Billing Clients

Balances are automatically applied to an A/R account as a charge at the time the workorder is closed.  You may also select the Receipt - Post menu option and post a charge manually to an account.  Charges to be posted to a non-service account ( ie. warranty company payment due ) are accomplished by adding the appropriate account number to the Alternate Billing field on the General Tab of the Workorder Development screen.

The A/R system will track all transactions with a balance, and display them on the Receipts - Edit screen, and in reports. Once statements are complete, you should also file completed transactions in history as described in the Periodic A/R Closing section of the  manual.

Printing Statements

The statement provides a report to your client of all credit  transactions which have occurred between the two of you.  It details  the charges, payments, and interest.  It also shows the status of  each invoice, and the aging of accounts.  It should be clean, and  easy to understand.

To run statements, select the option from the Reports menu.  The  system will first ask for the billing cycle.  Remember that it has  been recommended that multiple cycles be used, even if they are all  to be processed at the same time.  Once the cycle has been entered, the system will ask for a closing  date.  Only transactions posted prior to, or on, the date entered  will actually be listed.

Finally, the system will ask for an interest rate to be charged.  Interest is not a good idea in most cases because it causes ill  will.  However, some shop owners have a group of clients who only  pay their bills when they see interest pending.  As a result, they  use it as a 'spur' to obtain payment.

The statements will run automatically from this point on, and are  printed on full size paper.  While standard forms are not suggested,  statements will be nicer if presented on bordered paper.  The client's name and address is printed in a manner that permits folding, and  placing the statement in a window envelope.

Each line item indicates a charge, or payment.  If partial payments  have been received during the previous month, the carry over of the  balance due is shown in brackets ({ }).  This is not the original  amount, but that which remained unpaid at the last closing.

When an item has been fully reconciled, with payments matching charges, it  is marked with an *, and will be removed from active status when the  closing is performed.

Statements should be run on a monthly basis.  However, some  companies like progress reports every week or two.  The statements  can be run several times without any concern.  Totals are not  changed until the closing is performed.