Source: https://bluefinchadvisors.com/blog/dual-pricing-open-estimates-cutover-date Payment resources for owner-run local businesses # Switch to dual pricing without losing track of open estimates Create a cutover list for approved quotes, open deposits and new estimates. Give staff a clear pricing version for every job already in progress. Updated 2026-10-24 | 3 minute read | By [BlueFinch Advisors]() ## Switch to dual pricing without losing track of open estimates: working sheet A cutover register that assigns an approved pricing treatment to open jobs without retroactively assuming a new price. No signup. Enter reference codes, add records and download a CSV. Entries stay in the browser tab. Filled fields do not establish completion, approval or compliance. | Internal job reference | Approval or deposit stage | Existing approved price version | Agreed cutover treatment | Person responsible for confirmation | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Illustrative job W-17 | Deposit collected | Quote version 2 | Confirm before requesting balance | Office manager | - List open work before selecting the launch date. - Do not assume an existing customer approved a new price because the terminal settings changed. - Resolve exceptions with the processor and appropriate business advisers before collection. [Download the fictional example (CSV)]() ![A blue and red gradient debit card resting on a dark laptop keyboard.]() [Photo by CardMapr.nl]() on [Unsplash](). Stock photography. [Photo license](). Changing a terminal setting is quick. Changing paperwork for work you’ve already sold takes longer. A shop switching to dual pricing may have approved estimates, deposits, and partly finished jobs at different stages. Set a clear transition plan for those jobs before taking the first payment under the new program. New quotes are usually easier to organize. You can see the intended pricing from the start. Open jobs need more care. The customer may have approved a specific amount before the new program existed. ## Use with this guide ### [dual-pricing launch checklist]() Continue with dual-pricing launch checklist. ### [job cash-flow planner]() Continue with job cash-flow planner. ### [review the changeover with BlueFinch]() Continue with review the changeover with BlueFinch. ### [California auto repair card fees: estimates and disclosures]() Check California BAR card-fee guidance across advertising, estimates and repair authorization. Track evidence without confusing general SB 478 retail rules. Check your own costs: [calculate your effective processing rate]() or [upload a merchant statement for analysis](). ## Build the open-work list List accepted estimates, jobs awaiting approval, deposits collected, and final balances still due. Use internal job references, not customer names, in the planning worksheet. Record the price version and approval date. If a job lacks a reliable approval record, investigate it before changing its treatment. The [dual-pricing launch checklist]() covers the broader rollout. For this cutover, the big question is simple: which agreed price is each existing customer entitled to rely on? Visa distinguishes displayed prices from added surcharges, so changing a label at the last minute won’t cut it. Resolve contractual and local requirements with the right advisers and processor. Sources for this section: [Visa: surcharging and cash-discount distinctions]() ## Set a date without rewriting history Choose a proposed launch date, then decide what happens to quotes issued before it. Don’t quietly change the price on an estimate that’s already approved. If a scope change means you need a new quote, document it and follow the shop’s approval process. A new terminal setup doesn’t mean the customer agreed to different terms. In this fictional wrap shop, W-17 has an approved quote and a collected deposit. W-18 has an estimate that hasn’t been accepted, while W-19 hasn’t been quoted yet. Don’t automatically assign all three the same new pricing version. The cutover register should record the approved handling for each job. ## Match deposits to the correct balance Record the actual amount collected for every deposit, along with the document it relates to. Ask the implementation team how the supported system calculates the remaining balance under the agreed treatment. Don’t recreate a deposit as a new sale or count it twice when preparing the final payment request. Use the [job cash-flow planner]() to track the operating timeline. Keep the pricing decision separate from the payment record. Cash-flow planning doesn’t set the customer’s contractual price. If the payment method changes between the deposit and final balance, have the provider explain the approved handling before collecting the difference. ## Give the front desk a usable exception list The list should tell staff which price version applies, who confirmed it and whom to contact if the screen disagrees. Avoid a rule that depends on remembering a conversation from two weeks earlier. Keep exceptions handy for the people collecting money, but protect the underlying customer records. The IRS recommends keeping records that support income and expense reporting. A solid cutover record also helps explain why similar jobs have different payment treatment during the transition. Keep the earlier quote and approved resolution. Don’t overwrite the history and leave your bookkeeper guessing. Before launch, review the changeover with BlueFinch. After the first statement cycle, check the remaining open jobs. Close each transition item once the agreed price, payment, and remaining balance all reconcile. That gives the shop a finite cleanup list and keeps old estimates from turning into recurring checkout disputes. If a closed transition job needs a refund or correction later, add a linked exception. Don’t change the old approval record. Include the original job reference, the new issue, and who’s responsible for resolving it. The original checkout history should remain understandable after the new event, including which approved price version was used. Sources for this section: [IRS: business recordkeeping]() ## Primary sources BlueFinch last reviewed these sources on October 23, 2026. Check the linked sources for current requirements and product details. - [Visa: surcharging and cash-discount distinctions]() - [IRS: business recordkeeping]() Use this page for general business information. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice. ## Related resources - [Assign payment-changeover responsibilities before launch day]() - [When a deposit and final payment use different methods]() [AI site overview](https://bluefinchadvisors.com/llms.txt) · [Full Toolbox details](https://bluefinchadvisors.com/llms-full.txt)