The Ledger
What the balance means
Reading the number on a member record, and why outstanding and balance can differ.
Last updated September 2, 2026
A member's Balance is the sum of every row on their ledger. A positive number means they owe you money. A negative one means they are in credit — they have paid ahead, or you have credited them more than they owe.
Balance versus outstanding
The balance counts everything on the ledger, including charges dated in the future. Outstanding counts only what has fallen due by today. A member billed annually in advance can show a large balance and nothing outstanding.
A credit balance
A member in credit is simply not collected from — there is nothing owing. Their next charges eat into the credit until the balance goes positive again. If you need to return the money instead, refund it rather than leaving it sitting.
When the balance looks wrong
- A refund was recorded without a matching credit — the classic cause of a member owing money they should not.
- A payment was taken outside the gateway and never entered with Add Payment.
- A payment was taken in the gateway but could not be matched — check Stripe Payments To Review.
- A membership was backdated, raising charges for periods you did not expect.
Where it appears
On the member record next to Balance:, in the Outstanding Balance column of the members list, and totalled on Accounts Receivable and the Cash Position screen.