This happens when you mark a lost or Canceled book received from your Transaction Archive, but do not have any credits.

If a book arrives that was previously declared Lost in the mail en route to you, you have NOT paid for that book.

• When the book was declared Lost, you got your credit back that you used to request it, and the sender got no credit.
• If you then receive the book (or mark it received late), you need to give a credit to the sender.
• Credit will be taken back from you and given to the sender for sending the book.
• It is very important to give credits to senders who send you books, even if the books arrive late.   Lost books must be marked received if they arrive; not doing this will jeopardize PBS membership.

If a book arrives that was involved in a canceled transaction, again you have NOT paid for that book.

• You are not obligated to mark a canceled book received
• If you choose to do this and give credit to the sender, of course that credit will be taken from your account balance.

In either case, if you have no credits when you mark a Lost or Canceled book received, your account will go into a negative balance: you have received more books than you had credits to pay for.

• The negative credit balance means that PBS has "lent" you credit(s) to pay for the extra book(s)
• When you send books that are marked received by the requestor, you will get credits, and your "debt" will be paid back to PBS.

Related Links:

I received a book that was 'lost in the mail'
Old Postal Rates Effective January 27, 2019
I accidentally marked a book received!
I received a book from a canceled transaction!