Customer Opening Balance records outstanding receivables from customers at the start of using Freespace or at the beginning of a new accounting period. Use it to bring forward unpaid bills so customer statements and ageing reports are correct from day one.
Go to Sales → Settings → Customer Opening Balance from the left menu.
Each opening balance entry is a transaction with draft and approved statuses. Approve the entry to post the receivable to accounts. You can attach individual reference bills with due dates and balances, or enter a lump-sum amount.
List columns
| **Column** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Id | Transaction ID. |
| Date | Effective date of the opening balance. |
| Customer | Customer whose receivable is being opened. |
| Party Code | Customer party code when used. |
| Employee | Employee in charge. |
| Center | Billing or shipping center when centers are enabled. |
| Amount | Total opening balance amount. |
| Notes | Optional remarks. |
| Status | Draft, Approved, Cancelled, or Closed. |
Quick filter tabs
| **Tab** | **Shows** |
|---------|-----------|
| Default | All non-cancelled entries (default). |
| Approved | Approved entries. |
| Draft | Draft entries. |
| Cancelled | Cancelled entries. |
| Closed | Closed entries. |
Advanced filters
| **Filter** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Id | Filter by transaction ID. |
| Customer | Filter by customer. |
| Notes | Search in notes. |
| Status | Document status. |
| Date | Effective date range. |
| Created Date | Date the entry was created. |
List row actions
| **Action** | **Available when status is** |
|------------|------------------------------|
| View | All |
| Edit | Draft, For Revisal |
| Delete | Draft, For Revisal |
New Customer Opening Balance
Fields
Header
| **Field** | **Description** |
|-----------|-----------------|
| Date * | Effective date of the opening balance. |
| Customer * | Customer whose receivable is being opened. Active customers only. |
| Amount * | Total opening balance. Auto-calculated as the sum of reference bill opening balances when reference lines are used. Read-only when driven by lines. |
| Notes | Optional remarks. |
| Form Type | Sale type applied to reference bill lines when used. |
| Employee | Employee in charge of the entry. |
| Center | Billing or shipping center when centers are enabled. |
Reference Bills
Optional table of individual unpaid customer bills:
| **Column** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| Bill Number | Customer's invoice or internal reference number. |
| Date | Bill date. |
| Due Date | Payment due date. Must be on or after the bill date. |
| Total | Original bill total. |
| Opening Balance | Portion still receivable at opening. |
The header Amount equals the sum of Opening Balance on all reference lines.
Actions
List header:New
| **Action** | **Description** | **Available when status is** |
|------------|-----------------|------------------------------|
| Approve | Posts the opening balance to accounts | Draft |
| Edit | Opens the edit form | Draft, For Revisal |
| Delete | Removes the entry | Draft, For Revisal |
| Cancel | Cancels an approved entry | Approved, Closed |
| Master Update | Updates selected header fields — see below | Approved, Closed |
| Add/Update Note | Adds an internal note | All |
Form buttons:Update, Reset, Cancel
Master Update
On approved or closed opening balance entries, open the more menu and select Master Update.
| **Field** | **Can be updated?** | **Notes** |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------|
| Date * | Yes — approved and closed entries only | Use Master Update to change the opening balance date after approval. Not available on draft entries through this workflow. |
| Notes | Yes | |
| Employee | Yes | |
| Center | Yes | |
| Customer, Amount, Reference Bills | No | Edit the full document while Draft, or cancel and recreate. |
FAQ
When should I use opening balance instead of a sale invoice?
Use opening balance for historical receivables at migration or period opening. Use sale invoices for new sales after go-live.
Must I enter reference bills?
No. You can enter a single amount. Reference bills help ageing and statement reports show due dates per bill.
Does approving opening balance affect inventory?
No. It posts accounts receivable only.
Can I change the date after approval?
Yes. Use Master Update on an approved entry to change Date.
Can I change the opening balance amount after save?
No. Opening balance amount cannot be changed once saved. Delete and re-enter only if still in draft and your process allows it.
How do opening balance invoices differ from normal sale invoices?
Opening balance sale invoices have limited edit, clone, and cancel actions. Use Master Update for selected header changes on approved entries.
Do reference bills affect ageing?
Yes. Enter reference bill numbers and due dates so Customer Aging and Customer Statement age migrated debt correctly.
Is an opening balance date required?
Yes. Approve requires a date for the opening entry so it posts in the correct accounting period.
