume the payment document is defined to have two setup checks. For example:
| Checks 100-101
| setup checks, printed successfully
|
| Checks 102-140
| printed successfully
|
| Check 141
| ink smeared, rendering illegible
|
| Checks 142-199
| printed
|
In the Confirm Payment Batch window, Payables records checks 100-101 as Setup. Record the entire range of 102-199 as Printed. Pull check 141 and void it using the Actions window of the Payment Workbench. You can then pay the invoices that should have been paid by check 141 on a single payment or in another payment batch.
Warning: Do not record check 141 as Spoiled. That would result in an adjustment to the check numbering sequence, causing Payables to record incorrect payment information.
To restart a failed payment batch concurrent program:
If a concurrent program does not execute successfully, you can resubmit the program by using the Payment Batch Actions window.
For example, your database is brought down for maintenance while your payment batch is running the format payments program, causing the concurrent program to fail. To resubmit the Format Payments program, query the payment batch. You confirm that the Format program never completed because the Status field displays Formatting, not Formatted. Navigate to the Payment Batch Actions window and select Format Payments again.
You can tell if a payment batch program did not complete successfully by looking in the Concurrent Requests Summary. Also, unsuccessful batch programs will display one of the following statuses in the Payment Batches window:
1. Find the payment batch you for which you want to resubmit a concurrent program either by using the Find Payment Batches window or by entering a query directly in the Payment Batches window.
2. In the Payment Batches window, select the payment batch and choose Actions. Select the action that you need to resubmit and choose OK.
3. Continue normally through the payment batch process.
See Also
Reviewing Payment Batches
Commonly Asked Payment Batch Questions
