Billto File

Use this code to group customers geographically. Similar to the Customer Type field, it is useful in reporting and designating pricing exceptions. It is not mandatory and can be established any time.

When creating region codes, remember that the system already provides fields for city, state, province, zip, country, and county. Use this field to create geographic categories having unique meanings to your company, for example, sales zones or demographic areas. Define these codes using the Classification Codes File Maintenance program.

A three-digit number assigned to each county within each state. This field is a selection parameter for many reports. It can be useful when comparing your company's performance by county to published marketing and sales surveys, which are usually listed by county. The county number is also essential if you intend to use the recurring invoice programs, which can invoice sales tax to customers who are not normally taxable. The system uses the county number to find the normal tax rates for the county. You must establish county numbers in the County File.

The County File can be used to tax customers normally not taxed.

You define this code and enter it if the customer speaks a language other than English. Information, such as product information, disclaimers, and installation instructions, that have been entered in this language, automatically appear on the appropriate documents for this customer. If a customer record is coded S for Spanish, product information coded S appear on the customer's invoices, pick lists, and so on. All language codes should be defined using the Classification Codes File Maintenance program. Choices regarding French and English for Canadian users are controlled by this field. Enter F for French. Leave blank for English.

These codes must be programmed and the corresponding translations entered into the system. This field is rarely used.

Tax rates are stored in the Tax File. You can define State and Other tax codes and the rates in the Tax File program, if applicable. Tax codes can be overridden for specific orders and invoices. The State and Other tax codes cause an account to be taxable. The Tax/SS number field does not control whether or not the account is taxed. If you leave these tax fields blank, the account is considered tax exempt. However, you can also enter these codes on the Order Entry and Invoice screens to make individual invoices and orders taxable.

Canadian Users: Enter the code representing GST in this field for all customers to which GST applies. Use the State Tax field for codes representing tax per province.

If the customer or business is known by another name, enter that name in this field. You can also use this field to enter the customer's name in other ways. For example, if a customer name is The Tile Outlet, you can enter it as Tile Outlet, The in this field. The Customer Search finds it if you search for The or Tile. If a customer name is a person's name, enter last name first in this field and first name first in the Name field.

For chain stores, you can enter the store number in this field followed by an abbreviation of the name. For example, 1023JCP for JC Penny store 1023, or 358HOM for Home Depot store 358. Then, you can search by store number.

To help customer service switch from using old to new account numbers, you can enter old account numbers in the Doing Business as (DBA) field. You can search this number during order processing to help ease the transition for users who have memorized old codes that can not be used in the new system.

You can use this field to differentiate among national account stores for whom you enter orders that are invoiced to multiple manufacturers. Because you need to create the same account for the different manufacturers, you can use the DBA field to separate the accounts. For example, Home Depot #515 (HAR) and Home Depot #515 (SHA).

Use this ten-character field to assign a customer up to ten mailing lists. Enter a series of one-character codes, each of which represents a mailing lists for this customer. You can enter the codes in any sequence. For example, A19 and 9A1 indicate the customer belongs mailing lists A, 1, and 9. Mailing lists can contain Billto File records as well as records entered directly into the Mailing List File.

You do not have to set up these codes in a maintenance table, but can input them only in the Billto File. You can enter names of companies or people that do not have an account with you in the Mailing List file.

This two-position field controls how orders for customers who are over the credit limit, or have past due accounts, are handled by the order entry process. Hold Acct codes control credit functions in conjunction with the account's credit limit and A/R balances.

There are two System Wide Settings that affect the credit hold codes:

• Options for Credit Hold - This one allows you to select credit hold codes that omit open orders from credit hold calculations.
• Options for Credit Hold Code Definitions - This system wide setting lets you customize credit hold parameters for almost all of your credit hold codes.

