Subscriber Billing

• 1. Should the publication name print on renewals and invoices? BCP (Client) If special forms for renewal notices and invoices have been pre-printed with the publication name, you will not need Circulation to print the publication name on these forms when the renewal notices and invoices are printed. However, it may be useful for the publication name to be printed by Circulation in a multi-publication environment where the same renewal form is used for all publications.

  Value
  Yes	If the publication name should print on renewal notices and invoices.
  No	If the publication name is pre-printed on renewal notices and invoices.

• 2. What format should be used for subscriber billing notices? BCP (Client) This rule allows you to specify the default renewal notice format. The envelope types require that the renewal is stuffed into an envelope. For more information on the formats that export information to ASCII files, see the User Manual. Invoices also use the format selected here.

  Value
  Canadian Mailer	If the Canadian mailer format should be used as the default format for renewal notices.
  Custom	This option is no longer in use.
  Detailed Export	If you wish to export renewal information to an ASCII file in the Detailed Export format. This is similar to the Export Delimited format below, but more information is exported.
  Detailed Export 2	If you wish to export renewal information to an ASCII file in the Detailed Export 2 format, which differs somewhat from the Detailed Export. This format allows subscriptions with the same bill-to occupant and address to be grouped on one renewal notice, as described in the next rule.
  Envelope	If the standard envelope format should be used as the default format for renewal notices.
  Export	If, rather than printing a renewal notice, renewal information should be sent to an ASCII file. The renewal information will be exported in a fixed length format.
  Export Delimited	If you wish to export the renewal information into a pipe (|) delimited format rather than fixed length. This is useful if the ASCII file will be imported into word processing software to create the renewal notices.
  File Map	If the format of renewal notices is defined in File Map with a usage of “SubBilling”.
  Mailer	If the standard mailer format should be used as the default format for renewal notices.
  Old Post Card	If the post card format without barcode should be used as the default format for renewal notices.
  Other Envelope	If the other envelope format should be used as the default format for renewal notices. The delivery schedule and copies will print where the publication would print on the standard envelope form. Four rates can print on this envelope (as opposed to three on the standard envelope).
  Other Mailer	If the other mailer format should be used as the default format for renewal notices. The size and print positions on this mailer are significantly different from the standard mailer.
  Post Card	If the post card format with barcodes should be used as the default format for renewal notices.
  Tax Envelope	If the standard tax envelope should be used as the default format for renewal notices.
  Tax Envelope (Paged)	This is the same format as the Tax Envelope, but a page break occurs after each renewal (so that the notices can be printed on a laser printer).
  Two Tax Envelope	If the two tax envelope should be used as the default format for renewal notices. This envelope format is used in Canada and has columns for GST (Goods and Services Tax) and PST (Provincial Sales Tax).

  Examples of these renewal notice formats are given below. Note that these examples are merely approximations—their measurements are not exact. The information that appears in courier font are printed by Circulation. The remainder is the preprinted notice, which will vary from newspaper to newspaper.

Mailer

Envelope

Old Post Card

Post Card

Other Envelope

Other Mailer

Tax Envelope

Two Tax

• 3. Which file map should be used to create the subscriber billing export when the file map format is selected? BCP (Client) If you set the Business Rule, What format should be used for subscriber billing notices?, to “File Map”, identify the name of the file map here. The usage of the file map must be “SubBilling”.

• 4. Should eBill emails be sent from Circulation to eBill subscribers? BCP (Client) This setting determines whether renewal notices should be e-mailed to eBill subscribers. The eBill notices can be in HTML or text format. The e-mails are sent by the Send eBill option.

  Value
  Yes	Renewal notices should be e-mailed to eBill subscribers by Naviga Circulation.
  No	Renewal notices will be sent to eBill subscribers outside of Naviga Circulation.

• 5. What format should be used for subscriber billing eBills? BCP (Client)

  Value
  Detailed Export 2	eBills will use the Detailed Export 2 format. Note that this option should only be used when the business rule “What format should be used for the auto notice export?” (#8 in this section) is also set to Detailed Export 2.
  File Map	eBills will use file mapping.
  eBill	eBills will use the eBill (standard) format.

• 6. Which subscribers should be included in the eBill export file? BCP (Client) This parameter determines which eBill subscribers are exported to the standard eBill export file, used to generate PDF or other renewal notices outside of Circulation. “Promotional eBills” refer to subscribers who are not on eBill but who are receiving a notice number specified in the Also Include Renewal Periods field for the eBill delivery method in Renewal Delivery Publ setup. For example, you might want to export promotional eBills to the eBill file but send actual eBills directly from Circulation. In that case, you would set this Business Rule to “Promotional eBills Only.”

