{
  "schema": "mcsj-recipe-v1",
  "id": "billing-vs-balance-adjustments",
  "title": "Billing vs. Balance Adjustments",
  "module": "Other",
  "source": "C:/Solutions/michel/knowledge/foster/mcsj_assets/tip_sheets/billing_vs_balance_adjustments.json",
  "confidence": "source-compiled",
  "timing_target_seconds": 30,
  "requires_live_mapping": true,
  "short_answer": "Use a billing adjustment when the original bill or charge should have been different. Use a balance adjustment when the bill was correct, but the account balance, credit, or amount owed needs cleanup.",
  "steps": [
    {
      "phase": "navigate",
      "action": "Open the correct adjustment batch",
      "path": "Utility Bill Adjustment Batch OR Utility Balance Adjustment Batch",
      "note": "Billing adjustment: Calculate Bills area. Balance adjustment: Balance Adjustments area."
    },
    {
      "phase": "operate",
      "action": "Use Billing Adjustment when...",
      "checks": [
        "The bill itself should have been different.",
        "A customer was overbilled or underbilled.",
        "The wrong bill code, charge, fee, or billed amount was used.",
        "A leak adjustment should change what was billed."
      ]
    },
    {
      "phase": "operate",
      "action": "Use Balance Adjustment when...",
      "checks": [
        "The original billing can stay as-is.",
        "The amount owed or credited needs to be corrected.",
        "An overpayment, credit, or balance needs cleanup.",
        "You are fixing balance handling, not rewriting the bill."
      ]
    },
    {
      "phase": "operate",
      "action": "Fast decision rule",
      "checks": [
        "Ask: Was the bill wrong?",
        "Yes: use a billing adjustment.",
        "No, but the account balance is wrong: use a balance adjustment."
      ]
    },
    {
      "phase": "operate",
      "action": "Account shortcut",
      "checks": [
        "In Utility Account Maintenance > Balances, double-click the right area.",
        "Billed amount area opens a billing adjustment.",
        "Balance area opens a balance adjustment."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "watch_outs": [
    "Do not use balance adjustments to fix billing that should have been changed by service/year/period/bill code.",
    "If adjusting a specific period, double-click the exact billing or balance area for that period.",
    "Enter, verify, and update the batch; keep the proof report for review."
  ],
  "completion_contract": [
    "Use live chestervillagenydb only",
    "Verify record/batch ID before write",
    "Capture visible after-proof",
    "For batches, Save alone is incomplete; verify and Update/Post when applicable"
  ]
}