Bill Pay User Guide – Charge Anywhere Documentation

The Bill Pay feature in Transaction Manager allows merchants to create bills, manage bill status, and send bill payment links to customers. This detailed user guide will walk you through the process of using Bill Pay effectively for creating bills, sending payment links via email, checking bill status, and managing bills.

1. Bill Pay Setup

1.1 Start by logging in to the Transaction Manager using your username and password.

1.2 Navigate to the Virtual Terminal by selecting Bill Pay and then Bill Pay Setup.

1.3 From the dropdown menu, select the device for which you want to set up the bill.

1.4 Click Configuration Form and enter the following required details:

Merchant DBA (Doing Business As): The name under which a business operates.
Merchant Email: Email address associated with the merchant’s account for communication.
Email Supported: Check this to send the invoice to the email.
Phone Supported: Check this to send the invoice to the phone number.
Show Invoice Number: Enable this option to display the invoice number on the bill for easy tracking and reference.
- Auto Generate Invoice Number: Select this to have the system automatically generate a unique invoice number for each transaction.
Show Description: Check this to include a description field on the bill, allowing for additional transaction details.
- Description Text: Enter a brief description of the bill or transaction here for clarity and context.
Copy Merchant: Use this option to send a copy of the bill to the merchant’s email for record-keeping.
Auth Only Supported: Tick this if you want to process the transaction as ‘Authorization Only’, which reserves funds but does not complete the transaction immediately.
Transaction Type: Choose between ‘Sale’ for immediate transaction processing or ‘Auth Only’ for authorization without immediate fund capture.
Do Not Allow Convenience Fee Edits: Activate this option to prevent modifications to the convenience fee settings, ensuring consistent additional charges across transactions.
Apply Convenience Fee to Credit: Enable this to add a fee for transactions made using a credit card.
- Convenience Type: Select the type of convenience fee you wish to apply to transactions from the dropdown menu. You can choose between “Amount” or “Percentage” based on your preference.
- Convenience Fee Label: Enter the label or name that you want to display for the convenience fee on the bill. This will provide clarity to the customer regarding the additional charge.
- Convenience Fee: Specify the amount or percentage of the convenience fee that will be added to the transaction. If you selected “Amount” as the convenience type, enter the fixed fee amount. If you chose “Percentage,” enter the percentage of the transaction amount to be applied as the convenience fee.
Email Message: Personalized message sent to the customer along with the bill.

1.5 Click Update to save the information. If the Bill Pay setup is successful, you will see a message at the top saying Bill Pay saved successfully.

2. Send Invoice to Customer

2.1 To create a bill for a customer, go to Virtual Terminal -> Bill Pay -> Send Invoice to Customer.

2.2 Fill out the form with the following details:

New Customer: Select the button for new customers. Check section 2.2.1 for existing customers.
Customer Name: This field refers to the name of the customer for whom you are creating the bill. It could be the name of an individual or a business entity.
Customer Email: Here, you need to provide the email address of the customer to whom you want to send the bill. This email address will be used to deliver the bill and payment instructions.
Invoice Number: The invoice number is a unique identifier assigned to the bill. It helps in tracking and referencing the bill for record-keeping and communication purposes.
Description: In this field, you can provide a brief description or summary of the goods or services for which you are billing the customer. It helps the customer understand the purpose of the bill.
Line Items: Line items represent individual products, services, or charges included in the bill. You can itemize the bill by adding multiple line items, each with its own description and amount.
Amount: This field denotes the total amount due on the bill. It represents the monetary value that the customer is required to pay.
Installment Plans: Use this checkbox to enable or disable installment payment options for your customers. When checked, it allows customers to choose a payment plan that divides their total payment into multiple smaller installments. See section 2.2.2 for more details.
Transaction Type: The transaction type refers to the nature of the payment being made. It could be a purchase, a service fee, a subscription payment, or any other type of transaction category. See section 2.2.3 for more details.
Merchant Email: The merchant email field is where you enter the email address associated with your merchant account. It is used for internal communication and notifications related to the bill.
Due Date: Choose the due date for payment by selecting a specific date from the calendar.
Email Message: This field allows you to include a personalized message that will be sent along with the bill to the customer. You can use this space to provide additional instructions, terms and conditions, or any other relevant information.
Save to Customer Vault: Check this option to save the customer details in the Customer Vault. This record can later be fetched from the existing customer database.

These fields collectively provide the necessary details for creating and sending a bill to a customer, ensuring clarity and accuracy in the billing process.

2.2.1 Existing Customer: Select this option to send an invoice to an existing customer.

Customer Info: You can search for specific customer records by entering either their name or email address. Click the icon after entering the customer name or email to search the record.
Customer: Select the existing customer from the dropdown. Once selected, the system automatically fills the Customer Name and Customer Email fields. Customer dropdown will be empty if no records are found.

2.2.2 Installment Plans: When checked, it allows customers to choose a payment plan that divides their total payment into multiple smaller installments.

Frequency: Select the frequency of installments from the dropdown menu.
Number of Payments: Enter the total number of installment payments that the customer will make to complete the transaction. This determines the duration of the installment plan.
Amount Per Transaction: The system automatically calculates the amount per transaction based on the Amount, Frequency, and Number of Payments.

2.2.3 Transaction Type: Select the following transaction type from the dropdown menu:

Sale: Choose this option if you want the transaction to be processed immediately, complete the payment, and capture funds at the time of the transaction.
Auth Only: Select this option if you wish to process the transaction as ‘Authorization Only.’ This reserves funds for the transaction but does not complete the payment immediately. The funds will be captured at a later time, typically when the goods or services are delivered or ready for payment.

