This component enables flexible management of various custom charges and fees with different types and recurrence. There are 4 types of custom charges in the system – charges that occur one time on account creation (subscription), non-recurring/manual charges, charges that occur every billing cycle on invoice generation, and charges with custom recurrence. Custom charges can be managed both on subscription plan and account levels according to the rules explained below.
1. Rating and Billing > Subscription Plans > Plan Name > Custom Charges
This feature allows you to create, modify or delete custom charges in the subscription plan. You also have the option to upload or download custom charges in .csv file. You can filter the list by specific parameters – e.g. name, amount, type, recurrence, etc.
1.1 Rating and Billing > Subscription Plans > Plan Name > Custom Charges > Add Custom Charge
To create custom charges you have to enter a Charge Name and Charge Amount. You have also to choose the Initial Quantity – this is the number of occurrence of the charge. Next you can select the Billing Unit of the charge quantity – this billing unit will appear in the transaction name and in the invoice as well. Finally you need to select the respective radio button from the “Type” options.
Charges occurring one time on account creation (subscription)
Charges of this type are automatically triggered by the system on account creation and represent one-time subscription fees.
To create such charges, select the first radio button of the “Type” options.
By default the initial quantity of this charge type is 1 and cannot be changed, because such charges are executed only once and are fixed amount.
You have to select Effective Period – the start date from which the charge will be applied to new accounts and the end date after which the charge will not be effective.
Please note that in order to enable the custom charge the “Active” check box must be selected.
Non Recurring/Manual Charges
Those are charges which are manually triggered by system users any time during the billing cycle – typically such charges are used for occasional fees or purchase of physical items.
To create such charges, select the second radio button of the “Type” options.
By default the initial quantity is 1 but can be changed here and later when you purchase the charge as well.
You can also allow proration of the charge by selecting the check box “Allow charge proration” – for details about how proration works please see below..
Charges occurring every billing cycle on invoice generation
Charges of this type are automatically generated by the system for the current period on every invoice generation.
These charges allow collecting and tracking of multiple items per custom charge per account which are applied on every billing cycle – e.g. if a customer has purchased several phone numbers and pays a fixed fee every bill cycle per phone number.
To create such charge, select the third radio button of the “Type” options.
By default the initial quantity is 1 when the Charge Trigger Type is System and 0 in all other Charge Trigger Type options – however, it can be changed here or individually adjusted for each customer from the account context – please see below for more details.
The charges can be associated with features from the account by selecting appropriate charge triggers – Lines, Members, Numbers, Voice Mail, Toll Free Numbers, Usage Counters.
Charge triggers are used if the user wants to charge customers when they purchase any of the account features. If the charge is not created with a trigger type assigned to it, then when customers purchase lines or numbers, no charges will be applied to the account invoice. The Initial Quantity of Trigger Charges is always 0 and when an object is purchased, the amount in the account is increased, depending on the purchased items.
In order to assign the trigger charge to a feature, you have to link the charge when you set the features in the subscription plan.
For example you assign Number Charge when you add Number Set in the Subscription plan:
For full details about this see How to Create Subscription Plan.
You can allow proration of the charge by selecting the check box “Allow charge proration”. When proration is not allowed, the system will apply the charge according to the settings at the time of invoice generation. When proration is activated the system will keep track for every change of charge amount and quantity and on invoice generation, when the charge is triggered the system will recalculate the change amount according to these records – you can see these details in the Custom Charges menu in the account context (please see below for more details).
How Proration Works
Example:
Billing Cycle – weekly (7 days)
Charge Amount – $50
Quantity – 1
On the 4th day of the billing cycle the user makes the following changes:
Charge Amount – $40
Quantity – 2
If proration is not allowed the charge amount will be calculated as follows:
- $40 x 2 (quantity) = $80 total amount to be applied on invoice generation
If proration is allowed the charge amount will be calculated as follows:
- $50/7 days (billing cycle) = $7.14 charge per day per 1 quantity before the changes
- 3 days X $7.14 X 1 (quantity) = $21.42 charge for the first 3 days of the week
- $40/7 days (billing cycle) = $5.72 per day per 1 quantity after the changes
- 4 days X $5.72 X 2 (quantity) = $45.76 charge for the last 4 days of the week
- $21.42 + $45.76 = $67.18 total amount to be applied on invoice generation
You have to select Effective Period – the start date from which the charge will be applied to new accounts and the end date after which the charge will not be effective.
