Overview

At many institutions, some applicants prefer to submit their applications in person or through offline channels. They may pay their fees via cash, bank transfers, or other offline methods. However, if these payments are not properly recorded and approved in the system, it can lead to processing delays and confusion.

Why Approving Offline Payments Matters?

An eager applicant visits the admissions office to submit his application and makes a cash payment. However, if his payment isn't updated in the system, his application might remain stuck, appearing unpaid even though he has already completed the process.

To prevent such issues, institutions must ensure that offline payments are promptly reviewed and approved. Here’s why it’s important:

1. Ensuring Accurate Records: Manually approving offline payments keeps transaction records complete and aligned with application statuses, preventing inconsistencies.
   
2. Streamlining the Admission Process: Once payments are approved, applications can move forward smoothly without unnecessary delays.
   
3. Reducing Manual Errors: Unapproved offline payments might go unnoticed, leading to confusion for both applicants and administrators.
   
4. Enhancing Applicant Experience: Timely approval of payments reassures applicants, reducing follow-up queries and ensuring transparency.
   

By implementing a structured offline payment approval process, institutions can maintain accurate records, improve efficiency, and provide a seamless experience for applicants. This guide will walk you through the steps to ensure smooth offline payment management in Meritto.

Step-by-Step Guide to Mark Payment as Approved for Offline Applications

1. Navigate to Application Manager:

• Go to Application Manager > Manage Applications.

2. Selecting a Form:

• Click on the Form Name at the top-left corner of the page, whose applications you want to filter.

3. Apply Filters:

• Click on on the top-right corner of the page and a Filter Applications By form is opened.

• Click on Payment Method and set the filter to Equals > Offline.

• Click the ‘Add more’ symbol to add another filter and, select Payment Status and set the filter to Equals > Payment Pending.

• Ensure the AND condition is enabled so that applications match both criteria.

• In addition, you can use multiple quick and advanced filters as per the requirements.

• You can use and buttons to take the actions as per your requirements.

For more details, refer to this article: How to Use Filters in Application Management?

4. Now you will be shown a list of Payment Pending applicants. Select the applicants whose payments you want to approve by checking the box next to their names.

5. Click on the Action button in the top-right corner of the data table.

6. From the dropdown menu, select  Mark as Payment Approved.

7. A form will open:

• Select Offline as the payment method.

• Enter remarks if required.

• Click Yes to confirm.

8. A success message will appear confirming the payment approval.

Points to Keep in Mind

• Unable to approve payment? Ensure you have the necessary permissions and that the selected applicants have pending offline payments.

• Payment status not updating? Refresh the page and verify if the changes have been applied.

• Incorrect applicant selection? Double-check before approving payments to avoid errors.

Conclusion

Approving offline payments for applications ensures that all transactions are accurately recorded, preventing discrepancies in payment records. This process helps maintain transparency in financial tracking and ensures that applicants who have made offline payments are not mistakenly marked as unpaid.

By updating payment statuses in Meritto, you can ensure a smooth application process, avoiding delays due to pending payment verifications. Proper record-keeping also facilitates accurate financial reporting and reconciliation. Follow these steps to efficiently review and approve offline payments in Meritto.