2.3 Click Submit to create the bill.

3. View Bill Pay

3.1 To view the bill, go to Virtual Terminal -> Bill Pay -> View Bill Pay.

3.2 Utilize the search functionality to find bills based on parameters such as Company Name, Customer Name, Customer Email, Invoice Number, Amount, Bill State, Date From, and Date to.

3.3 You can check the status of the bill. Once the bill is created and sent to the customer, its state will be Sent.

3.4 The customer will receive the bill at the provided email address. They can click on the link in the email to process the payment.

3.5 The customer needs to enter their card details, authorize the company to charge the amount from their bank account, and then click Process Payment to proceed.

3.6 Once the bill is paid successfully, the customer will receive an approved message along with an approval code. They can click Print/Email Receipt to obtain a receipt.

3.7 The bill status will change to Paid-Online once the customer pays the bill.

3.8 Click Details to view the bill’s details.

That’s it! You can follow the same process to create new bills for other customers and check their status.

4. Customer Vault

The Customer Vault is a repository where all the data related to customers is stored and managed. This section typically includes various pieces of information and features for effective customer management:

Search: This feature allows users to search for specific customer records within the vault. Users can search by various criteria such as customer name, email, or customer number to quickly locate and access customer information.
Customer #: This is a unique identifier assigned to each customer in the system. It helps in distinguishing and referencing individual customers easily. Customer numbers are usually automatically generated by the system.
First Name: This field displays the customer’s first name.
Last Name: This field displays the customer’s last name.
Company Name: This field displays the company name.
City: This field displays the city of the customer.
State: This field displays the state of the customer.
Phone Number: The customer’s contact phone number is stored here. This information is essential for communication and outreach purposes.
Email: The customer’s email address is recorded in this section. It serves as a primary means of communication and is crucial for sending invoices, updates, and important information.

4.1 Edit Customer Data

4.1.1. Once you have searched for the customer record. Select Customer # to open and edit the customer data including billing data, shipping data, and payment methods.

4.1.2. Edit Customer page displays billing data and shipping data. Once you have entered or updated the required information, select Update to save the data.

4.2 Manage Payment Methods

Manage Payment Methods allows you to administer the various ways customers can make payments. Payment methods can be added, edited, or removed.

4.2.1. Select Manage Payment Methods to add or update the payment information.

4.2.2. The screen displays the customer’s added credit card and bank accounts. You can manage, add, and delete credit card and bank details here.

4.2.3. Select Add Credit Card to add a new credit card and Add Bank Account to a bank account details.

4.2.4. Select Edit to modify and update the card or bank details and Delete to delete the card or bank details

4.2.5. Select Add Recurring to add a recurring transaction in a recurring transaction database.

4.2.5.1 Corresponding field appears. Now fill in the form and click Add to add a recurring transaction in a recurring transaction database.

5. Recurring Database

The recurring database stores data about transactions that occur regularly. You can manage, add, delete, process, suspend, import, or export the recurring transaction.

Search: This feature allows users to search for specific customer records within the database. Users can search by various criteria such as customer name, email, or customer number to quickly locate and access customer information.

5.1 Manage Recurring Transaction

5.1.1. After searching the recurring transaction, select the corresponding Recurring ID to edit the recurring transaction.

5.1.2. The Edit Recurring Database displays all the recurring transaction data. Edit the required field and click Update to edit the recurring transaction.

5.1.3. After searching the recurring transaction, you can perform several actions related to the specific search results:

History: By selecting History, you can view the transaction history associated with the selected recurring transaction. This allows you to review the past activity and details of that specific transaction, providing a comprehensive record of its previous occurrences.
Delete: Choosing the Delete action enables you to remove the selected recurring transaction from the database. This action is useful when you no longer need to maintain records of that particular transaction or if it is no longer relevant.
Process: The Process option allows you to manually trigger the execution of the selected recurring transaction, even if it’s not yet scheduled to occur. This can be helpful in cases where you need to process a payment or event immediately, outside of the regular schedule.
Suspend: By selecting Suspend, you can temporarily halt the execution of the chosen recurring transaction. This action is beneficial when you need to pause or delay the transaction for a specific period, such as accommodating a customer’s request for a temporary suspension of payments.

5.2 Additional Options

Recurring Database allows you to perform the following key actions:

Add: This option allows you to manually add new recurring transactions or events to the database. You can input details such as payment frequency, amount, customer information, and payment method.
Import: Importing functionality enables you to upload a batch of recurring transaction data from an external source, such as a spreadsheet or another database, into the recurring database system.
Export: Exporting functionality allows you to save or download data from the recurring database to an external file, typically for reporting, analysis, or backup purposes.
Settings: The settings menu provides configuration options for customizing the behavior and parameters of the recurring database. This may include setting default payment methods, frequency options, or email notification preferences.
Expired Credit Card Reports: This option generates reports that highlight recurring transactions associated with credit cards that have expired. It helps in identifying and addressing payment issues due to outdated payment methods.
Status Report: The status report provides an overview of the current status of all recurring transactions, indicating which ones are active, pending, completed, or canceled.

If you encounter any issues with the Bill Pay feature, please reach out to Charge Anywhere support at support@chargeanywhere.com. They will provide troubleshooting tips and FAQs to assist you.