Desk Log: Ten Minutes on Invoices, Refunds and Credit

A billing handoff should leave the next engineer with three clear answers: what was paid, what remains available, and what needs follow-up. This ten-minute quick start separates invoices, refunds, and prepaid balances so an API billing question does not turn into an incident.

Relay365 is a pay-as-you-go relay desk for multiple model families. It can fit teams that want to route model usage through a shared service, but the accounting still needs a clear trail. Treat payment records, usage charges, and refund requests as related records—not interchangeable proof.

The first two minutes: separate the billing records

An invoice records a billed transaction or amount due. A payment receipt records a payment. A prepaid balance represents credit available for future use under the service’s terms. Depending on the billing workflow, these records may appear together, but they answer different questions.

• Use the invoice to identify the seller, billing recipient, currency, line items, and any stated taxes.
• Use the payment record to confirm the transaction amount, payment status, date, and reference.
• Use the account balance and usage history to understand how much credit remains and where it went.

Do not assume an invoice proves payment succeeded, or that a successful payment means credit has already appeared. Check both records before retrying a transaction. A second payment can create a second reconciliation problem.

The next two minutes: reconcile credit against usage

Start with a defined period and one currency. A useful reconciliation is opening credit plus posted top-ups and adjustments, minus usage and other posted deductions, equals closing credit. Only include entries actually recorded in that period.

For example, an opening balance of $20, a posted $50 top-up, and $12 in usage would leave $58 if there were no other entries. This is an accounting illustration, not a statement about Relay365 pricing, fees, or billing currency.

If the numbers do not match, inspect timestamps, pending transactions, rounding, adjustments, and the scope of the usage view. Confirm whether the screen covers the whole account or only a project or API key. Save the relevant references rather than relying on a screenshot of the current balance alone.

The middle two minutes: classify the refund request

A refund request is not the same as a completed refund. It is also different from a usage correction or an account-credit adjustment. Before promising money back to a teammate, establish which outcome is being requested and what the applicable policy permits.

• For an accidental top-up, identify the payment and ask whether unused credit is eligible for return.
• For a disputed usage charge, collect request references, timestamps, model names, and the charge entries that need review.
• For a suspected duplicate payment, compare transaction references and posted credits before calling either charge a duplicate.

Check the current refund terms for eligibility, exclusions, required evidence, destination, and processing information. Do not assume that unused prepaid credit is automatically refundable, that consumed usage can be reversed, or that an approved refund will appear immediately.

The next two minutes: check the invoice details

Before submitting an invoice to finance, verify the legal billing name, address, currency, payment reference, and any required tax details. If something is wrong, ask about the correction process rather than editing the document yourself.

Keep invoice corrections separate from refund requests. A company-name correction does not necessarily change the payment or balance. Likewise, a refund may require separate accounting documentation; ask which records will be provided.

The final two minutes: leave a usable shift note

Record the opening balance, posted payments, usage total, closing balance, and unresolved items. Give each open issue an owner and a transaction or support reference. Keep API keys, full card details, and other secrets out of the note.

Relay365 is worth considering when your team wants pay-as-you-go access to models such as Claude Haiku 4.5 and Gemini 2.5 Flash through a relay service. If that fits your workflow, create an account and review the billing and refund terms before funding it.

The handoff is complete when another engineer can trace a payment to its credit entry, explain the balance movement, and distinguish a refund request from money actually returned.