SAP Financial Accounting (SAP FI) Certified Application Associate Practice Exam

If a customer payment was received but an open item does NOT exist, how can the payment be posted?

1. Create a down payment

2. Post payment on account

3. Post partial payment

4. Create a residual item

The correct answer is: Post payment on account

Posting a payment on account is the appropriate method in the scenario where a customer payment is received and there is no corresponding open item. This situation can occur when a customer pays an amount that does not match any existing invoices or open receivables in the system, or if the payment is made in advance of invoice issuance. When a payment is posted on account, it allows the funds to be recorded in the customer's account without being linked to a specific invoice. This creates a balance that can later be applied against future invoices or adjustments, thereby providing flexibility in managing customer payments. It effectively ensures that the payment is acknowledged in the system and allows for subsequent allocation when appropriate open items are available. While the other choices may appear relevant in different contexts, they do not fit the scenario as precisely as posting the payment on account. For instance, creating a down payment typically implies that an advance payment is being made against a future invoice, which is not the case here since there is no open item present. Similarly, posting a partial payment requires an open item to be partially satisfied, and creating a residual item relates to splitting payments against residual balances due from subsequent invoicing. Thus, only posting on account aligns perfectly with the need to handle a received payment that currently has