The entry doesn't balance

In Containn, a póliza (journal entry) that doesn't balance never exists: it is not saved, whether you keyed it in or it came from a signed day, and there is no button to force it. What you do get is a message telling you which side is over and by how much. This article helps you get to the line that breaks it.

The symptom

When you key in an entry from Pólizas → Capturar póliza (Journal entries → Enter entry), the message reads La póliza no cuadra: sobra en el debe por… (the entry doesn't balance: debits are over by…; it says credits when that side is over) and the Guardar póliza (Save entry) button stays disabled. For the daily entry the symptom is different: the day is signed, its entry doesn't show up in Pólizas, and Cierre de mes (Month-end close) lists it among signed days without an entry.

Likely causes, from most to least common

1. An amount typed with a comma

Amounts go in without a thousands separator: 1200.50, not 1,200.50. With a comma, the line is read as zero. How to confirm: the Totales (Totals) row leaves out a figure you can see typed on a line. How to fix: retype the amount without commas.

2. A missing line or a wrong figure

An offsetting line that was never entered, or two transposed digits. How to confirm: look for a line for the exact amount of the difference; if the difference divides evenly by 9, it's usually a transposition. How to fix: use Agregar renglón (Add line) or correct the figure until the message reads Cuadra (Balanced).

3. A line with both a debit and a credit

Each line carries one or the other, and the screen warns you: Hay un renglón con debe y haber al mismo tiempo (a line has both a debit and a credit). Keep the amount on one side and, if the transaction needs it, split it into two lines.

4. The message says Balanced but the button is still disabled

Then it isn't the balance. The entry's Concepto (description) field at the top, next to the date, is empty, a line with an amount has no account selected, or fewer than two lines carry an amount. Fill in whatever is missing.

5. The message appears when you save

El mes 2026-09 ya está cerrado (the month is already closed). The date falls in a closed month: use a date in an open month or reopen the month (Reopenings).
Los importes no pueden ser negativos (amounts can't be negative). A negative doesn't subtract: enter the positive figure on the opposite side.
Tu usuario no puede capturar pólizas (your user can't enter journal entries). The posting permission is missing (The five permissions).

6. The daily entry (least common)

The daily entry balances by design: every line of the signed day sheet adds the same amount to debits and credits. If a signed day has no entry, it is almost never a balancing problem but a missing account: see Why an entry isn't generated. If your setup is complete and the day still has no entry, write to us with the date, because today the screen doesn't show the reason for each day.

If what doesn't balance is the balance sheet

When the balance sheet shows Descuadre de… (out of balance by…), the entries do balance: an account was left out of the balance sheet because of its SAT grouping code. See Cash flow doesn't tie to the balance sheet.

Manual pólizasHow to capture an opening, adjustment, accrual or reclassification póliza, and the rules checked before it is saved.Why a póliza is not generated: the eleven reasonsThe eleven reasons a signed day ends up without a póliza, where you see it on screen, and how to fix each one.Why a póliza is never editedAn entry that can be edited isn't an entry. How to correct a mistake in Containn without touching what was already recorded.Cash flow doesn't tie to the balance sheetWhen the cash drawer, Bancos or your bank statement disagree with the balance sheet: which number rules and where the gap opens.

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