Contract Billing: Billing

Billing setup, schedules, templates, and troubleshooting

Billing

The editable fields are in the left column of the screen. All other fields are for display purposes only.

As the system stores each period (e.g. month) separately, Life totals, Invoiced to Date, and Amounts to be Invoiced are displayed. These totals should be used to check that contracts are set up correctly at commencement and whenever lease variations are performed (e.g. change to a Fuel Budget).


Lease Structure

Lease Term (Num)

The number of months the contract runs from, based on Start/End. This should match the term on the Quotation if applicable.

  • This field must be filled in to allow Lease budgets to be entered.

  • Maximum value: 9999


Contract Start (Date)

The start date of the contract.

  • May be a historical date for Fleet Managed vehicles (refer to notes on Periodic Charges and Periodic Start Date).

  • Not mandatory to enable Lease Budgets to be entered.

  • If both Contract Start and Start Periodic are not entered, period one will show as zeros.


Contract End (Date)

The completion date of the contract.

  • Defaults to:
    Contract Start + Lease Term - 1 day

  • Can be overridden if required.

  • Recommended to keep within one month of the default date.


Contract Type (Display Only)

  • Displayed on Contracts / Contract tab.

  • Editable on Contracts / Billing tab.

  • Populated when a quote has been accepted.

  • When creating a contract, you may enter or look up a contract type directly.

  • Refer to the Contract Type page before changing this value.


Inertia (Checkbox)

If checked:

  • Vehicle remains included in:

    • FBT Reports

    • Service Due Reports

  • Applies even after the Contract End date has passed.

  • Modifies:

    • Contracts / FBT “Days Available”

    • Subsequent FBT calculations (refer to FBT Days Available model)

Note:
This checkbox has no effect on billing. Only created/stored billing periods will be billed.


Billing Structure

Periodic Interval (List)

Defaults to Monthly when a contract is accepted or created.

If Clients / Contract Defaults → "Contract Pay Cycle From Quote" is checked:

  • The Quotes / Contract Pay Cycle is used to calculate and populate budget amounts.

Important Notes

  • Can be edited or varied to use a different pay cycle.

  • If edited before billing starts, Lease budget amounts are recalculated automatically.

  • If edited after billing starts, budgets must be updated manually in Contracts / Lease.

  • Pending adjustments must be posted before varying this field (pending adjustments are flushed when varied).

  • Disabled for Salary Packaged contracts when using Edit/Vary.

Refer to Pay Cycle Setup and Pay Cycle Billing for details.


Billing Deferred (Num)

Enter the number of deferred months.

  • If created from a quote, the value from Quotes / Finance → "Months Deferred" is copied.

  • If changed before billing commences, budgets will be recalculated.

  • Refer to Deferred Payments for details.

Formula:
If monthly billing:
Lease Term – Billing Deferred = Total Billings


Total Billings (Num)

Calculated field.

For monthly billing:

  • Should equal:
    Lease Term – Months Deferred

May differ for:

  • Pay Cycle Billing

  • Fleet Managed contracts with historical start dates

Calculation Logic (Monthly)

If budgets are set up:

  • Displays number of billing periods in Contracts / Lease

If budgets are NOT set up:

  • Displays Lease Term – Periods Deferred (if deferred)

  • If no deferral:

    Initial Billings + Lease Term – Start Period + 1

Important:
Total Billings must always be equal to or greater than the highest posted invoice period.


Initial Billings (Num)

Shown only for Monthly billing setups.

Hidden for Pay Cycle billing.

  • Represents number of periods included in the Initial charge.

  • Initial invoice date is typically the Contract Start (but does not need to be).

  • May be zero if billing occurs on a common due date for all periods.

Refer to Billing Schedule for examples.


Periodic Billings (Num)

Number of regular billings processed as Periodic or Combined invoices.

Formula:
Periodic Billings = Total Billings – Initial Billings

Notes:

  • Deleting this value before billing starts removes billing records.

  • Re-entering a value recreates them.

  • Calculated field but can be overwritten.


Start Period (Num)

Shown only for Monthly billing.

Hidden for Pay Cycle billing.

Represents the period in which regular/common-date charges commence.

Typical setup:

  • Initial charge = Period 1

  • Regular billing starts = Period 2

Defaults from:
Clients / Contract Defaults → "Start Period"

If Periodic Interval ≠ Monthly, this field is removed.


Common Day (List)

Shown only for Monthly billing.

Hidden for Pay Cycle billing.

  • Defaults from Client / Contract Defaults → "Common Day"

  • Choose:

    • 1–31

    • EOM

Used as the DAY portion of billing dates.

Important Behaviours

  • If contract is settled:

    • Common Day and billing dates update to match stored client Common Day.

  • If varied:

    • Stored billing dates update.

    • "Next Periodic" date does NOT automatically update.

If needed, manually update the "Next Periodic" field.


Start Periodic (Date)

Calculated once:

  • Contract Start

  • Periodic Interval

are entered.

If not calculated automatically, enter manually.

Once saved with a Start Periodic date:

  • Periodic billing records are created.

  • Billing can commence.

