Combining billing and payment for a new customer

The Bill New button generates billing data and records payment received with a single window procedure. This option appears when the main Billing product has never been billed or a new item has been added. This feature is helpful when processing bills for new customers who send payment along with their applications and for new prepaid subscriptions. The Bill New Member Type Items option should not be enabled when billing new independent subscription items.

To process billing for new customers

  1. From Customers, select Manage customers to open the Manage customers window.
  2. Click New to add information for a new customer. Typically, the normal customer data includes the Member Type, the billing Category (if applicable), and the Join Date. Leave the Paid Through Date blank.
  3. Click Save.

    4. Warning!  

    When you process a billing run for a new customer through the Enter and edit payments window, only the products defined on the Set up customer types window display on the Enter and edit payments window; iMIS ignores the billing cycles and any optional items, such as chapters. If your billing cycle includes Other Billing Instructions options, such as Include all chapters, you need to generate your billing using Create Invoice.

  4. Select the Billing tab.
  5. Click Payment to open the Dues/Subscription Payments by Individual window.
  6. Click New. The Dues/Subscriptions Payments by Individual window is populated with products to be billed to the customer from the Set up customer types window.
  7. Enable the Bill New Mem Type Items option (if not already selected).

    8. Note: The Bill New Mem Type Items options should not be selected when billing for new independent subscription products.

  8. Verify that the New Bill From date is accurate. The New Bill From date works the same way as the Effective Date on the Process billing window.

    9. Note: If billing is done annually, the New Bill From date must be set to the first day of the first month of the annual term, even if the customer has a Join Date after that date. For example, if the annual term starts on January 1, 2001 and the customer joined July 13, 2001, the New Bill From date must be 01/01/2001. If this is an anniversary term, the New Bill From field is typically set to the first day of the month in which you are processing the dues payment.

  9. Click Bill New. The amount due for each product displays automatically in the Balance column on the Dues/Subscription Payments by Individual window.
  10. Enter the code for the marketing program or contact type that prompted this payment in the Source Code field.
  11. Enter the check number or credit/debit card type in the Check/CC field. For credit/debit cards, enter the required card information.
  12. Press Tab.
  13. Enter the amount of the payment in the Pay Amount field and press Tab.

    14. The payment amount is automatically posted to each open line item, beginning with the main customer dues. If full payment is received, the Paid Thru date advances to the end of the billed term.

    Note: Complimentary or zero dollar items are denoted by an asterisk (*) on the Enter and edit payments window. The Paid Thru date advancement for complimentary products billed through Bill New follows the default rule established on the Set up general options window (from Billing, select Set up module > General options). To update the Paid Thru date for zero dollar items, double-click the line item.

  14. Click Save.

To process new prepaid subscriptions

To combine billing and payment entry for a new subscription product, you must enter the new line item, generate the balance, and apply the payment.

  1. From Billing, select Enter and edit payments to open the Enter and edit payments window.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter in the customer number in the ID field and press Tab.
  4. Enter the code for the marketing program or contact type that prompted this payment in the Source Code field.
  5. Select the empty space immediately below the last line item displayed.
  6. Select the Item field.
  7. Enter the product code of the item being billed and paid, or select the lookup icon and double-click the product code.
  8. Repeat this process if multiple items are being billed and paid.

    9. Note: When a new line item is added, new billing options appear on the bottom of the Enter and edit payments window.

  9. Verify that the Bill New Mem Type Items option is not selected.
  10. Verify that the New Bill From date is accurate.

    11. Note: The New Bill From date works the same way as the Effective Date on the Process billing window. The Billing general setup Billing Time setting (annual or anniversary) is used with the New Bill From date to determine the billing term. See How iMIS Works with Dates (see Date Usage in iMIS) for further information.

  11. Click Bill New.
  12. Enter the check number or credit/debit card type in the Check/CC field. For credit/debit cards, enter the required card information.
  13. Enter the amount of the payment in the Pay Amount field. The payment amount is applied automatically to the newly billed line item(s). If full payment is received, the Paid Thru date advances to the end of the billed term.
  14. Click Save.