  We investigate the impact of non-vanishing net-charge in collision systems on
measurements of balance functions and their integrals. We show that the nominal
balance function definition yields integrals that deviate from unity because of
the non-vanishing net-charge. However, the integral of unified balance
functions is shown to appropriately converge to unity when measured in a
sufficiently wide experimental acceptance. We furthermore explore the rate of
convergence of unified balance functions integrals and study distortions
imparted on the shape of balance functions when measurements are carried out in
limited transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) and rapidity ($y$) acceptances, such
as those featured by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider or the
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We show that the shape and integral of unified
balance functions may be strongly biased by reductions in the rapidity and
transverse momentum acceptances of existing experiments.
