Billing Workflow Overview
Billing Step 1: Setting Up & Importing Data
Billing Step 2: Reviewing Exceptions
Billing Step 3: Reviewing Bills
Billing Step 4: Summary & Send Bills
Billing Workflow FAQ
Creating & Managing Billing Cycles
Q: How do I start a new billing cycle?
A: Schedule a billing cycle by selecting your billing configuration, setting end dates, and due date. The system automatically creates draft bills and meter read entries for all locations in the selected routes.
Q: Can I keep a billing cycle open for a period of time?
A: Yes, billing cycles remain in "In Progress" status until you complete them. However, we recommend refreshing bills periodically (especially just before completing the cycle) to ensure all recent payments and account adjustments are reflected in the bills.
Q: When should I refresh bills?
A: Refresh bills when:
- Customers make payments during an open billing cycle
- You add manual adjustments or credits to accounts outside of the billing cycle
- You have updated the services on the locations on the rate structures
- Just before completing the billing cycle to ensure all transactions are included
Meter Reads & Uploads
Q: Can I upload meter reads multiple times?
A: Yes! Each time you upload a meter read file, the system will:
- Update meter read values for each meter
- Automatically recalculate consumption
- Check for exceptions
- Regenerate bills for affected accounts
The latest upload always overrides previous reads for the same meter.
Q: What file formats can I upload?
A: The system supports CSV and various meter reading vendors including Neptune, Sensus, and Mueller systems.
Q: What happens after I upload meter reads?
A: The system processes uploads asynchronously in the background. You'll see a progress indicator while the system:
- Validates and imports meter reads
- Calculates consumption (current read - previous read)
- Checks for exceptions based on your billing rules
- Regenerates bills for all updated meters
Exceptions & Bill Status
Q: Why are some bills showing "Not Ready" status?
A: Bills are marked "Not Ready" when there are issues that prevent billing, such as:
- Missing meter reads - No meter read value was provided or found
- Unverified exceptions - The meter read triggered an exception that needs review
All Bills must have a "Pending" status before you can complete the billing cycle.
Q: What types of exceptions might I see?
A: Common exceptions include:
- High Consumption - Usage is significantly higher than average
- Low Consumption - Usage is significantly lower than average
- Negative Consumption - Current read is less than previous read
- Rollover - Meter has reset to zero (typically at 999,999)
Exception thresholds are configured in your billing settings.
Q: How do I resolve exceptions?
A: Go to the "Review Exceptions" step and:
- Review each flagged meter read
- Verify the read is correct or edit it
- Confirm the exception (and optionally add a comment to add any notes)
Once confirmed, the bill is recalculated and status changes from "Not Ready" to "Pending".
Q: Can I resolve multiple exceptions at once?
A: Yes, you can select multiple meter reads and confirm them in bulk with a single comment.
Completing Billing
Q: What happens when I complete a billing cycle?
A: Completing a billing cycle triggers several automated processes:
- Transaction Creation - Creates transactions from all bill line items
- Account Updates - Updates account balances and applies payment waterfall
- Bill Posting - Changes bill status from "Pending" to "Posted"
- PDF Generation - Creates bill PDFs in batches (typically 150 at a time)
- Customer Notifications - Sends email/SMS notifications based on your settings
- Historical Records - Creates permanent historical meter read records
This process runs asynchronously in the background and can take several minutes depending on the number of bills.
Q: Can I undo a completed billing cycle?
A: No, once a billing cycle is completed, it cannot be undone. Bills are posted, PDFs are generated, and customers are notified. Make sure to review the billing summary and resolve all exceptions before completing.
Q: What if I need to make changes after completing billing?
A: For posted bills, you can:
- Adjust the meter read of the most recent posted bill on the Account detail page.
- Apply manual adjustments or credits to individual accounts
- You can optionally generate an Off Cycle Bill to send customer the correction.
Bills & Billing Summary
Q: What's the difference between "Pending" and "Posted" bills?
A:
- Pending - Draft bills in an open billing cycle that can still be regenerated
- Posted - Finalized bills from a completed billing cycle that create account transactions
Q: How do I preview what customers will see?
A: On the Adjust Bill step, you can view the bill PDF by clicking on the eye icon on the bill
Q: Why might bill amounts change when I refresh?
A: Bill amounts update when you refresh because the system recalculates with:
- Latest payments made to accounts
- Any manual adjustments or credits added
- Updated previous balance (carryover from older bills)
- New or resolved exceptions
Best Practices
✓ Upload meter reads as early as possible to identify exceptions with time to resolve them
✓ Resolve all exceptions before completing the billing cycle
✓ Add comments when resolving exceptions to maintain an audit trail
✓ Refresh bills just before completing to capture any last-minute payments
✓ Review any large consumption or bill amount by sorting the table on the Adjust Bill step
✓ Review the billing summary to verify total amounts and account counts
✓ Preview an example bill PDF to check formatting before sending to customers
Getting Help
Q: What if I'm stuck or see an error?
A: Contact support with:
- Your billing cycle ID
- Description of the issue
- Screenshots if applicable
- Any error messages you're seeing
Our team can review your billing cycle and help resolve issues quickly.