Billing and Reminder Notices window

On the Billing and Reminder Notices window, you can enter a title to display at the top of the Billing and Reminder Notice, add overlay text, select a different mail address, and set the default initial and reminder date parameters for each Reminder Notice.

From Billing, select Set up module > Billing cycles, select a Cycle Name, and click Bills/Reminders

Initial Billing, First Reminder, and Second Reminder

Title - Specifies the title to appear on the renewal or reminder notice. For example, Initial Billing, First Reminder, and Second Reminder. You can specify a title for the following renewal notice formats only: Dues Renewal Notice with Reminder Text, Dues Renewal Notice List Bill, and Dues Renewal Notice - No Remittance Stub.

Mail Address - Drop-down list for selecting an address option. Options include Preferred Mail, Preferred Bill, or one of the three address purposes defined on the Customer Setup - Address and Notes window (from Customers, select Set up module > General, and click Address and Notes).

Text - Customized text to be added to the billing notice. (Up to 255 alphanumeric characters can be entered.) For most renewal notice formats, the text entered overlays or prints on the preset renewal notice elements. Therefore, add hard returns (press Enter) to shift text down the page far enough to avoid the preset report elements on the form. Full overlay text for all renewal notice formats can be set on the Detail Report Parameters window (select Utilities> Report Specs, and click Parameters).

Examples of notice-specific text:

  • Initial Billing - “It is time to renew your membership!”
  • First Reminder - “Time is running out to renew your membership!”
  • Second Reminder - “Avoid a discontinuation of services, please remit today!”

    • Note: This feature is available on the following renewal notice formats only: Dues Renewal Notice with Reminder Text, Dues Renewal Notice List Bill, Dues Renewal Notice - No Remittance Stub, Std. Form ASI-018 DBL Column List Bill, Std. Form ASI-019 Dbl Column List Bill, Std. Form ASI-020-Full Page List Bill, and Std. Form ASI-021-Full Page List Bill.

Initial Billing - Cut Off

Use this option to set the default number of months for calculating the billing Effective Date for anniversary billing cycles. For example, if you typically send out your initial billing three months before the renewal or Paid Thru date expires, set the first Cut Off field to 3 on the Initial Billing. If your current run date is 7/25/2001, iMIS will set the default Effective Date to 10/01/2001 for the initial billing, and will bill all customers whose Paid Thru date expires before that date and who have not been billed previously.

On an annual cycle, the Effective Date should always coincide with the first day of the fixed term. iMIS will calculate the Effective Date based upon the First Month of Fiscal Year set on the AR Cash
Set up module window (from AR/Cash, select Set up module). The default always assumes the billing applies to the current fiscal or fixed year. Override the year when you run next year's renewal cycle in advance.

Note: The default Effective Date can be overridden as needed at dues product billing time. If you want to override the Effective Date, make the change after selecting a billing cycle. If you change the Effective Date and then select a billing cycle, the Effective Date reverts to the default.

First & Second Reminder Start and Cut Off

Use this option to set the Start and Cut Off parameters used to calculate a date range for selecting outstanding billings. The date range, which should include the outstanding bill's original date or Run Date, is determined by subtracting the number of months set in the Start and Cut Off month field from the run date.

For example, if first reminders are typically sent one month after the Initial Billing, specify -2 for the Start field and -1 for the corresponding Cut Off field. In the following example, the current run date is 7/25/2001. iMIS will set a default begin and end date range and print First Reminder renewal notices for those customers whose initial billing was run between 5/01/2001 and 6/01/2001 inclusive and who are currently not paid.

If you want to remind your customers more than twice, set up an additional billing cycle for printing Reminder Notices 3, 4, and so forth to make processing your additional Reminder Notices easier. When you use the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Reminder Notices from a second billing cycle, iMIS will automatically calculate the reminder start and end dates based on the Start Month set up on the Billing and Reminder Notices window. After the initial bill is printed, the Subscriptions.REMINDER_COUNT field changes from 0 to 1. After the first Reminder Notices is printed, it changes to 2 and will stay at 2 even after you run a 3rd, 4th, or 5th Reminder Notice.

To set the billing and Reminder Notices

  1. From Billing, select Set up module > Billing cycles. The Set up billing cycles window opens.
  2. Select a Cycle Name.
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Click Bills/Reminders to open the Billing and Reminder Notices window.
  5. Enter the Title information.
  6. Select the Mail Address.
  7. Enter the customized Text to be added to the billing notice.
  8. Select the Initial Billing Cut Off month.
  9. Select the First and Second Reminder Start and Cut Off months.
  10. Click Save.