--- title: "About types of customer ledger documents" description: "In Visma Net, customer ledger documents are differentiated by document types." lang: en languages: en: https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/process-customer-ledger-documents/about-types-of-customer-ledger-documents/index.md lastmod: 2026-02-19 --- > Documentation index: https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/process-customer-ledger-documents/llms.txt # About types of customer ledger documents Last modified February 19, 2026 > In Visma Net, customer ledger documents are differentiated by document types. In Visma Net, customer ledger documents are differentiated by document types. Multiple document types help you track documents more easily and make your sales history with a customer clearer. Customer ledger document types can be divided in two groups based on their method of creation: + Manual: Users create customer ledger documents to record their financial relationship with customers. The following documents can be created by a user: **Invoice**, **Debit note**, **Credit note**, **Payment**, **Prepayment**, **Customer refund**, **Cash sale**, and **Cash return**. + Automatic: The system creates customer ledger documents when a user have run the appropriate processes. The following documents are created by the system: **Overdue charge**, **Void payment**, **Credit write-off**, and **Balance write-off**. > [!NOTE] > A user cannot create customer ledger documents of these types manually. In this topic, you will read about when and why each type of an customer ledger document is used in Visma Net. ## Invoice You use this document type to record your request for payment for goods sold or services rendered to a customer. The system includes the sum of all open customer documents with the **Invoice** type in the customer balance, which is displayed in the **Balance** field in the [Customers (AR303000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customers-ar303000/index.md) window. Thus, balances of open invoices increase the customer's balance. You use the [Sales invoices (AR301000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/sales-invoices-ar301000/index.md) window to create and process a document of this type. To identify invoices, the system uses the number series specified in the **Invoice number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. ## Payment You use this document type to record a customer payment for goods or services sold. Also, you can use this type to record a customer's prepayments, if you do not need to track prepayments separately. The system includes the sum of all open customer payment documents with the **Payment** type in the customer balance, which it displays in the **Balance** field in the [Customers (AR303000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customers-ar303000/index.md) window. Thus, balances of open payments decrease the customer's balance. You can apply outstanding documents to a payment before or after you release it. You use the [Customer payments (AR302000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-payments-ar302000/index.md) window to create and process a document of this type. To identify payments, the system uses the number series specified in the **Payment number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. > [!NOTE] > If the **Manual numbering** check box is selected for the specified number series in the [Number series (CS201010)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/common-settings/common-settings-windows/number-series-cs201010/index.md) window, the system validates each new reference number you enter in order to prevent the creation of payments and prepayments with the same reference number. ## Prepayment You use this document type if you want to distinguish customer payments from prepayments. The system displays the sum of all open customer payment documents with the **Prepayment** type separately in the **Prepayments balance** field in the [Customers (AR303000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customers-ar303000/index.md) window. Also, balances of open prepayments decrease the customer's balance. You can apply outstanding documents to a prepayment before or after you release it. > [!NOTE] > The customer prepayment balance is displayed with a minus sign in the **Prepayments balance** field in the [Customers (AR303000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customers-ar303000/index.md) window. You use the [Customer payments (AR302000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-payments-ar302000/index.md) window to create and process a document of this type. To identify prepayments, the system uses the number series specified in the **Payment number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. > [!NOTE] > If the **Manual numbering** check box is selected for the specified number series in the [Number series (CS201010)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/common-settings/common-settings-windows/number-series-cs201010/index.md) window, the system validates each new reference number you enter in order to prevent the creation of payments and prepayments with the same reference number. ## Debit note and credit note You use these document types if you want to adjust the balances of the previously issued invoices or in other cases when corrections are needed. The system includes the sum of all open customer documents with these types in the customer balance for the customer, which is displayed in the **Balance** field in the [Customers (AR303000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customers-ar303000/index.md) window. The balances of open debit notes increase the customer's balance, and the balances of open credit notes decrease customer's balance. You use the [Sales invoices (AR301000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/sales-invoices-ar301000/index.md) window to create and process documents of these types. To identify these documents, the system uses the numbering sequences specified in the **Debit note number series** and **Credit note number series** fields, respectively, on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. ## Customer refund You use this document type to record a refund to the customer for returned goods, an overpaid amount, or an unused amount of a prepayment. A customer refund must be fully applied to an open payment, prepayment, or credit note before you release the refund. To perform a refund for a closed payment document, first reverse the applications of the payment document, and then create a refund for the payment document. When you release a customer refund, the system changes its status to **Closed** because its amount was fully applied. The balances of refunds do not affect the customer's balance. You use the [Customer payments (AR302000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-payments-ar302000/index.md) window to create and process a document of this type. To identify refunds, the system uses the number series specified in the **Payment number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. ## Cash sale You use this document type to record a quick sale or a sale for which the services rendered or goods sold are paid immediately by either cash or credit card. Cash sales do not affect the customer's balance. You use the [Cash sales (AR304000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/cash-sales-ar304000/index.md) window to create and process a document of this type. To identify cash sales, the system uses the number series specified in the **Invoice number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. ## Cash return You use this document type to record a return of sold goods, which you refunded immediately by either cash or credit card refund. Also, the system creates a document of this type when you reverse a cash sale. Cash returns do not affect the customer's balance. You use the [Cash sales (AR304000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/cash-sales-ar304000/index.md) window to create and process a document of this type. To identify cash returns, the system uses the number series specified in the **Invoice number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. ## Void payment The system creates a document of this type when you void a payment document of the **Payment**, **Prepayment**, or **Balance write-off** type that was erroneously recorded or is otherwise invalid. When you release a document of this type, the system reverses the original payment transactions. The system increases the customer's balance by the balance of voided payment. To identify documents of this type, the system uses the reference number of the voided payment document. ## Overdue charge The system creates documents of this type when you run the process to collect overdue charges by using the [Calculate overdue charges (AR507000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/calculate-overdue-charges-ar507000/index.md) mass processing window. The system includes the sum of all open customer documents with the **Overdue charge** type in the customer balance for the customer, which is displayed in the **Balance** field in the [Customers (AR303000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customers-ar303000/index.md) window. Thus, balances of open charges increase the customer's balance. To identify overdue charges, the system uses the number series specified in the **Overdue charge number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window. ## Write-off balance and credit The system creates documents of the **Balance write-off** and **Credit write-off** type when you write off balances and credits of multiple documents at once by using the [Write-off balances and credits (AR505000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/write-off-balances-and-credits-ar505000/index.md) mass processing window. The system decreases the customer's balance by the written-off balance and increases the customer's balance by the written-off credit. To identify documents of this type, the system uses the number series specified in the **Write-off number series** field on the **General settings** tab of the [Customer ledger preferences (AR101000)](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/visma-net-erp/help/customer-ledger/customer-ledger-windows/customer-ledger-preferences-ar101000/index.md) window.

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