A down-payment request is a special type of document known as a "noted item." It does not create any accounting entries or update general ledger balances itself. Its primary function is to serve as a trigger or instruction for the automatic payment program (transaction F110). The payment program can then identify these requests and automatically process the corresponding down payment, creating the necessary accounting postings to the G/L and customer subledger. This facilitates an automated and controlled process for handling advance payments from customers.

A: The down-payment request is an internal document for the payment program; it does not directly inform the bank. Bank communication occurs later during the payment run execution.

C: A down-payment request is a noted item and explicitly does not update the general ledger. The subsequent down payment posting updates the G/L.

D: Down payments are balance sheet transactions (a liability until cleared), not revenue or expense items. Therefore, they do not appear on the P&L statement.

1. SAP Help Portal - S/4HANA - Down Payments and Down Payment Requests: "Down payment requests are noted items. They are not posted to a G/L account and therefore do not affect the account balance... You can also have the payment program pay down payment requests automatically." This source confirms that the request itself does not post to the G/L (invalidating C) and its purpose is to be processed by the payment program (validating B).

2. SAP Help Portal - S/4HANA - Process: Down Payments (FI-AP/AR): The process flow diagram and description clearly show that a "Down Payment Request" is created first

which is then processed by the "Payment Program" to create the "Down Payment" posting. This demonstrates the role of the request in enabling automatic posting.

3. SAP Learning - Course S4F10 - Business Processes in Financial Accounting in SAP S/4HANA: Unit 5

Lesson on "Down Payments Made and Received" explains that down payment requests are noted items used to request a down payment from a customer and can be processed by the automatic payment program. This distinguishes the request from the actual posting.