Some examples are:

• H - Hold account. No orders can be entered.
• C - Hold account if over the credit limit. No orders are processed if account is over their credit limit.
• 0 - indicates hold orders if the customer is over their credit limit or is at least $5.00 past due by any number of days. This code should be used only for companies that age based on due date rather than invoice date.
• 1 - Hold account if over $5.00 over 15 days, or if over the credit limit. No orders are allowed if more than $5.00 over 15 days is owed, or if it is over the credit limit. Use this option only if your aging is based on the due date rather than on invoice date. If aging is based on due date, the account is held to 15 days past due. If aging is based on invoice date, this code would hold the account when any invoices were over 15 days old, which is most likely too little time to expect payment.
• 3 - indicates hold orders if the customer is over their credit limit or if at least $5.00 of their open accounts receivable is over 30 days old. For com­panies that age based on due date, this code checks for 30 days past the due date. For companies that age based on invoice date, this code checks for 30 days past the invoice date.
• X - Hold account according to the Hold Acct codes in the parent account. This code is used only for accounts that use the A/R Acct# field. The A/R Acct# field is used to divert invoicing and accounts receivable to another account number. This is usually done for chain stores to consolidate billing and A/R statements for all stores into a single corporate account. Code X bases all credit checking on the information in the central account as designated in the A/R account number. All open orders are tabulated against the central account and not the individual store or location. The X code can be entered on store accounts only, not on the central account.

If X code is entered, all online credit checking uses the statistics for the central A/R account. Open order totals are added to the central A/R account and not to the individual store account. However, the actual orders are still registered to the store accounts and can be searched and viewed using the store's account number. The Credit Release screen displays the credit data for the central A/R account when an order for the store account is held. We recommend that if the X code isused, you enter X in all of the store accounts that relate to a single A/R account number. When an account is first changed to an X, the next Night Jobs run automatically, switching the credit information to the master account.

In order to put a group of X accounts on hold, do not simply change the central account hold code to H. You must change the individual store accounts to H.

If the first credit hold code is a letter (open orders are not included) then you should enter A as the second code

Some Examples:

• X - Hold account according to the Hold Acct codes in the parent account. This code is used only for accounts that use the A/R Acct # field. The A/R Acct # field is used to divert invoicing and accounts receivable to another account number. This is usually done for chain stores to consolidate billing and A/R statements for all stores into a single corporate account. Code X bases all credit checking on the information in the central account as designated in the A/R account number. All open orders are tabulated against the central account and not the individual store or location. The X code can be entered on store accounts only, not on the central account.

If X code is entered, all online credit checking uses the statistics for the central A/R account. Open order totals are added to the central A/R account and not to the individual store account. However, the actual orders are still registered to the store accounts and can be searched and viewed using the store's account number.

The Credit Release screen displays the credit data for the central A/R account when an order for the store account is held. We recommend that if the X code is used, you enter X in all of the store accounts that relate to a single A/R account number. When an account is first changed to an X, the next Night Jobs run automatically, switching the credit information to the master account.

In order to put a group of X accounts on hold, do not simply change the central account hold code to H. You must change the individual store accounts to H.

• A - Causes credit holds to be performed after an order is entered. The order entry operator can fully process all orders, but orders with credit problems are automatically diverted to the credit manager's attention and put into a credit hold status. Once in credit hold status, the credit department reviews the orders and releases them, if approved. Alternately, the credit department can cancel an order and notify the customer or customer service representative. Credit held orders can be viewed and released from the Held Orders/Credit Release screen. If the first credit hold code is a letter (open orders are not included) then you should enter A as the second code.
• B - Causes credit holds to be performed before an order is entered. The order entry operator cannot process orders if a credit hold takes effect. Use this code if you do not have a credit department or manager, or if you prefer to have the order entry operator interrupted to resolve the credit issue before entering the order.

Assume two decimal places. We recommend entering 9s in the last two positions to make this number easier to read during quick reviews. For example, if you enter $100 as $100.99, it doesn't look like $10,000. The credit limit and the two hold-account codes control whether an order can be taken. A in the second position of the Hold Account field designates the order can be entered and a credit check is performed after. B designates that a credit check is to be performed before an order is processed.

