Fines and Overdue Management

Fines and Overdue Management

Track overdue items, calculate fines, and collect penalties for late returns.

Time required: 2-5 minutes per fine

Overview

Fines are automatically calculated based on:

• Days overdue
• Library card type penalty rate
• Per-day fine amount

Fine Calculation Formula

Fine = (Actual Return Days - Allowed Days) × Penalty Rate Per Day

Example:

• Allowed duration: 14 days
• Actual duration: 18 days
• Penalty rate: $0.50/day
• Fine: (18 - 14) × $0.50 = $2.00

Configure Fine Rates

Step 1: Set Up Card Type Penalties

1. Go to Library → Configuration → Card Types
2. Edit a card type
3. Set penalty fields:

Field	Description	Example
Duration	Allowed checkout days	14
Penalty Amount/Day	Fine per overdue day	0.50
Allow Media	Max items allowed	5

Process Late Return

Step 1: Return the Item

1. Go to Library → Media Movements
2. Find the issued item
3. Click Return Media

Step 2: Review Calculated Fine

The system automatically:

1. Calculates overdue days
2. Applies penalty rate
3. Shows fine amount

Field	Value
Return Date (Due)	2024-10-15
Actual Return	2024-10-20
Days Overdue	5
Fine Amount	$2.50

Step 3: Handle Fine

If fine exists:

• Status = “Return” (awaiting payment)
• Create Invoice button appears

If no fine:

• Status = “Return Done”
• Transaction complete

Create Fine Invoice

Step 1: Generate Invoice

1. Open movement with pending fine
2. Click Create Invoice button
3. System creates account.move record

Step 2: Invoice Details

Field	Value
Partner	Patron (student/faculty)
Type	Customer Invoice
Amount	Calculated fine
Product	Library Fine Product

Step 3: Collect Payment

1. Share invoice with patron
2. Process payment
3. Mark invoice as paid

Overdue Notifications

Automatic Email Alerts

The system sends automated emails:

Alert	Timing	Purpose
Pre-Due	1 day before	Remind to return
Overdue	1 day after	Notify item is late

View Overdue Items

1. Go to Library → Media Movements
2. Filter by “Issued” status
3. Sort by return_date
4. Items past due date are overdue

Student Portal View (Enterprise)

Students see:

• All their checkouts
• Due dates
• Penalty amount column
• Status badges (red for fines due)

Field Reference

Media Movement (Fine Fields)

Technical Field	UI Label	Type	Notes
issued_date	Issued Date	Date	Checkout date
return_date	Due Date	Date	Expected return
actual_return_date	Returned On	Date	Actual return
penalty	Fine	Float	Calculated amount
invoice_id	Invoice	Many2one	Generated invoice
state	Status	Selection	Movement state

Library Card Type

Technical Field	UI Label	Type	Notes
duration	Duration	Integer	Days allowed
penalty_amt_per_day	Fine/Day	Float	Daily penalty
allow_media	Max Items	Integer	Checkout limit

Troubleshooting

Fine not calculating

Check:

• Card type has penalty rate set
• Actual return date is entered
• Item was actually overdue

Cannot create invoice

Ensure:

• Fine amount > 0
• No existing invoice
• Status is “Return”

Invoice button not visible

Verify:

• You have manager permissions
• Movement state = ‘return’
• Penalty field has value

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Related: Issue and Return Books | Manage Library Cards