  • Records appear in Contracts / Lease.

This field can be renamed.


Next Periodic (Date)

Visible only when:

  • Contract is in progress

  • Billing is being varied (Edit mode)

Displays next budget period to bill.

  • Can be moved forward or backward.

  • Can be before previous billing periods.

  • Cannot be before Contract Start.


Next Period (Num)

Displays the next period to be billed.


Remaining (Num)

As invoices are raised, this reduces.

Once all periods are billed:

  • No further invoices will be raised

  • Unless Periodic Billings is increased

Lease Term does not necessarily need to be increased.


Payment Method (List)

On quote acceptance:

  • Client / Contract Defaults → "Payment Method" is stored and displayed.

If edited:

  • Updates all pending lease periods.

  • If edited in Contracts / Lease tab:

    • Updates selected and subsequent periods.

  • If contract is settled:

    • Client default Payment Method is re-applied.


Rental Billing Summary

Previous

Summarizes:

  • Date

  • Period #

  • Invoice Number

  • Net

  • GST

  • Total

If invoice exists:

  • Invoice number appears as hyperlink.

  • Clicking generates PDF copy.


Next

Summarizes next scheduled billing.

If contract has ended:

  • Displays penultimate invoice number.


Final

Summarizes final scheduled billing.

If contract has ended:

  • Displays final invoice number.


Action Buttons

View

When a contract has not yet billed, use the Edit button to set up billing details.


Billing Setup Checklist

Ensure:

  • Lease Term matches Quote/Internal Sheet.

  • Contract Start and End dates are correct.

  • Contract Type matches Quote/Internal Sheet.

  • Periodic Interval is Monthly (defaults from client).

  • Total Charges equals Lease Term in months.

  • Initial Billings = 1 (unless no initial required).

  • Periodic Billings = Total – 1 (e.g. 35 in 36-month lease).

  • Start date is 1st of following month (if initial done separately).

  • Life Date Totals (inc. GST) = Quote rental × Lease Term.


Lease Variations

Leases can be varied by editing Billing and Lease screens.

  • Periods may be added or removed.

  • Budgets may be edited in unbilled periods.

  • Adjustment entries can be inserted at next period date.

Example: Insert Adjustment After Initial Rental

Assume:

  • 60-month contract

  • Initial rental dated 6/4/2004

Step 1 – Vary Billing

  • Increase Periodic Billings from 59 to 60.

  • Change Next Periodic from 01/05/2004 to 06/04/2004.

  • Save.

This creates an extra billing record for 6/4/2004.

Step 2 – Edit Lease Budgets

  • Edit period: 2 – 06/04/2004

  • Enter adjustment amounts only:

    • Finance: -10.66

    • CSD: -0.08

    • Admin Fee: 10.74

Total = 0 (adjustment only)

Save.

Step 3 – Invoice Adjustment

Go to:
Fleet / Billing / Periodic Screen

  • Date: 06/04/2004

  • Enter reg no.

  • Invoice and Post.

Generates:

  • Zero-value invoice

  • Required journal entry

(No need to print invoice.)

Step 4 – Reset Billing Dates

  • Vary contract again.

  • Change Next Periodic from 06/05/2004 to 01/05/2004.

  • Save.

Remaining billing dates revert to 1st of month.

Step 5 – Update Ongoing Budgets

  • Go to Lease Screen.

  • Default period: 3 – 01/05/2004

  • Edit budgets as required.

  • Save.


Important Note

If Contract Start is changed after billing has commenced:

  • Ensure Next Periodic date is correct.

  • System recalculates based on new date.


Validations and Alerts

Many reports rely on billing records being dated on or after the Contract Start.


Locking Alerts

Billing Process Locked (Edit Mode)

Insert, Edit or Vary Billing process is locked by user '{user_login}'. Changes here may be lost on save.

  • OK → Enter edit mode (risk losing changes if still locked).

  • Cancel → Return to view mode and try later.


Billing Locked on Save

Billing process is locked by user '{user_login}'.

  • OK → Remain in edit mode.

  • Cancel → Lose changes and return to view mode.


Date Validations

Contract Start Later Than First Billing

Contract Start cannot be later than first billing dated [dd/mm/yyyy].

Resolution:

  • Update Contract Start, or

  • Contact Support to adjust invoiced billing date.


Contract Start Required

  • Cannot enter Start Periodic if Contract Start is blank.

  • Cannot blank Contract Start if dated Lease records exist.


Start Periodic Blank Warning

If Start Periodic is blank:

  • No billing records are created.

  • You may proceed, but billing has not commenced.


Start Periodic Before Contract Start

Billing records must be dated on or after Contract Start.

Edit either field to correct.


Total Billings Validation

Cannot reduce Total Billings below highest posted billing period.

Must be ≥ highest posted invoice period.


Budget Locking Alert

Unable to Save. Another process has updated contract budgets while editing.

Occurs when:

  • Billing

  • Whole table import

  • APIs

have locked the record.

Try again later.


Initial Billing Validation

Unposted Initial billing with Posted Periodic(s) exists.

Initial billing must be posted before any billing changes can be made.