Refunding or Donating a Member's Credit
How to pay credit back to a member, or record it as a donation they agreed to, with a second person approving.
Both a refund and a donation take a member's money out of their credit, so two people are involved: one prepares it, another approves it. Until it is decided, the amount is set aside so it cannot be spent twice.
| Step | Needs this permission | Held by default by |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare a refund or donation, or withdraw your own request | Refund payments (payments.refund) | Administrator, Account Officer |
| Approve or reject it | Approve refunds of credit (payments.refund_approve) | Administrator |
Refunding credit
Pay the member back, outside Zenith AMS
For example by bank transfer. Zenith AMS records that a refund was paid; it does not move money.
Choose Refund on the member's row
Under Finance, Credit on account. Enter the amount, how it was paid back, the day it was paid back, and the reference of the money going out (the bank transfer reference or your payment voucher number, so it can be found on the bank statement). Give a reason. Choose Send for approval.
A second person approves
On the Refunds and donations list, someone with the approval permission chooses Approve, optionally with a note, or Reject, with a reason. On approval the credit is reduced and the member is emailed.
Recording a donation of credit
A donation needs the member's agreement, and it must be written down. Choose Donate on the member's row, enter the amount, say how and when the member agreed (for example: told the treasurer in person on 12 October 2026), choose which donation item it is for if you have one, and give a reason. It is then approved in the same way. On approval it becomes a completed donation, so it appears as income in your reports, and the member is thanked by email.
The two-person rule
- If someone else holds the approval permission, you cannot approve a request you prepared yourself. You can reject or withdraw it.
- If nobody else holds the approval permission, you may approve your own request. It is then recorded as self-approved, so it is visible later.
- Nothing can be edited after approval. If a mistake is found, a correction entry is made with a reason, and the original stays on record.
- A donation made from credit cannot be reversed as an ordinary payment. Ask for it to be corrected from Credit on Account.
While a request is waiting
The amount shows as set aside on the member's row, and the member sees it in their portal as waiting for a decision. They cannot use that part of their credit. If the request is rejected or withdrawn, the amount is available again. If the credit has gone by the time someone tries to approve (for example it was corrected), the approval is refused and you are told why.
Related articles
Credit on Account
Money the association holds for a member: where it comes from, who can see it, and how it is used, refunded or given as a donation.
When a Member Pays More Than a Charge Asks
A member gives 100,000 on a 5,000 levy. Receive Payment accepts it and asks what the extra is for: an extra contribution, or credit kept for the member.
Understanding Roles and Permissions
A complete guide to the seven association roles — what each can do and when to assign them.