  Value
  Both	Both active eBill and promotional eBill subscribers should be exported to the eBill file.
  eBill Subscribers Only	Only active eBill subscribers should be exported to the eBill file.
  None	No subscribers will be exported to the eBill batch.
  Promotional eBills Only	Only promotional eBill subscribers (not currently on eBill) will be exported to the eBill batch.

• 7. Which file map should be used to create the subscriber eBill export when the file map format is selected? BCP (Client) If the eBill export uses file mapping, identify the specific file map here (“SubBilling” usage).

• 8. What format should be used for the auto notice export? BCP (Client)

  Value
  Detailed Export 2	Auto notice export will use the Detailed Export 2 format.
  DTI Standard	Auto notice export will use the DTI Standard format.

• 9. What is the maximum number of characters for each address line? B (Client) Specify the maximum number of characters that should be output for an address line in the renewal notice exports. This Business Rule was added to resolve an issue in which longer address lines caused the city to be truncated. If the address line is longer than the setting of this Business Rule, the city will still be truncated. Valid settings are between 28 and 45, with the default being 30.

• 10. Should subscriber billing files include the product when only one product is selected on input? B (Client) Setting this rule to “y” will cause the subscriber billing output files (renewals999999-999, ebill999999-999, and autorenew999999-999) to be prefixed with the product ID when the selection includes a single product. If the selection includes multiple products, the output files will not include the product ID.

  Value
  Yes	Output files will be prefixed with the product ID.
  No	Output files will not include the product ID.

• 11. Should subscriptions with the same bill-to address/occupant be grouped together when using the Detailed Export 2 format? BCP (Client) Some customers pay for multiple subscriptions, and prefer that all of their subscriptions appear on one renewal notice. For example, Mark Jones might pay for his own subscription and a subscription for his daughter at college. He would like both subscriptions to appear on one renewal notice, so that he can pay for them at the same time. If the Detailed Export 2 format is used, Circulation can group subscriptions with the same bill-to occupant and address. Note that both subscriptions must be selected for renewals. If Mark Jones’ own subscription is selected for renewal, but his daughter’s is not (it has a later expire date), then he will receive one renewal notice now and a separate one at some later date.

  Value
  Yes	If subscriptions with the same bill-to address and occupant should be grouped in the renewal notice export.
  No	If no grouping should occur.

• 12. Should the ZIP POSTNET barcode print on the renewal notice? BCP (Client) The USPS gives discounts for barcoded mail. Barcodes print the ZIP, ZIP extension, and delivery point. Only those addresses that have this information (through Quadient address cleansing software or another product) will print the barcode.

  Value
  Yes	If the barcode should print on renewal notices, when possible.
  No	If the barcode should not print on renewal notices.

• 13. When should the carrier route sort print on the renewal notice? BCP (Client) In addition to the ZIP information, you may receive discounts for putting the postal carrier route on the renewal notice. This will not be part of the barcode, if barcoded.

  Value
  Always	The carrier route should always print on renewal notices.
  Never	The carrier route should never print on renewal notices.
  Barcoded	The carrier route should print on renewal notices only when barcoded.

• 14. Will Postalsoft Presort be used to sort mailed renewals? BCP (Client) You may use Postalsoft’s Presort software to sort your mailed renewal notices according to the latest USPS regulations, which could result in mailing discounts.

  Value
  Yes	Use Presort to sort mailed renewal notices and invoices.
  No	Use Circulation to sort mailed renewal notices and invoices.

  If Yes:

  • 15. What is the name of the job file to use for renewals? BCP (Client) In order to sort mailed renewal notices in Presort, you must set up a “job file”, which contains information about the sorting (see the Postware and Label Studio documentation for more information). You specify the name of the job file(s) here—you may have a different one for each publication, or one for the entire business or company. When running renewal notices, you may multi-select products that use the same job file, but you must print renewals for products with different job files separately. We recommend that you make the job file ID different from your product IDs, so as not to come into conflict with job files used with mail labels.

• 16. Should the optional endorsement line, produced by Postalsoft Presort, be printed on the renewal notice? BCP (Client) The “endorsement line” contains PO route information and can print on the top line of the address block on the renewal notices. This line is necessary for receiving presort discounts. We recommend that you have this set to “yes”.

  Value
  Yes	Print the endorsement line on mailed renewals and invoices.
  No	Do not print the endorsement line on mailed renewals and invoices.

• 17. Is full service mailing being used with renewals? BCP (Client) Tray labels can be created when using Postalsoft Presort to sort renewal notices, using Label Studio. This is a requirement if using for Full-Service Intelligent Mail for postal discounts.

  Value
  Yes	Renewal tray labels should be generated by Postalsoft Presort.
  No	Postalsoft Presort should not generate tray labels for renewal notices.

