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Summary
This article describes how usage billing occurs in EngageIP and how to setup usage billing frequencies which can be configured on accounts.
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EngageIP Event Service
EngageIP Job Service
EngageIP Rating Service
Using 'Bill Account' to bill usage:
User account with usage assigned in UDRBiller record
An associated package to bill along with the usage which is active
UDRBiller record "periodend" must be equal to or less than the end date on the selected bill run range
Using a bill run to bill usage:
User account with usage assigned in UDRBiller record
UDRBiller record "periodend" must be equal to or less than the end date on the selected bill run range
'Bill Usage' must be checked on the bill run NOTE: An active package is NOT required to allow usage to bill out here
Account must be ACTIVE - Canceled accounts will not be picked up by the bill run except where Owner type is 'Bill Owner'. If you want not to bill cancelled User Usage (once the account is canceled), then that user’s Owner must have OwnerParentAccountBillingType = Bill Accounts OR Bill Accounts Using Invoicer Taxes OR Owner of that user must be in Cancelled State.
Cancelling the LAST package (with full transaction) on a Users account will trigger usage to bill out that exist at time of cancelation (all unbilled UDRBillers will be billed out, back dated or future dated)
Cancelling the user account (with full transaction) which has an active package on it will bill out the existing usage (if periodend less than NOW, future dated UDRBillers will not bill out)
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A synchronized usage billing approach where usage was billed at the same time that user-packages were billed via a bill run
A periodic usage billing approach where usage was billed on a set schedule (e.g. every 5 days, on the 15th of the month, etc.). An Account component called 'Usage Billing Type' dictated how frequently usage would be billed and a bill usage only bill run was used to bill usage on the set frequency
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As of EngageIP 8.6.0 usage billing is controlled by a new account component called 'Usage Billing Frequency', shown below: |
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The usage billing frequency component is shown on every account under the account components section. The usage billing frequency configuration is pulled from the usage invoicer's setup on the account. If an account is its own usage invoicer then the component will be editable, if an account is configured to have its usage invoiced to another account then the component will appear as read only (i.e. the component shown is actually the usage invoicers usage billing frequency component). By default the usage billing frequency component has a usage billing configuration of 'OnMyBillDay', resulting in usage billing occurring when packages are billed. Like the previous 'Usage Billing Type' component the usage billing frequency component can be modified to bill on a specific day or interval of days.
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The steps below detail how to configure usage billing frequencies under an owner in EngageIP (or usage billing types for older EngageIP versions). The frequencies you setup are selectable when editing a usage billing frequency/type account component on an account (i.e. at an account/user level you can only set an account to bill every 10 days if you have setup a '10 days' usage billing frequency on the setup tabpage). To add a new usage billing frequency:
Go to the Setup tab page on your owner
Click Usage Billing Frequency (or 'Usage Billing Type' for older versions of EngageIP)
Click Add
Enter a Name to describe the usage billing frequency you are setting up ('every 5 days', 'on the 21st', etc.)
Enter the Number of days the billing frequency will occur on or the day of the month you would like to bill usage on (how the number value is used depends on the Usage Billing Frequency Type you select below)
Select the Usage Billing Frequency Type (works with the 'Number' field value above):
Days - set usage billing to occur every X number of days
OnBillDay - set usage billing to occur on the account's bill day
OnDate - set usage billing to occur on a specific day of the month
Click Save
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This option allows you to define a default usage billing configuration for all accounts that are added to a bill group. When a new account is setup the system will automatically add a usage billing component on the account according to usage component you have specified in the bill group configuration. The usage billing component configuration can still be edited on the account if needed, it is not locked/synced to the bill group configuration.
Load the Setup tab page
Click Bill Groups
Click on the Name of the Bill Group you wish to configure
Click on the Usage Billing Frequency dropdown field (or Usage Billing Type in older versions) and select the type you created as per the instructions above. Any new users setup with this bill group will now inherit the usage billing type you have configured
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Usage Billing Type Account Configuration (pre-EngageIP 8.6.0)
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Note: the 'Usage Billing Type' component will only bill usage during a bill run if the option 'Bill Usage Only' is selected on the bill run. If an account does not contain the 'Usage Billing Type' component then usage needs to be billed using the 'Billing' option on the bill run instead. |
This option allows you to specify at the user level how to bill usage.
Load the account you would like to configure
On the Overview tab page under Components click Add
Select Usage Billing Type
Specify the Usage Next Bill Date that usage should start billing on (likely the same as bill day)
Select the Usage Billing Type that you created as per the instructions above
Click Save
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Note the 'Usage Next Bill Date' on the usage billing account component and determine the period range of usage that you would like to bill for (e.g. Nov 15th to Nov 30th. The UDR History report for the user can be of use in determining the period)
Load the Setup tab page
Click on Bill Runs
Click on the existing Bill Run or the Usage Bill Run if one exists
Set the Start billing at this / time date to less than now (i.e. yesterday)
Set the next dates (range) to encompass the 'usage next bill date'
EngageIP 8.6.0+
Uncheck all options except for Enabled and Bill Usage
Older EngageIP versions
Uncheck all other boxes except for Enabled and Bill Usage Only (you do NOT want 'Billing', Render Invoice or any of the other options selected)
Click Save on bill run
Ensure that the 'EngageIP Billing Service' is enabled on the webserver
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Usage Bill Runs For Non-Usage Billing Type Accounts
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Note: this section applies to environments running an EngageIP version lower than 8.6.0. The Usage Billing Type component no longer exists as of EngageIP 8.6.0. |
When running the bill run with the 'Billing' option checked, usage will be billed if the UDR PeriodEnd is dated prior to the bill run end date in the range that you've selected. If it is, it will bill that usage only.
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Verifying Usage is Billing
Load the AdminPortal
Click Load the Reports tab page
Click the Event Log for billing activities
Check the users invoice to confirm that usage was billed out (or check for usage transactions on the Transactions tabpage)
Usage Credits
For instructions on how to issue credits for usage (UDR Records) see the Managing Transactions article.
Troubleshooting
What happens if a bill run is run prematurely prior to close of UDRBiller period?
If a bill run occurs, it will bill out usage that exists for the UDRBiller period and close that udrbiller record. Any subsequent usage for the month will post to the new UDRBiller period. Example if billing is run Jan 15th for Feb 1 invoices, UDRBillers with period of of Feb 1 will close and bill. Any usage after January 15th will then go to March 1 udrbillers (period end) and bill out when March 1 occurs. Options here are to open the invoice and let billing proceed on the 1st of the month, or to void the invoice which will reset usage to be billed out again at the correct time.