Finally, there is a possibility to set recurrence of the charge: stops never (the charge will be active until the effective end date) and stops after a certain number of occurrences.
Please note that in order to enable the charge the “Active” check box must be selected. Also, the transaction from such type charges cannot be reversed as they are applied on invoice generation.
Charges with Custom Recurrence
Those charges are automatically triggered by the system during the billing cycle on recurrence intervals defined by users. Similar to charges that occur every billing on invoice generation here multiple recurring charges items may be billed per account each period.
To create such charge, select the last radio button of the “Type” options.
By default the initial quantity is 1 but can be changed – please note that unlike the charges from type “Occurs every billing on invoice generation” the quantity cannot be increased/decreased from the account context.
You have to select Effective Period – the start date from which the charge will be applied to new accounts and the end date after which the charge will not be effective.
After that you have to select the recurrence of the charge from the following 4 options:
- Daily – occurs every day or at interval of days. For example if you want customers to be charged on every tree days, choose Occurs Daily and write 3 in the “And repeats every” field.
- Weekly – occurs weekly at specified days of the week. When you select this option you will be allowed to choose on which days of the week the charge is to be applied.
- Monthly – occurs monthly at specified date of the month. You have to select on which day on the month the charge is to occur with the “On” day of the month field.
- Yearly – occurs yearly at a specified date. The “On” day of the month label shows the date this charge will occur – the date is changed by “Effective Start Date” above.
There is again the possibility to set recurrence of the charge: stops never (the charge will be active until the effective end date) and stops after a certain number of occurrences.
Please note that in order to enable the charge the “Active” check box must be selected. Also, note that Custom Recurring Charges cannot be prorated.
1.2 Rating and Billing > Subscription Plan > Plan Name > Delete Custom Charges
If the user wants to stop applying a specific charge to all accounts from a specific subscription plan, it can be done with the function “Delete Charge”.
The charge will not be deleted from the list, but the Quantity of the charge in the account will be set to 0. Thus in the future the charge will not be applied.
2. Accounts > Account Name > Subscription Plan > Custom Charges
This feature allows you to manage custom charges from each account – you can change the quantity of charges of type “Occur every billing cycle on invoice generation”, purchase already created charges of type “Non Recurring/Manual” by pressing the “Purchase” button, and create individual manual charges by pressing the “Create Account Charge” button.
The system displays a list of all charges created for the account subscription plan and you can check if the customer has been charged automatically according to your configurations: Name (shows the charge name), Amount (shows the charge value), Type (shows if the charge is cycle, manual, subscription, or custom recurrence), Start/End Date (shows the effective period of the charge), Recurrence (shows the recurrence type of the charge), Rec Stop (shows when the charge will be stopped), Current Rec (shows the total number of the current occurrence for the charge), Items (shows the current quantity of the charge), and Prorated (shows if the charge is prorated).
You can review the history of each charge – on which dates the charge was applied and with what amount and quantity. You can also filter the list by different parameters.
Please note that the charge amounts can only be in the currency of the plan.
Accounts > Account Name > Subscription Plan > Custom Charges > Charge Name
You can change the quantity of charges that occur every billing cycle on invoice generation – select the charge you want to change and double-click on it or click the on the “Edit” button.
Please note that if you don’t want a charge to be applied to a particular account, you can set the quantity to 0 – thus it will not be applied from the next invoice on.
Accounts > Account Name > Subscription Plan > Custom Charges > Purchase – Charge Name
Non Recurring/Manual charges can be purchased for each account from here.
You have to select a particular charge and press the “Purchase” button.
You have an option to purchase as many items of the charge as you need by changing the Quantity to Process – the charge will generate single debit transaction with amount equal to the total value of the charge multiplied by the quantity purchased.
You have an option to purchase the charge with effective in the past but not before the last account invoice date by select effective date.
Accounts > Account Name > Subscription Plan > Custom Charges > Create Charge
Non Recurring/Manual Charge can also be created directly from here.
Those charges are used for individual fees which system users need to create one time for one account only.
The charges are created by pressing the “Create Account Charge” button – the options are the same as creating manual charges from the Subscription Plan section (please see above).
Please note that those charges are individual for the specific account and will not be added to the Subscription Plan charges list.