How to Remove a Betterment Figure from a Workshop Job

Modified on Tue, 10 Mar at 10:39 AM

Betterment applies when a repair improves a vehicle beyond its original condition. Insurance companies use betterment to charge the customer for the improvement element of a repair.

If a betterment value has been added to a job incorrectly, you must reverse the value on the insurance request line.

Betterment and excess serve different purposes and must not be used interchangeably.

What Betterment Means

Betterment applies when a repair leaves the vehicle in a better condition than before the damage occurred.

Examples include:

• Replacing a worn component with a new part
• Fitting a new tyre when the previous tyre was heavily worn
• Installing new parts that improve the vehicle beyond its pre-accident condition

In these situations, the insurance company may require the customer to contribute towards the improvement. This contribution is recorded as betterment.

What Excess Means

Excess is the amount the customer must pay towards an insurance claim. This value forms part of the policy terms and applies regardless of whether the repair improves the vehicle.

Excess:

• Is defined by the insurance policy
• Is paid by the customer towards the repair cost
• Does not relate to improving the vehicle condition

Excess must always be entered in the Excess field, not as betterment.

Difference Between Betterment and Excess

Type	Meaning	Where It Is Entered
Betterment	Customer contribution where the repair improves the vehicle beyond its previous condition	Insurance Request Line - Betterment tab
Excess	Mandatory customer payment required by the insurance policy	Details tab - Excess field

Using betterment instead of excess can cause incorrect billing and insurance reporting.

How to Remove a Betterment Figure

If a betterment value has been added by mistake, reverse it using a negative value.

Open the workshop job.
Locate the insurance request line.
Select the Betterment tab.
Enter a new betterment line with the same value as the original but as a negative amount.
Save the changes.

The negative entry reverses the original betterment amount.

Result

After the negative entry is added:

• The incorrect betterment value is reversed
• The job totals update accordingly
• The repair cost reflects the correct insurance values

Why This Matters

Betterment and excess affect how insurance repairs are billed. Using the correct field ensures accurate invoicing and prevents discrepancies between workshop records and insurance claim documentation.