To add a negative custom payment in BidWrangler, open the invoice in the Admin Portal, click Add Payment, set the payment type to Custom, name the transaction, enter a negative base amount (for example, -5000), then click Save. This zeroes out a negative invoice balance and keeps your financial reporting accurate. A negative custom payment is a reconciliation record only. It does not refund the bidder.

You may need a negative custom payment when an invoice is left with a negative balance after a payment has already been recorded against it.

A common example: a winning bidder goes MIA and never pays for or picks up their items. Under your auction's terms and conditions, you charge a default fee (for example, $5,000) to the credit card on file to avoid a financial loss. You then remove the original items from the invoice so they can be offered to backup bidders.

Removing those items also removes the subtotal and buyer's premium, which leaves the invoice with no charges. Because the $5,000 payment is now recorded against a $0 total, the invoice shows a balance due of -$5,000. That negative balance can distort your company's reporting. Adding a negative custom payment corrects it and zeroes out the invoice.

1. In the BidWrangler Admin Portal, open the specific invoice.

2. Click Add Payment.

3. Open the payment type dropdown and select the bottom option, Custom.

4. Name the transaction. Use anything that supports your reporting, such as "Reconcile," "Zeroing out balance," or a note referencing the terms and conditions fee.

5. In the Base Amount field, enter the negative amount (for example, -5000).

6. Click Save.

The negative amount is applied to the invoice, the balance returns to zero, and your reporting is corrected.

Important: A negative custom payment does not refund the bidder. It only records a payment in BidWrangler to reconcile the balance. To actually return funds, process the refund through your payment gateway, such as Stripe or Authorize.net.

No. It is a reconciliation record inside BidWrangler and does not move any money. If you need to return funds to the bidder, issue the refund directly through your payment gateway, such as Stripe or Authorize.net.

Yes, and that is the intended result. Because BidWrangler's invoicing and reporting are integrated, the negative payment offsets the positive payment you recorded earlier, which keeps your totals accurate.

We recommend using the "click here to add a note" section below the invoice rather than the custom payment name. The note field gives you room for a full explanation of why the default fee was assessed and why the balance was zeroed out. Keep the payment name short for reporting.