Accounts Receivable — Billing Interface Setup
Manager controls for Billing Invoice behavior: prompts, posting, printing, and interest
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Billing Interface Setup — Overview

Billing Interface Setup defines how Billing Invoice Entry behaves for your users. Operations and AR managers use these settings to standardize prompts, control posting timing, and ensure invoices print consistently.

  • Operations outcome: consistent entry prompts (description edits, attention-to, defaults).
  • AR outcome: controlled AR interface timing (Immediate vs Batch) and optional Hold behavior.
  • Customer outcome: consistent invoice printing (address selection, “crunch” behavior, print routines).
  • Policy outcome: optional interest/late fee rules and statement visibility.
Key concept: If a user says “my screen doesn’t prompt for that” or “my invoice looks different,” Billing Interface Setup is the first place to verify the configured behavior.

Behavior Controlled by Setup

Billing Invoice behavior is controlled by manager setup options in Billing Interface Setup. If screen prompts, posting timing, printing output, or interest behavior differs from what you expect, review the settings below.

  • Description edits: may be allowed or locked (Prompt #1).
  • Negative lines: credits/adjustments may be permitted or restricted (Prompt #3).
  • Invoice date defaults: Operations vs Current date impacts aging/periods (Prompt #5).
  • “Attention To” prompt: may appear during entry (Prompt #7).
  • AR posting timing: Immediate vs Batch (Prompt #11).
  • Invoice Hold: available when enabled (Prompt #12).
  • Invoice printing: address selection, crunching, and print routines (Additional Screen Prompts #2–7).
  • Interest / late fees: optional and setup-driven (Additional Screen Prompts #9–14).

Screen Reference

Billing Interface Setup is displayed on two screens:

  • Primary Screen: Screen Behavior Options + Posting Options
  • Additional Screen: Print Options + Interest Calculations
Tip: Use the Additional Screen when troubleshooting invoice formatting differences, or when interest/late fee behavior appears on invoices or statements.

Screen Behavior Options (Prompts 1–10)

These prompts control what the user may enter or change during Billing Invoice Entry.

Prompts

  • 1) Billing Description Modification: allow or prevent editing of line descriptions.
  • 2) Credit Checking: enable customer credit validation during billing.
  • 3) Allow Negative Amounts: allow negative lines for credits/adjustments.
  • 4) Enter Service Contracts: enable service contract references where applicable.
  • 5) Default to Operations or Current Date: controls default invoice date (aging/period impact).
  • 6) Weight in Kilos or Lbs: default weight units for weight-based billing environments.
  • 7) Prompt for Attention To: prompt for attention/contact (often prints on invoices).
  • 8) Default EPO on NON-Passthru: controls EPO default behavior for non-pass-through charges.
  • 9) Auto Assign Sales Code: automatically assign sales code (site policy).
  • 10) Allow Invoice Date Post AP Activity Date: controls date restrictions vs AP activity references.

These prompts define how Billing Invoices interface to A/R and whether they generate G/L transactions.

Prompts

  • 11) A/R Interface — Immediate or Batch: controls when invoices impact AR balances and aging.
  • 12) Ability to place Invoice on Hold: enables Hold workflows for review/approval before posting/printing.
  • 13) Combine like EPOs: summarize EPO-level posting detail where applicable.
  • 14) Special Billing Editing Program: optional site-specific validation.
  • 15) Post GL Transactions for each EPO: controls GL transaction granularity by EPO.
  • 16) Post GL Transactions: enable/disable GL posting from billing.
  • 17) AR Summary Include Duty: controls whether duty is included in AR summary totals.
High-impact: Prompt #11 (Immediate vs Batch), Prompt #12 (Hold), Prompt #16 (GL posting). Coordinate changes with AR and Accounting before enabling/disabling these options.

Additional Screen Reference

The Additional Screen includes Print Options and Interest Calculations.

  • Print Options: control invoice printing behavior and format.
  • Interest Calculations: enable/disable interest and late fee rules.
Tip: Use the Additional Screen when troubleshooting invoice formatting differences, or when interest/late fee behavior appears on invoices or statements.

Print Options (Additional Screen Prompts 1–8)

These prompts control invoice printing behavior and formatting.

Prompts

  • 1) Billing Description Modification: print-side control for description modifications (typically aligned with Prompt #1).
  • 2) Print Address on Invoice (N/D/C/R): controls which address prints on the invoice.
  • 3) Invoice Print Style Program: program controlling invoice layout/format.
  • 4) Billing Invoice Entry Style Program: program controlling entry screen style/flow (site-specific).
  • 5) Billing Invoice Print Style: identifies the standard print style for Billing invoices.
  • 6) Desktop Print Routine: workstation routing/spool behavior.
  • 7) Crunch Same Bill Codes: combines identical bill codes into fewer lines (cleaner invoice vs less detail).
  • 8) Print Cash Receipts/COA’s on Invoice: prints additional payment/account info (format dependent).
Customer-facing differences: Address selection (Prompt #2) and Crunch (Prompt #7) are the most common causes of “my invoice looks different.”

Interest Calculations (Additional Screen Prompts 9–14)

Interest/late fees are optional and should only be enabled if they align with written customer terms.

Prompts

  • 9) Add Interest Charge to each Invoice: enables interest/late fee logic.
  • 10) Include Interest in Posting Total: determines whether interest impacts posted totals.
  • 11) Late Charge Fee Percentage: percentage used to calculate late fees.
  • 12) Number of Days for Interest Late Fee: grace period before interest applies.
  • 13) Include Interest amount in Statement: controls statement visibility of interest.
  • 14) Interest Print Message: prints customer-facing terms on invoice/statement.
Reminder: If interest is enabled, use a clear Interest Print Message and confirm statement visibility settings.

Best Practices

  • Standardize across departments: keep prompts and print behavior consistent unless there is a business requirement.
  • Use Hold intentionally: define who can release held invoices and how they are reviewed daily.
  • Coordinate GL changes: enabling/disabling GL posting affects reconciliation and reporting.
  • Crunch with caution: cleaner invoices may reduce confusion, but some customers require line-level detail.
  • Interest policy: confirm terms, rates, and messaging before enabling late fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t a user edit invoice descriptions?

Billing Interface Setup controls whether descriptions can be edited (Prompt #1). If disabled, the system enforces standard descriptions for consistency and audit clarity.

Why do some invoices post immediately while others do not?

The AR Interface timing is controlled by Prompt #11 (Immediate vs Batch). Immediate posting updates AR balances and aging right away; Batch posting holds invoices for controlled posting.

Why are invoice lines combined on the printed invoice?

The Additional Screen includes “Crunch Same Bill Codes” (Prompt #7). If enabled, identical bill codes are combined into fewer printed lines.

Why is interest showing on invoices or statements?

Interest behavior is controlled on the Additional Screen (Prompts #9–14), including grace period, percentage, statement visibility, and the printed interest message.