Common questions about SwiftFox Finance and the invoice-first model.
Where do I find a member's finance info?
On the contact profile's Financial tab: payment sources, the snapshot (Paid YTD / Paid Total / Total Arrears), and sections for Subscriptions, Invoices, Receipts and Tickets.
What does "Arrears" mean?
Money owed that should already have been paid (for example from a failed payment or an unpaid invoice). Total Arrears shows the contact's outstanding amount.
What's the difference between an invoice and a receipt?
An invoice records what the member owes (per period, or per year on common-period plans). A receipt records money received. Receipts are allocated to invoices to reduce their balance — one receipt can cover multiple invoices, and one invoice can be paid by multiple receipts.
How do I backdate a subscription start?
Type the date into the Start field. The calendar won't let you select a date before today.
What's the "Anniversary date"?
The next scheduled charge date, used to keep recurring payments on the correct cadence (annual, fortnightly, common period).
How is Paid To Date calculated now?
It's derived from invoices — specifically the first unpaid invoice — not edited by hand.
Why is Paid To Date earlier than I expected? / Why is my member unfinancial when I've paid?
A payment was allocated to a later invoice while an earlier one is still partly unpaid. Open the Financial tab, unallocate the payment, then reallocate it to the earliest unpaid invoice. Paid To Date recalculates.
My anniversary fortnightly member is getting an invoice every two weeks. Is that right?
Yes. Anniversary plans generate one invoice per payment period. If you don't want to email an invoice every fortnight, set Email Invoice to No at the appropriate level (System / Plan / Fee / Subscription).
A member changed plans mid-year — why are there two adjustment lines?
Intentional. SwiftFox records the change as one negative adjustment (removing the remaining old fee) and one positive adjustment (adding the remaining new fee) so the change is fully transparent.
What's the difference between Void and Write Off?
Write Off & Void cancels an invoice that should never have existed and is only available with no payments. Write Off keeps the invoice but marks the unpaid portion uncollectable (shown as Write Off Remaining Balance on a part-paid invoice), and works even with partial payments. Both are reached from the dropdown beside the Email button on the open invoice.
Can I void an invoice that has already been paid?
No. Once any payment exists, you can't void it. Write off the unpaid balance, or reallocate the payment and then void the original.
Can I refund a payment?
Yes. Open the receipt and click Refund. Supported gateway payments auto-refund; placeholder methods (cash, BPAY, payroll) are marked refunded only — return funds manually. The invoice balance updates.
Can I edit a receipt?
Only manually created receipts (e.g. cash). Receipts auto-generated by the gateway or an invoice payment are not editable.
Can I edit an adjustment after it's created?
No — adjustments are an audit record. Create a reversing adjustment with a clear comment instead.
Why is my receipt "Pending"?
Likely a direct debit — gateways confirm in about 2–3 business days. If older, email SwiftFox Support.
How do I pause or resume a subscription?
Open the subscription → Pause to set it On hold. To resume, use Resume Subscription, set a resume date and choose Forgive days on hold (or Require catch-up payments).
How do I add catch-up payments?
On the Schedule tab, click Add new payment or Edit amounts/dates; use Extend Schedule to plan multiple future payments.
What happens if I cancel a subscription mid-period?
If the invoice has no payments, it's voided. If it has partial payments, the unpaid balance is written off and the invoice is marked Paid. Future periods are not generated.
Best way to invoice a membership?
Use Receipts → Make a payment with Type = Subscription. This links the invoice to the subscription and sets the correct amount.
Can Xero auto-send invoices?
Yes, if your Xero Integration settings enable it. SwiftFox triggers Xero to create the invoice.
Where do I add bank transfer details to invoices?
Settings → Finance & usage → Invoice settings — build the details into the footer using text blocks and mail merge fields.
Why doesn't the emailed invoice reflect adjustments I made later?
The emailed PDF is a snapshot at send time. Open the invoice and click Email Invoice again for a fresh PDF. The Pay Now link always shows the current outstanding balance.
How do I total payments for donors or FY statements?
Create a Financial Summary formula field with receipt filters, then use it in emails (mail merge) and document generation.
How can members view or download invoices/receipts?
Through the member portal's Financial area, if enabled.
How do I process payroll deductions?
Use a Payroll Deduction Action Centre (a Financial - Payroll type, under the Financial group in the Action Centre) to record and track manual payroll deduction receipts.
How do I analyse receipts or invoices across the database?
Use the Action Centres with filters and search; export CSV. Use Row per item for line-level analysis and View summary for filtered totals.
Will my members notice the change to invoice-first?
Members on automatic payments won't notice anything different day to day. Members on invoice payment methods receive invoices generated by the new model — similar content and format, with payment history and adjustments now shown on the invoice itself.
Who do I contact for help?
For enablement, configuration changes, migration issues or behaviour that doesn't match this guide, contact your account manager or SwiftFox Support.