SmartFusion Modules > Utility Billing > Parameters > Utility Billing System Settings > Delinquent Processing

Recent Change: 
6.221 
- Add checkbox "Exclude deposits in current charges" in UB system file to exclude deposits in current charges when running disconnects.

6.128
- Added logic to reset transaction code counters based on 'Number of days to reset delinquent counter' and 'Number of days to reset disconnect counter' on UB system file.

6.98
- Added setting for 'Ignore billings after bill run' for disconnects.

6.57
-Added checkbox for 'Different delinquent notices for range groups'
-Added 5 new fields where users can configure delinquent notices for each delinquency range

5.28
A check box has been added to turn on the functionality of processing delinquents by service type. If the check box is not checked delinquent processing works as it always did. When this is checked, The Service Type Parameter screen will enable setup of initial and additional delinquent charge types that will be used to calculate delinquent fees by Service Type    

Using the delinquent by service type feature requires that all subject to penalty transaction codes to be related to a service type.  Any subject to penalty transactions not related to a service type will use the default settings in the system file to calculate delinquent fees

Introduction

The Delinquent Processing section of the UB System File is where all the defaults and settings for Delinquent Processing can be set.

Delinquent Configuration

There are two ways to process Delinquent fees. There is processing by service types or processing by total delinquent balance(Includes all transactions regardless of their service type that are subject to penalty).

Use Service Type File - If this is checked delinquent fees will process using the service type parameters. Any transaction code marked as subject to penalty that is not associated to a service type will be calculated using the default settings from this page.

Service type users should also fill out the system setting default penalty settings and transaction code. This is a safeguard in case a transaction code without a service type is billed and penalized during the billing.

A user should set up ALL their transactions that are subject to penalty with a defined service type. That is the standard use case for service type setup. Transaction codes that are subject to penalty that do NOT have a defined service type set will default to the delinquency processing system setting penalty options.

Service types affects three parts of the bill run; billing journal, printing bills, and delinquent processing. Initial penalty will ALWAYS be the calculation service types uses for bill journal and when printing bills.

When assessing penalties, the user will have to choose whether this is assessing initial or additional penalty in the bill run selected. A user must determine which penalty they are assessing each time. For customers that do NOT have an additional penalty, the user should always just use the initial penalty. If a bill run has transactions subject to penalty without service types set up, the system setting delinquent settings will be used.

Initial Penalty

When using service types, the user must choose to penalize by initial or additional when on the delinquent processing screen during a bill run. Penalizing by initial will penalize all accounts set up with service types based on their service type and initial penalty settings.

Additional Penalty

When using service types, the user must choose to penalize by initial or additional when on the delinquent processing screen during a bill run. Penalizing by additional will penalize all accounts set up with service types based on their service type and additional penalty settings. Typically, a user would do an additional penalty during a bill run for customers that have NOT paid their initial penalty amount. Usage of additional penalty may vary from user to user. It is NOT mandatory to use BOTH initial and additional penalty.

Users using additional penalty would also turn on the system setting for delinquency processing to allow delinquent process to be run multiple times in bill wizard. This allows a user to run and update late charges multiple times during a bill run. After posting late charges, the screen shows how many times penalties have been ran and a button to see the process history.

Delinquent Amount - Is the amount field used in determining a flat amount for delinquent fees
Delinquent Percentage Is the percentage that would be used to calculate if a percentage is used to determine delinquent fees

One of these two selections must be picked for processing delinquent fees

Greater of Amount or Percentage x Outstanding Balance This selection will look at the amount field and the calculated percentage of the outstanding balance(Will only include transactions that are subject to penalty) to determine which is the greater of the two fields and use that amount for the delinquent fees
Amount + Percentage x Outstanding Balance This selection will add the amount field to the percentage of the outstanding balance(Will only include transactions that are subject to penalty) to determine the delinquent fee

Default Transaction Code This is the transaction code that will populate the Default Transaction Code when processing delinquent fees

Allow delinquent process to be run multiple times in the bill run wizard Check Box This will allow a user to run and update delinquent fees more than once. This needs to be set if initial and additional delinquent fees on service types is being used

Different delinquent notice for range groups determines if the system will print different notices based on how delinquent the customer is

Disconnect List in Bill Run Wizard

Disconnect Fee The value is the default disconnect fee used in the billing wizard and will be used on some printed bills and bill files to calculate the amount if disconnected
Always Include current charges on disconnect list Check Box Will put that specific bill run charges on the disconnect list

Allow the disconnect process to be run multiple times in the bill run wizard Check Box Setting this will allow for disconnect fees to be added more than once on a specific bill run

Ignore billings after bill run - If checked the delinquent balance will be calculated using any unpaid charges produced from the bill run delinquents are being run from or before.

Exclude deposits in current charges - If checked deposits will be excluded in the current charges.

Transaction Code Counters

Delinquent This field indicates the transaction code to be used to count how many times a customer has been delinquent
Disconnect This field indicates the transaction code to be used to count how many times a customer has been disconnected
Return Check This field indicates the transaction code to be used to count how many times a customer has received a returned check
Start Counter command button Clicking this button will populate the counters with the last delinquent/disconnect date and the number of times a customer has been delinquent or on the disconnect list. The label on this button changes to 'Reset Counter' once the start counter has been clicked. If the 'Reset Counter' button is clicked and no values are entered for the 'Number of days to reset delinquent counter' / 'Number of days to reset disconnect counter' then it deletes the counter records and recalculates the count and last delinquent/disconnect dates and populates the counters.

If the 'Reset Counter' button is clicked and values are entered for the 'Number of days to reset delinquent counter' / 'Number of days to reset disconnect counter' then it deletes the counter records and populates the counters. The delinquent/disconnect count will now be reset to 0 if the last delinquent/disconnect date was before the number of days set to reset the delinquent counter.

Delinquent Notices Per Range Group

  • 0-30 days notice
  • 31-60 day notice
  • 61-90 days notice
  • 91-120 days notice
  • over 120 days notice

Reference