Using Open Orders

An "open order" is an order that does not yet have an associated invoice. In certain scenarios, it is useful to create an open order with the intention of creating a subsequent invoice and payment in future. This is because the open order status allows staff to make certain changes to an order which are not permitted when the order is invoiced.

Changing order amount: An open order allows staff to click Edit next to an order amount and edit it. While this is also possible for staff during the checkout process (by simply changing the amount to be charged during checkout), editing the amount on the open order allows staff to record notes about the change. The system also records and displays the name of the user who made the change. Once the edit is complete, it appears on the Order Record.
Create an installment plan: The open order displays a Create Installment Plan button, allowing staff to set up an installment schedule for the order. This option is available even if no installment option has been enabled on the product price record allowing customers to choose the pay by installment option.
Void order: Because an open order does not affect any AR accounts, it can be easily voided without disrupting accounting balances. For associations creating open orders when mass renewing their members, the Void option can be used to simply void out the orders auto-created for customers who have no intention of paying off their membership renewal fee.
The mass void open order process under the Processes App uses a query to pull a list of all open orders past their due date and void them.