Customer Default Data Fields

Code

A user-defined numeral with a maximum length of two digits.

Description

A word or phrase that describes the type of customer being established.

Bill Type

Refers to how you would like to show outstanding invoices on statements, for charge customers. The following Bill Type options are available:

• Balance Forward: Statements will show all outstanding invoices from the current period listed individually with a balance forward for any outstanding invoices from a prior period.
• Open Item: Statements will show all outstanding invoices listed individually, regardless of the invoice date.
• Open Item PO Required: Sales to customers with this billing type are required a purchase order number from the customer. This means that at POS, the sales person will be unable to complete a sale with the PO field blank. Statements will show all outstanding invoices listed individually, regardless of the invoice date.
• Min Payment % of Balance: Statements will show as being due either a flat rate minimum payment or a minimum payment which is calculated as a percentage of the remaining balance. If selecting this option, the Minimum Payment box must be checked and either the dollar amount or the percentage to calculate as minimum payment due must be entered. Refer to the Minimum Payments field for more information.

Bill Cycle

The Billing Cycle refers to when you do your billing (mail your statements). Some retailers might mail statements to certain customers during the first part of the month and the remaining statements the second part of the month. The following Billing Cycle options are available:

• Cycle A: Statements get mailed the first ten (10) days of the month. This option should also be selected if statements are all printed at the same time.
• Cycle B: Statements get mailed the second ten (10) days of the month.
• Cycle C: Statements get mailed the third ten (10) days of the month.

Note: Bill Type & Bill Cycle are required even if you are setting up a default for 'Cash Only' customers. If invoices are never charged to a customer, the Bill Type & Bill Cycle will not be referred to; however, there may be an occasional exception where a cash only customer is allowed to charge. In that case you want to be certain that customer gets a statement.

Stop at Last when Entering New Customers

The customer record has a separate field for Last name which, for individuals, is the customer's last name followed by the first initial of the first name. This field is used to make customer searches by last name more efficient.

If this field is not selected, when adding new customers the Last Name field will automatically be updated after typing the full customer name with the last name of the customer followed by the first initial of the first name. The Last name field may be changed individually by customer as necessary. You would not want to select this option if you are establishing a customer type for individual customers.

If 'Stop at Last when Entering New Customers' is selected, you must manually type what you want to appear as the Last name. You would want to select this option if you are establishing a customer type for businesses or institutions (such as schools and churches).

Charge Customer

If the customer is allowed to charge on account, click the Charge Customer box in order to select it.

Print Invoices with Statements

If you would like all outstanding invoices to automatically print when statements are printed for this type of customer, click in the Print Invoices with Statements box.  This is beneficial for school and church accounts as they usually like to see the merchandise purchased on the invoices that remain unpaid. 

Balance on Invoices and Tickets

If you would like the outstanding customer balance to print on invoices and service tickets for this type of customer, you must select click the 'Balance on Invoices and Tickets' box in order to select it.

Balance to Show

If the 'Balance on Invoices and Tickets' option was selected, you must choose which account's balance to appear on the invoices/service tickets when the Bill To and Sold To accounts differ.  The options are the Sold To customer's balance or the Bill To customer's balance. 

Minimum Payment Percentage

If 'Min Payment % of Balance' was checked as the 'Bill Type' option to use, and you would like the minimum payment due to be calculated as a percentage of the balance, enter the percentage in decimal format.

Minimum Dollar Amount

If 'Min Payment % of Balance' was checked as the 'Bill Type' option to use, and you would like the minimum payment due to be a set amount each month (i.e. $25), enter the amount.  If the outstanding balance is less than the minimum payment amount, the balance will appear as being due on statements.

Note: The 'Minimum Payment Percentage' and 'Minimum Dollar Amount' fields will only be visible if 'Min Payment % of Balance' was checked as the 'Bill Type' option to use.

Loyalty Rate

If you have a loyalty program, and this type of customer will be part of the loyalty program, enter the percentage to be used in the calculation of loyalty points (sold dollars x %).

Loyalty Dollar Rate

The percentage to be used in the calculation of loyalty dollars (loyalty points x %).

Terms

The term refers to the number of days the customer has before outstanding invoices must be paid. If the customer is charged interest on unpaid invoices, the number entered here is the number of days of 'free' interest. For example, if you sell net 30, 30 should be entered as the terms.

APR

If the customer is allowed to charge on account and is to be charged interest on outstanding balances, enter the annual percentage rate in decimal form.

Credit Limit

If the customer has a limit as to what can be charged on account, enter that limit here. If a sale goes over the credit limit, the sales person will be warned and a password must be entered to override it.

Acc Disc

If the customer is to receive a discount on every purchase of an accessory item, enter that discount in decimal form here. The calculated discount can be changed in POS when necessary.

Serial Disc

If the customer is to receive a discount on every purchase of a serialized item, enter that discount in decimal form here. The calculated discount can be changed in POS when necessary.

Titles Disc

If the customer is to receive a discount on every purchase of a title, enter that discount in decimal form here. The calculated discount can be changed in POS when necessary.

Non-Inv Disc

If the customer is to receive a discount on every purchase of a non-inventory item, enter that discount in decimal form here. The calculated discount can be changed in POS when necessary.

STR Disc

If the customer is to receive a discount on every short term rental, enter that discount in decimal form here. The calculated discount can be changed on the short term rental when necessary.

Price Level

Each inventory item has three different pricing levels (in addition to Minimum Price, Retail Price and Our Price) which are Price A, Price B and Price C. If the type of customer being established is to use one of the price levels, click in the Price Level field and select the applicable price from the drop down list box.

Example: A situation in which you may want a specific customer type to use one of the inventory price levels is as follows.  Your teacher customers are charged a price that differs from the price you charge your other customers. You may establish on your inventory items Price B to represent the price charged to your teacher customers. You should then have a separate customer type set up for your teachers and Price B should be selected as the Price Level.

Tax Exempt

If the customer is not to be charged sales tax, click Tax Exempt in order to select it.

Exemption Type

If the tax exempt box is checked, select the applicable type of exemption. Separating your tax exempt customers by type of exemption enables you to run reports showing the breakdown of sales for each type of exemption. The exemption types are established in system categories 1804 – 1810.  Refer to "System Categories Defined" under "System Categories" in Ledger Maintenance for more information.

Auto Charge

If sales to customers with the customer type being established are to default to open account charges in POS, click the Auto Charge box in order to select it. If the Auto Charge box is selected and a customer decides to pay an invoice in full at the time of the sale, this feature may easily be overridden in POS.

Force the cashier to select the employee getting credit for the sale in the sales invoice program

For sales to this type of customer, if you want the employee entering the sale at POS to be required to select the employee to get credit for the sale, check this option.

Receipt Notes tab

You have the ability to establish, by customer type, comments to print on the bottom of sales receipts. The comments can be changed as often as you wish. This is a good way to thank the customer for their business, remind the customer of your merchandise return policy, notify the customer of an upcoming sale or event, remind them of your website address, etc.

Message to Print on the bottom of Charge Receipts

The comments that are typed here will appear on sales receipts of the selected customer type when the sale or a partial amount of the sale is charged on account. You might want to mention the terms or penalties involved if the invoice is not paid on time.

Message to Print on the bottom of Cash Receipts

The comments that are typed here will appear on sales receipts of the selected customer type when the sale is not charged on account (i.e. paid by cash, credit card, gift certificate).