Calculate the two stages separately
An approved EUR 1,200 return has a EUR 700 note and a EUR 300 note. Issued value is EUR 1,000, leaving EUR 200 to investigate. If the notes have EUR 500 and EUR 100 in applications respectively, their remaining balances are EUR 200 and EUR 200. The EUR 200 credit-value difference and EUR 400 application balance concern different stages. Neither is automatically a recovery.
Check the basis before calling it partial
A deduction, tax basis or currency mismatch can make values look different without proving a missing note. Confirm the approved amount after any specifically agreed adjustment and compare like with like. Do not simply take absolute values from a ledger export without understanding its signs. Preserve the original values and document the normalization.
Deal with many-to-many documents explicitly
A note covering two returns needs a line-level or agreed allocation. The current exact-reference engine expects a credit record to identify its expected return. Do not silently duplicate a note or manufacture separate independent document references. Prepare an agreed transformation and verify the total across allocations, or keep the case in manual review.
Distinguish duplicate rows from repeated numbers
Two exported rows can be legitimate lines from one note, or the same document extracted twice. A row identifier and a business document reference are different. Before summing, decide the source grain and consolidate genuine lines correctly. Repeated ambiguous references should not feed an automatic monetary claim.
Keep the evidence when the final note arrives
Add the new document to the source population, repeat the value check and then review applications. Closing the original issue because a supplier replied does not establish that the final value was issued. Keep the earlier explanation so another reviewer can understand why the case changed. The downloadable tracker supports case totals; retain the document-level detail alongside it.
Fictional split credit, EUR
| Document | Issued | Applied | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN-701 | 700.00 | 500.00 | 200.00 |
| CN-702 | 300.00 | 100.00 | 200.00 |
| Total, same currency | 1,000.00 | 600.00 | 400.00 |
Your action checklist
- Confirm supplier, RMA and currency.
- Count distinct documents, not repeated export rows.
- Use an agreed amount basis.
- Review each credit’s applications.
Practical questions
Should I add the missing amount and all credits received?
No. That mixes an exception with source values and can double count the same stage.
What if credits exceed the approval?
Keep the signed difference and investigate the approval, duplicates or allocation. Do not describe the excess as money recovered.
All examples are fictional. Educational material, not accounting, tax or legal advice. Verify findings against the underlying records.