A customer is paying me directly. How do I mark the invoice paid?
Column serves as the payment processor for your public notices. However, we know that some customers still sometimes pay for notices directly to your newspaper.
If a customer mails a check to the newspaper or pays you directly in cash, you can note this and mark the invoice as "paid" in Column. If you wish to accept payment over the phone, you can enter their payment details for them, the same as if they paid online via their Column account.
Note: We encourage non-government customers to pay online to ensure prompt payment and release of affidavits. Government customers can still send paper checks to Column, but non-government customers who wish to pay by check can mail them to the newspaper for processing.
1. To process payment, click on the Notice Name to open the Notice Detail page.
2. You will see a dropdown available on the "Invoice PDF" button. Here, you can click "Process Payment."
3. You now have two options. If you'd like to process a credit card payment on behalf of a customer, click "Process Card." This will allow you to enter the customer's card information the same way they would if paying via their Column account.
4. To process a check or cash, click "Payment Received" and enter the payment details, i.e., "received check # for X amount" or "paid in cash." You should deposit the check or cash into your paper's bank account. Upon confirming "Mark as Paid," you grant Column permission to deduct the processing fee for this invoice from the subsequent payout. You can view this in "Payment Settings" under "My Organization." See this page for advice regarding those payout reports.
