Import External Payments

Overview

The Import External Payments feature allows you to quickly import payment data from third-party platforms or bank feeds into eBECAS/EDMISS. It reduces manual work and helps maintain accurate records.

It also supports auto-reconciliation, duplicate payment prevention, overpayments, and surcharges.

You can upload an Excel or CSV file, map the columns, review the data, and then complete the import.

This feature is ideal for institutions that need an efficient way to record payments from external systems where a native integration is not available.

Prepare the File for Import

Before you begin, make sure the file is set up correctly for the import:

File Type/Extension

The import supports Excel (.xls, .xlsx) and CSV (.csv) formats. Each row in the file represents a single external payment record.

Excel files are recommended for better formatting and data consistency.

File Size

The file for the import must be under 5MB.

File Requirements

• Header Row: The file must include a header with the column names, and it must appear as the first row. The order and names of the columns do not need to match the system, as you will map them during the import.

• First Spreadsheet: For Excel files, only the first worksheet is used during the import. If your file has multiple sheets, ensure the first one contains the data you want to import.

• Maximum Records: The import is limited to 150 records per upload. If your file exceeds this limit, split it into smaller batches and upload them separately.

• Date Values: All dates must follow a single, consistent format such as dd/mm/yyyy, as only one date format is supported during the import.

• Data Validation: The system imports the data as provided. Although it validates the format of the data, it does not verify if the data itself is correct. Always confirm that student numbers, amounts, and transaction dates are accurate before importing.

  • Amounts Format: Amount fields accept numeric values, including those with common currency prefixes. For example:

    • 10

    • 10.25

    • AUD$10.00

    • US10.25

    Any currency symbols or alphabetic prefixes are automatically ignored.

    However, values with suffixes or invalid characters will not be accepted. For example:

    • 10.0ABC ❌

    • 10$ ❌

    • 1T0 ❌

    If an invalid value is provided, the corresponding row will fail and be skipped during import.

Once your file meets these requirements, ensure that it includes the following headers and required fields.

Available Fields

Each row in the import file represents one payment record and can include the following fields.
Required fields must be present and contain valid values for the import to succeed.

Example of a Valid File

Below is an example of a valid file:

Each row represents one external payment record that will be imported into the system.

Import Payments

To start, go to External Payments Search, then click on the Import Payments button on the right side of the header.

Step 1: Import Setup

1. Select the Payment Provider (source of the payments)

2. Select Reconcile Payments Automatically if you want the system to attempt reconciliation during the import.

   When this option is enabled, additional fields will appear. Complete these fields to define how receipts should be created for successfully reconciled payments.

   Refer to the Auto-Reconciliation section below for more details.

3. Select the file with the data to import.

4. Click Next.

Step 2: File Configuration

Data Preview

The Data Preview section shows the number of records in the file and a preview of the first rows with their headers. Review this carefully to confirm the details are correct. If anything looks wrong, cancel the process, update the file, and start again.

Fields Mapping

Use the dropdown menus to map each header from your file to the corresponding system fields in the system. Make sure that all required fields are correctly mapped.

Additional Configuration

Use this section to configure the settings applied during the import process.

Prevent Duplicate Payments (Recommended)

When enabled, the system checks for existing payments with the same Provider and Payment Reference. If a match is found, the new payment is not created.

This helps prevent duplicates when the same file or payment data is uploaded more than once.

When enabled, your file must include a column that can be mapped to the Payment Reference field.

If a record does not have a Payment Reference, the payment will still be created without checking for duplicates.

Allow Overpayments

This option is only available when auto-reconciliation is enabled for the import.

When enabled, payments can exceed the total outstanding balance of the invoices. Any excess is applied as an overpayment and included in the last receipt created during the allocation.

When disabled, the payment is still created, but it is not allocated if the amount exceeds the total outstanding balance of the invoice(s).

Date Format

Select the date format that matches the format used in your file. This ensures that date values are interpreted correctly during import.

Select the date format that matches the format used in your file.

Example formats:

• dd/mm/yyyy → 01/12/2023

• mm/dd/yyyy → 12/01/2023

• yyyy-mm-dd → 2023-12-01

• d/m/yyyy → 1/12/2023

• m/d/yyyy → 12/1/2023

When ready, click Submit.

A window will appear where you can enter an optional description for the process. Leave it blank if not required, then click Proceed to start the process.

The import runs in the background as a Process. This allows the import and any auto-reconciliation to complete while you continue working. You will receive a notification once it has finished.

From the Process details page, you can view the status and review the logs. The logs show the result for each record, including any errors.

An Excel file will also be available, containing the original data and the import result for each row.

Reconcile Imported Payments

There are 2 different ways to reconcile imported payments:

• Manual

• Automatic

Manual Reconciliation of Imported Payments

Imported payments can be reconciled in the same way as any other external payment.

For step-by-step instructions, refer to the Reconcile External Payments article.

Automatic Reconciliation of Imported Payments

When setting up the payments import (view Import Payments section above), you can choose to enable automatic reconciliation.

As this process creates receipts to allocate payments, additional receipt details must be completed. These are the same fields required when creating an individual receipt.
The details entered will apply to all receipts generated during the auto-reconciliation process.

Tip

Configure default options for External Payments so they are pre-selected when creating or importing external payments.

During auto-reconciliation, the system allocates the payment to the student’s oldest outstanding invoice first. If funds remain, it continues to the next oldest invoice until the full amount is applied.

Within each invoice, fees are allocated based on the configured fee order. This order can be adjusted in system settings to match your organisation’s requirements. For more details, refer to: External Payments Settings | Order of Fees for Reconciliation

The tax portion of the payment is allocated proportionally in line with how the payment is applied to the taxable items on the invoices.

If the payment is successfully allocated, the system will create the relevant receipts and link them to the external payment.

The external payment will then be marked as Reconciled and will not be available for further reconciliation.

Considerations

Be aware of the following when enabling auto-reconciliation:

• A receipt will be created for each invoice where funds are allocated.

• If invoices across different enrolments are paid, separate receipts will be created. All receipts will remain linked to the same external payment.

• If the payment amount exceeds the total balance of outstanding invoices:

  • When the Allow Overpayments option is enabled, the excess amount will be recorded as an overpayment and included in the final receipt.

  • When disabled, the payment will be created but it will not be allocated. An error will be recorded in the logs.

Surcharges

Some providers may charge a surcharge for the transactions. You can include this amount as an additional column during import.

When provided, the system creates a surcharge invoice during auto-reconciliation and automatically allocates the payment to it.

Considerations

• The surcharge payment is not deducted from the imported payment amount. The surcharge invoice is fully paid in addition to the payment amount

• The Surcharge Amount must be provided in the file as a separate column

• The surcharge invoice:

  • Is created under the same enrolment as the first invoice allocated by the payment

  • Uses the payment transaction date as both the invoice date and due date

  • Uses the fee item configured as the Surcharge fee (fee of type Other) in the Faculty setup

Enabling Surcharges

To enable surcharges:

• Auto-reconciliation must be selected during the import

• The Surcharge Amount field must be mapped to a Surcharge column in the file

• A Surcharge Fee must be configured in the Faculty setup

If no column is mapped to the Surcharge Amount, surcharges will not be created.

If only some records include surcharges, map the Surcharge field, and leave it blank or set it to 0 for records where surcharges do not apply.