Collapse Bill Line Items by Service
Overview
Collapse Bill Line Items by Service combines all charges for the same service into one line on the bill, such as a single "Water" line instead of a base charge plus each usage tier.
It changes how the bill looks, not what the customer owes: amounts, balances and totals stay the same. The setting works on the Postcard bill templates (8.5x12 and 8.5x11) and is off by default.
Turning it on
Want your bills collapsed by service? Email support@currentsoftware.app to turn on this setting for your organization.
Once it's on, every Postcard bill for your organization shows collapsed lines, including bills already posted when they are viewed or downloaded again.
Before and after
With the setting on, each service shows as one line named after the service (Water, Sewer, Fire, Trash or Other), with its charges added together.
Setting off
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Payment received | -$85.00 |
| Water base charge | $25.00 |
| Water usage 0–5,000 gal | $18.00 |
| Water usage 5,001–10,000 gal | $12.50 |
| Sewer base charge | $20.00 |
| Sewer usage | $9.75 |
| Late fee | $5.00 |
Setting on
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Payment received | -$85.00 |
| Late fee | $5.00 |
| Water | $55.50 |
| Sewer | $29.75 |
Payments, credits, fees and any charge not tied to a service stay on their own lines. They are listed first, followed by the service totals.
Where it applies
The setting only affects the Postcard templates, wherever a Postcard bill is shown:
- Printed and downloaded bill PDFs
- The bill preview in the admin portal
- Bills your customers open in the Customer Portal
The Current, Blue and Infosend templates are not affected.
Things to know
- Very long bills. If a bill still has more than 15 lines after collapsing, the Postcard template's standard shortening takes over instead: identical line items are combined, then payments and credits are rolled into one "Total payments and credits" line.
- Hidden lines and headings are left off the bill, as they are with the setting off.
- Details are still available. The admin portal keeps every individual line item on the account and bill, so you can always see the full breakdown.
FAQ
Does this change how much the customer owes? No. Only the layout of the line items changes; the total due is the same.
Why is my late fee still on its own line? Fees always show separately so customers can see them, even when they belong to a service.
Can I collapse some services but not others? No. The setting applies to every service on every Postcard bill for your organization.
We use a different bill template. Can we use this? Not today; it works with the Postcard templates only.
Can we turn it back off? Yes. Contact Support, and bills will show every line item again the next time they're generated or viewed.