The subscription system integrated into Xentral enables regular services to be automatic to customers. The subscription system reduces the effort of regular billing for service contracts, rentals, service relationships, subscriptions and the like. This module is therefore relevant for all those who regularly invoice services at the customer.
Subscriptions are created directly in the address in the "Subscriptions" tab. Here articles can be inserted, which the customer has booked. In addition to recurring charges, one-off items (e.g. goods) can also be billed.
Via "+Insert new item" a new item can be inserted. As soon as a new article has been inserted, it appears in the overview.
In the "General" tab you can make the following entries:
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Article → Shows the article to which the customer subscribes. This can be searched via the magnifying glass icon
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Description → Description of the subscription article in the document be changed if necessary)
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Description → Description of the subscription item in the document (can be changed if necessary)
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Replace description text → Only the description from here is displayed, without article description from the master data
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Quantity → Quantity of the subscribed item
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Price (net) → Net price per piece. Next to it on the right you can be selected whether the subscription is monthly, monthly for x months, yearly, weekly, 30-day or one-time
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Create automatically as → Select between order or invoice. In addition, a group and an order can be specified here, whereby the two last-mentioned points are optional
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First start date → Date on which the subscription run starts. As soon as the first subscription runs have started, the field must not be changed any more
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Payment cycle → Specification of the rhythm at which the payoff run is to be executed
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End date → The end date only determines the end of the cycle. It is not calculated to the day, but only checked whether the end date has been reached or not. If it is not reached, the cycle is billed in full, only after the end date disappears.The difference would have to be deducted manually after creating theinvoice or a credit note
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Expert mode → Selection of the expert mode. If this is selected, additional settings can be made, such as the date up to which the invoice was has been settled and an internal remark can be added
With subscription groups, articles in the subscription invoices can be combined into so-called subscription groups. These then appear grouped on the invoice. Individual invoices can also be created for each subscription group.
Note
In order for subscription groups to be evaluated, the checkbox "Use subscription groups" must be set under Accounting → Subscription run → Settings.
In order for a subscription group to be assigned, it must first be created under "Groups". Here you can also set whether a joint invoice, an individual invoice, a separate invoice or a collective invoice is to be created. These subscription groups are created globally and are valid for all addresses.
Via "+Create new entry" a new subscription group can be created.
Enter the following:
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Designation → Name of the group (this appears on the invoice)
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Description → Description of the group (this appears on the invoice)
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Discount → optionally a discount in % can be specified here
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Invoice → Select how the group should be included in the invoice:
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Common invoice → The groups are listed among each other in a common invoice
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Separate invoice → A separate invoice is created for each group
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Collective invoice → Several groups can be combined into a collective invoice. After the selection in the dropdown, a search field appears for a collective bill that has been created under Address → Subscription → Collective bill
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Different contact person → Will be taken for the contact person field in the invoice
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Target project → The created invoice runs on this project
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Order → If several groups occur in one calculation, the order of the groups can be adjusted with it (from version 18.3)
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Group total → After each listing of items in a group, a group total is printed on the document
A second possibility to create a subscription group is to create it directly under Address → Subscription → Group. Please note that this subscription group is only valid for this address and cannot be selected for other addresses.
Under the tab "Groups" you will find a list of all created subscription groups. Under Address → Subscription → Groups you will find an overview of all the groups that are are in use for this address.
After creating a subscription group, the group can be specified under Address → Subscription → Article in the article.
The additional tab under Address → Subscription → Collective Invoice is used to combine individual subscription groups to a collective invoice.
With the button 'Create new entry' a new collective invoice for the subscription groups can be created.
Fill in the following fields:
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Designation → Name of the collective invoice, only used for selection in the subscription groups
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Discount → Optionally a discount in % can be specified here
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Different billing address → Will be taken as billing address taken in the create subscription invoice
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Target project → Optional, determines the invoice project of the collective invoice
Invoices or orders can be created automatically via the subscription run. The "Overview" shows the customers and articles to be invoiced with the invoicing periods.
The tab "booked subscriptions" offers a general overview of all current subscriptions.
Here you can search for:
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Customer
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Customer number
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Designation
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Number
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Settled until
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End date
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Price
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Quantity
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Type
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Payment period
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Document
The filter can also be used to filter by completed projects and by a time period.
