Why do towing payment exports not match job totals?

Establish what the records mean

Identify transaction ID, job reference, payment date, gross amount, refund or adjustment, fees and settlement fields where the actual export provides them. Do not assume every provider exposes the same columns. Preserve the raw file and the documented meaning of each amount.

A worked example

Fictional example: one job receives two payments of $70 and $80, then a $25 refund. Its net recorded collection is $125 across three payment events. A bank deposit may also combine other jobs and provider fees, so neither its count nor amount is automatically the job’s revenue. The lab demonstrates explicit job-linked payments, not a complete bank reconciliation.

Choose the next action

Separate the question being answered: job collection, payment activity or settlement movement. Map only supported fields and place missing job references in a queue. Do not match solely by an equal amount when several jobs could qualify. Formal accounting and fee treatment need the business’s appropriate review.

Check whether it worked

Reconcile a small sample from original transaction to job and then, where evidence exists, to settlement. Explain unmatched adjustments and timing differences. Check totals before and after deduplication. A clean payment import does not establish that the underlying job completed or that every amount is collectible.

A repeatable review order

1. Export field meanings. Record the evidence and mark any missing answer as unknown.
2. Transaction and job IDs. Record the evidence and mark any missing answer as unknown.
3. Payments and adjustments. Record the evidence and mark any missing answer as unknown.
4. Settlement differences. Record the evidence and mark any missing answer as unknown.
5. Unresolved reference and review owner. Record the evidence and mark any missing answer as unknown.