Residual Payment vs. Partial Payment: Design considerations

Question

We need to decide between implementing residual payment vs. partial payment. We will be implementing payment processing.
I would like to understand why one would choose one method over another?
What is the benefit of clearing original invoice and creating a new line item for the balance (as in case of residual payments)? There is a setting that allows user to capture the original invoice date at the time of payment processing while using residual payment, which I believe makes the residual payments same as partial payments, so again, why would one choose one method over another? 
I would like to understand the benefits & limitations of each method.
How does the decision to implement a method get impacted if reason codes are to be implemented, which method would offer a better solution considering reason codes requirement?
Appreciate your inputs.

Answer 1

Hi,
In manual processing of incoming payments, it is of course the user who can make the decision to either make residual item, or a partial payment.
In automatic processing of incoming payments:
For electronic bank statements, payments that the system cannot match with open items will end up in post-processing; there the user can again choose either residual item or partial payment.
For electronic payment advices, I know that there is configuration to match customer information for payment deductions in the payment advice, with you own reason codes, and that based on the information the system can create the residual items automatically. Of course, this is only relevant if your customers actually send you electronic payment advices with such information included.
Regarding reason codes, you will always use reason codes with residual items; to indicate the reason for deduction for follow up in your A/R dept, and possibly to make use of the automatic write off (you can configure reason codes to automatically write off the payment deduction to some G/L account of your choosing; you would use that e.g. if the payment deduction is too small to bother).
For partial payment, you could use reason codes I guess, if you want to in that way mark the item for some reporting or follow up purpose.
Regards,
Rob