If your company assigns groups of customers to specific credit managers, then using the Credit Manager field establishes this link.

Special messages, such as HELD, COD, or CASH can be displayed beside this field. These messages are consistent with those shown on the Customer Search screens.

Tells the system what rate to charge for past due accounts. Interest Owed To Date is informational and is updated by the system each month. The system can generate finance charge invoices for past due invoices.

Leave this field blank if you do not want the system to automatically assess interest or service charges. Although you can charge a different interest rate for each customer, different rates might not be legal in your country or state.

Controls how the customer's monthly statements are formatted. You can choose between open item or balance forward styles. You can also choose not to print statements for customers.

• B - Balance forward style statement; last month's balance followed by this month's activity.
• C - Up for collection. No statement prints.
• H - Hold statement. No statement prints.
• M - Master open item type statement. This code relates only to master A/R accounts that include multiple stores and/or sub-accounts. An M style statement sorts open items first by store or sub-account, and then by transaction date.
• O - Open item style statement; lists all open items on the customer's account.
• W - Written off. No statement prints.

Order Reason Codes give you the ability to further classify your orders.

The default for this field is for it to be optional during Order Entry. However, it can be made mandatory through the System Wide Setting - Order Reason Code Settings for Order Entry and Order Change. Making the Order Reason Codes mandatory can provide more details in order reporting.

Order reason codes are created via the System Table ORDERREAS (SET 29).

Assigned by you when the customer records are entered, automatically, or updated after you have been up and running on the system. This field helps you keep track of your best customers in sales analysis. You can either assign customers rating codes yourself or let the software assign them based on factors, such as sales, gross profit, or quantity sold. The system-assigned customer rating is based on the 80/20 rule.

Recommended customer ratings are:

• A - D - A is the highest rating a customer can receive, and D is the lowest.
• U - Rating undetermined.
• T - Target account; not yet an established customer. For example, a competitor's A account to whom you have not yet sold.
• X - Exceptional Dog. - These are D customers who have been assigned higher prices and lower levels of service to compensate for their unprofitable buying habits.

Define these codes in the ABC Code File.

The system can automatically assign ratings A through D by using the Customer Sales Ranking Update Report to automatically rate customers. This is accessed from the Special System Maintenance Menu.

You can use colors to quickly and easily identify specific customer situations such as when a customer goes on credit hold.

Credit code colors can be mass updated.

Associated Files

• System Tables Maintenance (SET 29) - Credit color codes are created and maintained using the CREDCOLOR table.
• Held Orders/Credit Release (AR 15) - This program shows all of the orders that are currently on credit hold and lets you selectively release them. Orders for customers assigned to a credit color will be highlighted in that color.

Lets you enter orders for a customer that are invoiced on another account. This is helpful when a customer has several purchasing branches but central billing. Don't confuse this feature with multiple shipping addresses for a single customer, which is for material and delivery. This is for billing and receivables. The AR shifts to the account entered in the BILLTO AR ACCT # field while the invoice remains associated with the BILLTO ACCT # the order was entered against.

If you want to cross-reference another account number in the system, enter that account number here.

Address invoices to this account number instead of the normal Billto address.

Updates this account's A/R instead of updating the normal Billto account number. For example, if you deal with a chain on a store by store bases, but want to consolidate billing, enter the account number of the billing office in the A/R Acct# field of each store's Billto File. All invoices, regardless of the actual account number, are addressed to the main billing office, and all A/R is combined into that single account. Invoices show both the store and the billing office account number. A single statement consolidating all stores is printed for the A/R account number.

This field lets you use the X Hold Account code for central account credit checking.

