[freeside-users] Freeside v1.5.8 on Debian Sarge - Billing a Customer For Specific Packages Only

Gerald V. Livingston II gerald.freeside at sysmatrix.net
Wed Dec 20 10:06:22 PST 2006


On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:46:04 -0500 Jared Miller <jared.miller at hotmail.com> =
wrote:

> Hello,
> =20
> We have recently implemented Freeside version 1.5.8 and we are very happy=
 with the package.
> =20
> One question that has come up is that we do not see a way to bill a custo=
mer for a specific package in advance of its next bill date, for multiple t=
erms (eg. billing an annually billed package for 2 or more years), without =
affecting other packages provisioned under that customer.
> =20
> An example would be a customer that has subscribed to a domain registrati=
on service.  It is a frequent occurrence that a customer will request that =
the domain renewal be completed before the expiration date of the domain fo=
r a two-year period (the =E2=80=9CNext Bill Date=E2=80=9D of the service ty=
pically corresponds to the expiration date of the domain).  If we try to bi=
ll for the next two years for that specific package then all packages provi=
sioned under the customer will be billed for the same timeframe.
> =20
> Is it possible to bill one package specifically for a stated timeframe wi=
thout affecting other packages provisioned for a customer?
> =20
> We have reviewed the Freeside documentation but there does not seem to be=
 anything that addresses this particular issue.
> =20
> Thank you in advance for any insight.
> =20
> Jared Miller

It's a bit of a hack, but it works.

Edit the dates of the package -- change next billing date to today.=20
Click BILL NOW to run the charge. Do it again. Now edit the billing=20
date to be the correct date x-years in the future on that package.

Doing this will generate the invoices and apply the payments so=20
that they don't get applied to other packages (say something that's=20
billed monthly) while waiting for the next billing date on the annual=20
to come up. That's what would happen if you just entered a payment=20
manually without having the invoice for it to apply to immediately.

Or create more packages for that service with multiple billing options.=20
Annual, 2 yr, 3 yr, etc. and ask the customer how many years they=20
want to pay for and set them up with the proper package. If they want=20
to pay for 2 years now then go to annual billing set them up on the 2yr=20
package and charge for it then cancel it and set up the 1 year package=20
and adjust the next billing date. You can un-cancel the 2 year package=20
if they change their mind later.

Gerald


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