The preview of the positions that will be calculated for the customer is called up via "Details in the last column. This overview shows the periods and the positions that have been entered for the customer and are currently to be calculated.
If you click on Details, a new browser window will open with a preview of the invoice items.
The customers to be billed can be selected or deselected collectively in the first column. Only for selected customers a billing will be created.
The billing type can be selected via the drop-down menu (above "Start billing").
The following billing methods are available:
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Generate invoices - no sending of the invoice → The Invoice is generated, the status of the invoice is "released". The invoice must still be sent manually via the system
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Generate invoices - send invoice by mail (if e-mail exists) → The invoice is generated, the status of the invoice is "sent". An e-mail is sent if the customer has stored an e-mail address
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Generate invoices - Print all invoices (even if e-mail exists) → The invoice is generated, the status of the invoice is "sent". The invoice is printed on the printer that was selected
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Generate invoice - print invoice or mail dispatch (if email available) → The invoice is generated, the status of the invoice is sent. The Invoice is printed or sent by mail
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Generate invoice - print invoices and mail dispatch (if email available) → The invoice is generated, the status of the invoice is "sent". The Invoice is sent by e-mail if an e-mail address is stored in the customer data. Otherwise, the invoice will be printed at the printer, that has been selected
The accounting type is to be considered analogously for the "Orders" tab.
Billing does not necessarily have to take place manually, but can also run automatically via the process starter. The corresponding process starter is called "rechnungslauf" and must be activated for this purpose.
In addition, there is the process starter"rechnungslauf_manual", which is already activated in the standard system. This process starter processes the triggered invoice runs step by step, similar to the"autoversand_manuell" process starter. In the standard process, the triggered runs first end up in the queue and are gradually processed by this process starter. If the number of runs is low, this process starter can be deactivated to speed up the process.
If the billing was forgotten in the last month, but the articles may not be for two accounting periods, may be summed up on the invoice, here is the possibility to settle the forgotten month again.
1. Go to Subscription run → Settings
2. Set check mark at "past date for billing creation"
3. Select date (= date on which the settlement should be done e.g. a few days back at the end of the last month)
4. Save
5. Go to Overview and select the "Invoices" or "Orders" tab (depending on which document is to be document to be created)
6. Select the desired customers and press "Start billing"
7. Remove the checkmark in your settings, delete the date and save
Important
It is essential to reset the settings completely and save them!
Create billing with service date - subscriptions in service period instead of before billing the service period → invoices one month later; invoice or order is created in the interval or month in which the subscription is booked. (e.g. billing in June for service period May). This means that the date no longer needs to be set manually each month. The subscription run is delayed by one month/interval in the standard system.
Note
If the billing period has been forgotten or should be done manually, the period can still be moved temporarily with the date settings.
Both one-time and recurring discounts can be inserted into the settlement.
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Create item with negative sales price
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Add item to a customer's subscription
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Billing: "One-time" or monthly price, if multiple billing is desired
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It should be noted that in the case of subscription invoices, fixed amounts rather than percentage discounts
The amount will be deducted in the settlement for which it is preset:
If subscriptions are to be created before they start and are to be taken into account for billing, e.g. because a switch to Xentral is in progress or the subscriptions already entered, navigate to the subscription in the corresponding address and click on the pencil icon for editing.
In this special case, the check mark for the expert mode must be activated. Subsequently the last day of the month that is not to be included in the calculation must be selected as the which should no longer be taken into account in the calculation.
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Automatic subscriptions are automatically created based on the items found in an order
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Price, discount and quantity are used from the order
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When a project is selected, an automatic subscription is only generated from a order if the order and the subscription have the same project
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Monthly or annual prices are available as price type
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It is possible to select whether an invoice or an order is to be created
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The subscription group can also be selected, which is then assigned to the automatic subscription.
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The position specifies where in the generated document the subscription article should be
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Three options are available for the first start date: the order date, the next possible 15th or the 1st of the next month
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There is a possibility in the order, in which the automatic subscription article can block the auto shipping
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If the automatic e-mail confirmation is active, a mail can be sent with the preset business letter template. In this business letter template a further variable {ABOARTIKEL} is available in which all articles are listed articles, including their number, that are eligible for automatic subscription in triggering subscription in triggering orders
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A PDF of the receipt can be attached to this mail