Generally, you either assign terms by product (depending on what the customer buys) or by customer. You should have already set up your Terms Codes File, so you can enter an established code, or M to indicate that the terms have been set up on the products you sell. Rarely should you establish a Payment Terms percentage directly on the customer's Billto File. The Days field is generally used to indicate whether a customer is a COD (003) or cash customer (005). These codes cause the system to print the dollar amount to collect for COD and cash customers.

Examples of Payment Terms Entries

• 00000% Disc, 30 days = Net 30 days
• 2.0% Disc, 15 days = 2.00% 15 days

Special Terms (represented by 0 - 5 days)

• 00000% Disc, 0 days = Net Immediate
• 00000% Disc, 1 days = Paid in Advance
• 00000% Disc, 2 days = P/A Balance Due
• 00000% Disc, 3 days = COD
• 00000% Disc, 4 days = Letter of Credit
• 00000% Disc, 5 days = Cash

You can combine special terms with percentage discounts as follows:

• 2.0% Disc, 3 days = 2.00% COD
• 1.00% Disc, 5 days = 1.00% Cash

User- and system-defined codes for special terms. Three terms codes are reserved by the system for special purposes.

• M indicates that the customer's terms are based on the manufacturer's terms for each product. When terms code M is used, the system looks at the Product Line File for each line item ordered or invoiced. It then uses the terms code from the Product Line File (ACT 105).
• 1 and 2 are also reserved. Terms codes can be used instead of, or in addition to, the other terms fields and are defined in the Payment Terms File.

The terms code can also be combined with the Terms Days field for special combination terms. For example, enter terms days 003, and terms code M, to indicate that the account is COD but gets the terms discounts for each product, as coded in the Product Line File.

The three-character branch number or code assigned to the customer. The customer can still buy from other branches, but this is the customer's home branch.

Branches must be set up in the Branch File before customer records can be created.

Another code for grouping customers, useful for reporting and establishing eligibility for pricing specials. Use this field only for customers who are formal members of a buying group or franchise such as Color Tile or Home Depot. We also recommend that customers with multiple account numbers create a chain code to link them for sales analysis.

This three-character code defines the account as being part of a chain store or account group and is for sales analysis. Separate account numbers that are part of the same chain should all be assigned the same chain number. For example, all Lowes stores should be assigned chain number LOW.

You can display and print sales information for a chain. Each chain should be defined using the Classification Codes File Maintenance program.

The three-character warehouse number or code assigned to the customer. The customer can still buy from other warehouses, but this is the customer's home warehouse from which they usually pick up or have inventory delivered. This warehouse is automatically used by the Order Entry program as the default warehouse, though it can be overridden. This field is not mandatory. If it is left blank, Order Entry defaults to the warehouse normally associated with the branch or operator entering the order.

Warehouses are added to the system through the Warehouse File.

A three-character number or code for the salesperson responsible for this account. Using the Customer Codes screen (F14), you can assign different salespeople to each manufacturer or class of item that the customer buys. If only one salesperson is assigned to each account, enter that salesperson's number here. If multiple salespeople are assigned per account, leave this field blank and use the Customer Codes screen (F14) instead. All salespersons' numbers should be defined in the Salesperson File.

If you assign customers to a salesperson without regards to products purchased, (customer level), then enter that salesperson code here. If you assign salesperson by product, leave the Salesperson field blank.

Used to sort customers into groups, such as, architects, contractors, or retail stores. Helpful for grouping customers in reports or in determining eligibility for sales or promotional pricing. These codes can be used for sales analysis, mailing lists, assigning of promotional prices, and other functions.

Not to be confused with the Customer Price List field.

Some examples of two-character codes are:

• AR - Architect
• CO - Contractor
• DI - Distributor
• DL - Dealer/Retailer

Define these codes using the Classification Codes File Maintenance program before entering them in this field.

For consistency, we request that you set up the following codes:

• IN - Internal account/system use only
• IC - Intercompany account; must only be used for Intercompany. Causes statistics for a customer to be grouped in the intercompany column of vari­ous registers.
• EM - Employee sales; used by EDI and other batch transmissions that need to omit employee sales.

