Manage Direct Debit Plans

Create and manage direct debit plans to suit your billing contacts. Direct debits are split by percentage over the payment terms that you set up. You can set up as many direct debit plans as you need.

Set up either:

• Fixed Plans. Use these for regular payment of fees. Payments can be collected throughout the year irrespective of billing cycles. For example, this is useful if you want to allow parents to pay for fees over 10 months.
  or
• Variable Plans. Use these for termly payments. Payments can be collected at set dates in each billing cycle at the rates that you set.

Choose to:

• Create a Payment Plan.
• Edit a Payment Plan.
• Delete a Payment Plan.

Create a Payment Plan

To create a payment plan, follow the steps below:

1. Select the Direct Debits tab in Fees Billing and open the Navigation tab displayed on the right of the screen.
2. Select Manage Plans from the Navigation tab to display the Payment Plans screen.
3. Click Create Plan in the top left of the screen. Step 1 of the payment plan wizard is displayed:
   
4. Enter a Code and Name for the payment plan. The Code must be unique.
5. Select a Plan Type of either:
   
   • 'Fixed'.
     or
   • 'Variable'.
6. Select a Billing Period from the drop down list to reflect how often direct debits are to be made. This field is greyed out when you are setting up a variable payment plan.
7. Enter the Total Payments to be made. This field is completed for you to reflect the Billing Period selected. Override the value, if required. In this example the Total Payment value of '12' (to reflect monthly billing) is replace with '9' (to reflect billing for term time months only).
8. Click Next to display Step 2 of the wizard:
   
9. Use the Breakdown Options section to adjust how payments are split throughout the billing period:
   
   1. Precision. Select the number of decimal places used in the percentage split of payments. The higher the number the more accurate the split over payments is.
   2. Rounding Correction. Your selection determines how uneven payment splits are corrected, if at all.
   3. Split Evenly. Check this box to automatically split the payments evenly throughout the billing period. Uncheck this box to override the percentage split of payments with your own values.
10. Enter your own values for each collection date in the Payment Breakdown section, if required. This section is greyed out if the Split Evenly box is checked in Breakdown Options. The total entered must equal to 100% or a warning is displayed. Collection dates are set when you start to generate invoices.
11. Click Create to display Step 3 of the wizard:
    
12. Click either:
    
    • Restart to add another payment plan.
      or
    • Finish to close the wizard.
    The payment plan is displayed in the Payment Plans screen. An example of the Payment Plans screen is shown below. You are now ready to link billing contacts to a direct debit plan.
    
    

Edit a Payment Plan

Before you edit a payment plan, use the Generate Schedules option in the Direct Debits tab to check whether it is in use. It is not possible to edit a direct debit payment plan in Fees Billing that is already in use. Edit active direct debit payment plans in your accounting software.

To edit a payment plan, follow the steps below:

1. Select the Direct Debits tab in Fees Billing and open the Navigation tab displayed on the right of the screen.
2. Select Manage Plans from the Navigation tab to display the Payment Plans screen:
   
3. Locate the direct debit plan that you want to edit and click . A popup window is displayed:
   
4. Enter a Code and Name for the payment plan. The Code must be unique.
5. Select a Plan Type of either:
   
   • 'Fixed'.
     or
   • 'Variable'.
6. Use the Active buttons to change the status of the payment plan.
7. Select the Payment Breakdown tab and adjust the values listed for each collection date, if required. The total entered must equal to 100% or a warning is displayed. Collection dates are set when you start to generate invoices.
8. Click Save Plan. The amended plan is listed in the Payment Plans screen.

Delete a Payment Plan

Delete a payment plan that is not required. Before you delete a payment plan, use the Generate Schedules option in the Direct Debits tab to check whether it is in use. If your selected payment plan is in use you will need to allocate pupil accounts to a new payment plan before deleting it.

To delete a payment plan, follow the steps below:

1. Select the Direct Debits tab in Fees Billing and open the Navigation tab displayed on the right of the screen.
2. Select Manage Plans from the Navigation tab to display the Payment Plans screen:
   
3. Locate the direct debit plan that you want to delete and click .
   You are prompted Are you sure you want to delete this payment plan?
4. Select OK. The payment plan is deleted.