Is it possible to apply an existing contribution to an event registration?

Question

My client runs camps which require a minimum $50 deposit. Campers send one or more additional payments until their registration is paid in full. Since CiviEvent doesn't support self-service for partial payments, we're considering not charging on the event registration page (set Pay Later and hide it), then redirecting the registrant to a contribution page after confirmation. A back office user will then apply that contribution to the pending registration.

I've tried editing registrations and contributions, but can't find a way to link them up after the fact from either direction.

Answer 1

Self service for supplementary payments for event registrations is not yet available in CiviCRM as of version 4.6.

As you likely know, it is possible to manually edit registrations to record additional payments, and to view all payments that have been made against a registration. When doing this it is possible to record notes to help document what is being done. As a work-around perhaps you could cancel the incoming supplementary payments of $50, and then apply them to the registration.

Alternatively, or in addition, we could set up a Make It Happen fundraising effort to get this into core.

Answer 2

I don't like cancelling payments, so I have created a payment instrument called "transfer". I edit the event registration to record a partial payment using the payment instrument "transfer" then record a negative contribution, again with the payment instrument "transfer", to balance it out.

As Shai says, "it's not a picnic".