All other customer type codes can be defined according to your own requirements.

Used only if the account has a permanent shipping address that is different from the billing address entered on this screen, for example a post office box. Enter the shipto number, assigned to that shipping address. Also, enter the shipto number and address in the Shipto File. The default shipto number is used in Order Entry, but can be overridden. If this account has various shipto addresses, you should leave this field blank or enter the shipto number most frequently used.

Enter 999999 in this field to indicate a mandatory shipto override. Y is displayed in the Shipto Override field on the Order Entry screen for all orders for this customer. This code prompts you to enter a shipto address for each order that the customer places. Use this option for accounts that usually require job site information or information used in notice to owner or property liens.

We recommend using separate shipto records only to differentiate a billing address from a shipping address. Set up separate accounts for each store or location when you sell to multiple stores or branches. You can then link those separate accounts using the Chain and A/R Acct# fields. Having separate accounts makes it easier for customer service to select the right store and location and allows greater flexibility for pricing, customer analysis, and salesperson assignment.

The Ship Via field establishes the default carrier for this customer. It can be overridden during order entry. If you establish truck routes in the system, assign customers to their specific routes. You can even use runs and stops if you have very elaborate routing. The FOB (freight on board) code establishes the default FOB code on the customer's order.

Use this alphanumeric field, to assign customers to delivery routes.

Enter three two-character codes. The first two-character field represents the truck route, which is defined in the Classification Codes File, and optionally in the Truck Route File (DEL 1). The second two-character field is the customer's stop on the route. The third two-character field is for a secondary run number.

The customer's stop is a relative, rather than an absolute, stop number. On some delivery runs, all stops might not be serviced. You can even assign the same stop number to more than one account, indicating that multiple stops are in the same relative location along the route. For example, stop 01 is at the beginning of the route, stop 50 is the middle, and stop 99 is at the end. You can also use the stop number to store the approximate hour of delivery. For example, 10 = 10:00 AM, and 14 = 2:00 PM. Or you can simply enter AM or PM as the stop number.

Using these types of stop numbers lets you sort reports, such as warehouse load sheets, in a relative stop number sequence.

Exempts customers from minimum order charges if you have established them in your system.

You can activate or deactivate automatic below minimum quantity and below minimum order dollar charges. This field is relevant only if you have set up minimum charges for some or all items or if you are using the Minimum Order Charges. These charges can be entered in the Item File separately for each item. For example, charge $2.50 handling charge for orders below 10 PC.

• Y - (default) charges the customer whenever their order quantities or dollars fall below the minimum.
• N - exempts the customer from being automatically billed minimum charges.

One exception overrides an N in this field. If in the Item File, a minimum quantity charge is entered with a minimum quantity of 99999, it is interpreted as a fixed handling charge that applies to all customers, regardless of this field.

A two-character field for the customer's default pricing level. You can create multiple pricing levels in your system and assign each customer a default level. For example, you might have a builder's price (B1) and a list price (LP) for each item. You would use LP pricing for cash (over the counter) sales and B1 pricing for builders.

You can establish exceptions to the default pricing levels for customers for particular items. This field only establishes a default price level that customers receive when they aren't eligible for any special deals. For this reason, you should use only codes that have an entry in all price classes in the system.

This code relates to codes set up in the Classification Codes File. You can also use the following system-provided codes:

• LP - List price
• SC - Standard last cost (landed cost, includes freight)
• BC - Standard base cost (base portion of cost only; no freight)
• AC - Average cost (not recommended for customer pricing). This code can be used for:
  • intercompany sales
  • sales to an affiliate or other distributors
  • employee sales

AC can also be used for serialized items, and considered actual cost. Each serial number/bin location carries its own cost, which is rarely averaged. When the AC code is used, order entry retrieves the average/actual cost as the basis for the price. This is the same cost retrieved for the cost of an order. Then, any additional handling charges, discounts, and promotions are considered.

