How to record customers' bounced checks using Accounts Receivable

Learn how to handle the accounting in QuickBooks Online when a customer's check bounces. Or follow these steps if you need to record one of your own bounced checks.

If you'd like to make it easy for your customers to pay an invoice online, check out QuickBooks Payments rates and apply.

Did your customer pay for their invoice with a check that didn't go through? Unfortunately, customer checks sometimes bounce. We're here to show you how to handle the accounting in QuickBooks Online.

What you need to record

These steps can be complicated, but doing them correctly balances your accounts so you have a clear record of what happened. Here's what we need to do:

• Show the amount of the customer's check was deducted from your bank balance.
• Show the bank charged you a fee.
• Mark the customer's invoice they were supposed to pay as "open" and unpaid.
• Charge your customer a fee for the inconvenience (this is up to you).
• Send a statement to tell the customer what they owe you for the original invoice and any fees.

How to record a bounced check

There are a few ways to handle the accounting. You can use an expense or a journal entry. Follow the method that works best for you.

• Record a customer's bounced check with an expense in QuickBooks Online
• Record a customer's bounced check with a journal entry in QuickBooks Online