• 99 - Customer is prevented from ordering except as specified on the Price Exceptions screen.

The price list number entered in this field is the default price list number used for this account. You can override this price list number for specific products by pressing F9 to access the Price Exceptions screen. If basing a customer's prices on costs, you can use the BC or SC codes as shown above in conjunction with the Extra Charge field described below. For example, you could charge standard cost plus 10%.

Use this field to set up a permanent discount or handling charge for a particular customer. It should only be used in rare cases where you always give the customer a discount/handling charge no matter what they buy. Where the Discount Shows controls whether the customer sees this amount in the line (using L causes the amount to be netted into each extend price for a line on an order) or in the subtotal (S causes the extended line prices to show without the discount or handling charge in effect and pushes this amount into the subtotal of the order). We recommend using L, because it gives you an accurate gross profit margin for that product.

This extra charge or discount applies to all products, but can be overridden for specific orders. Entries in this field appear as defaults on the Order Entry Header screen. This amount applies over and above all other pricing for this customer.

Enter:

• L - Includes extra charge or discount in the line item unit price.
• S - Shows extra charge or discount separately at the bottom of invoices as handling charge or discount.

This field is required only if an extra charge or discount is entered for a customer. This code affects the gross profit percent calculation. L affects the gross profit of each line item. S causes the handling charge or discount to be a separate amount, which affects the overall gross profit of an order or invoice, but does not affect the gross profit of the individual line items. We recommend that you use L, when possible, to ensure line-level G.P. Analysis is as accurate as possible.

Used to link a customer accounts with special messages you have established in the Messages File. You can create COD messages in the Messages File to print on important billing and picking documents for all COD accounts.

These messages print on pick lists, order acknowledgements, and invoices. They usually emphasize the payment terms such as COD / No Company Check Accepted, but can be used for other purposes.

First create the text of the message using the Messages File program.

Next, assign the message code to all customers who should receive the message.

Use the Billto File Special Instructions Screen for messages that are unique to a customer. Use these message codes for messages shared by many customers.

The default Order Handling Code. This one-character field controls what happens to the open lines on orders that have been partially shipped. So, you can invoice customers for materials they have received and keep the unshipped items open in the system.

Another option is to cancel unshipped lines on orders when you invoice customers for what they have received. The system lets you enter one order with many lines items. You can ship some items immediately, back order others, and invoice a single order many times.

Enter 1 to cancel a line at invoice, or 2 to keep the lines open in the system. Enter ? to search for the available order handling codes.

Although this code shows as the default order handling code in Order Entry, you can override it on an order-by-order basis. You can also use this code to determine how orders are handled, primarily with respect to back orders and incomplete shipments.

Default Ship Via code that appears on the Order Entry Header screen; can represent will call/pickup or can represent a specific carrier. If you enter a default Ship Via code in the control panel, it overrides the customer's default. Leave the control panel Ship Via field blank if you want to use the customer's ship via code. For terminals at Will Call counters, you can enter a control panel Ship Via code to override the customer Ship Via code, since those orders are probably picked up at the warehouse where the terminal is located.

The control panel is a set of parameters and restrictions that affects how orders are processed, based on the terminal/workstation.

You can use this code as the default FOB code that appears on the Order Entry Header screen. The default FOB code in the control panel overrides the customer's default. Leave the control panel FOB blank if you want to use the customer FOB code. For terminals located at Will Call counters, you can enter a control panel FOB to override the customer FOB, as those orders are probably FOB the warehouse where the terminal is located.

Exempts customers from delivery charges if you have built those records in your system. If you plan to use these charges, be sure to enter Y.

Use this field to activate or deactivate automatic delivery charges. This field is relevant only if you have activated automatic delivery charges in your Invoicing system.

• Y - normal delivery charges are billed.
• N - exempts the customer from being automatically billed delivery charges.

You can set up delivery charges up using the Delivery Charges File.