• 18. How many days do you wish to retain Postalsoft data and work files for renewals? BCP (Client) If you are sorting your mailed renewals and invoices through Postalsoft Presort, specify the number of days sort information should be kept. The default is 7 days.

• 19. Should renewals continue to print for subscriptions that have automatically been switched to carrier collect? BCP (Client) If a subscriber does not renew before their expiration date, many newspapers switch the subscriber to carrier collect (rather than ending the subscription or having the subscriber go into grace). This setting indicates whether renewal notices should print for these carrier collect subscribers who were previously office pay.

  Value
  Yes	Renewal notices should print for subscribers who have been switched to carrier collect from office pay.
  No	Renewal notices should not print for any carrier collect subscribers.

• 20. Which days of the week are valid for delivering renewals via route? BCP (Client) Renewal notices for route-delivered subscriptions can be delivered by the route’s carrier, if the route is set up to deliver renewal notices and the notices are sorted in route order. This setting determines the days of the week on which renewals can be delivered by the carrier. Route sorting will not be allowed for renewal notices delivered on days not defined here. Press F2 to multi-select days. By default, all days are selected.

• 21. Should grace owed be added into the rate term amounts? BCP (Client) If you will be exporting renewal notices, indicate whether grace owed amounts should be included in the rate terms. For example, if the rate term is normally 18.00, but a subscriber owes 1.50 in grace, the term will be exported as 19.50 if this rule is set to “yes”.

  Value
  Yes	Grace owed should be included in rate terms in export files.
  No	Grace owed should not be included in exported rate terms.

• 22. Should the rate term amounts be calculated starting at the last expire date or the effective date of the payment? BCP (Client) The rate term amounts that print on renewal notices can be calculated based on the subscriber’s last expire date or the last payment effective date. The payment effective date will be the expire date for all subscribers except those with grace owed in the current subscription period. If a subscriber does have a current grace owed, the payment effective date is the date of the last grace owed. We recommend using the payment effective date only if you recognize revenue for grace during the grace period, and offer short subscription terms (4 weeks or less). If you do use the payment effective date to calculate rate term amounts, you will need to either add the subscriber’s grace owed to the terms (see the previous rule) or factor in the grace owed as a separate line on the renewal notices (if the Detailed Export or Detailed Export 2 formats are used). Also note that the new expire date may only match if the method for paying off grace (see Business Rule in Subscriber Payments section— How should grace be paid off when a payment is received?) is “Before Purchase”. Otherwise, the new expire date may be several days farther out than the new expire date exported in the Detailed Export and Detailed Export 2 formats.

  Value
  Effective Date	The term amounts should be calculated using the subscriber’s payment effective date.
  Expire Date	The term amounts should be calculated using the subscriber’s last expire date.

  If Expire Date:

  • 23. When using expire date to determine the rate term amount, should the new expire date include lapse-in-service? BCP (NCS) When generating renewal notices and invoices, the subscriber’s expire date can be adjusted for temp stopped periods (lapse in service), based on this parameter. For example, imagine a subscriber’s expire date was 10/1/12 and they temp stopped on 10/5/12, restarting on 4/1/13. With this Business Rule set to “No,” the expire dates for the different rate terms would not be recalculated, and would display on the invoice as (for example) 10/29/12, 11/26/12, and 12/31/12. With the Business Rule set to “Yes,” the expire dates will be recalculated as (for example): 4/24/13, 5/22/13, and 6/26/13. This method of determining the rate term expire dates will probably make more sense to renewing subscribers.

    Value
    Yes	The expire date printing on renewal notices will be adjusted for lapse in service.
    No	The expire date printing on renewal notices will not be adjusted.

• 24. Which scan line format should be used when exporting renewals/invoices? BCP (Client) Renewal notices and invoices may contain scan lines, which can then be read in by the newspaper or bank when the notice is returned with a payment. Scan lines do not print on renewal notices, but scan line information is included in all renewal notice exports. This setting determines the scan line format that is used.

  Value
  iPost	Scan lines will be in the iPost format.
  NCR	Scan lines will be in the NCR format.
  Standard	Scan lines will be in the standard format.

• 25. Should a renewal offer be included in the scan line? BCP (Client) This setting determines if a renewal offer is included in the scan line along with other renewal information.

  Value
  Yes	A renewal offer should be included in the scan line. The most expensive term within the oldest active renewal offer will be exported after the last rate term.
  No	A renewal offer should not be included in the scan line.

• 26. How many rate terms do you export and include in the scan line? BCP (Client) This setting determines how many rate terms are included in the scan line. Four is the default, although between one and ten can be exported.

• 27. What should the sort order be for exporting rate terms on subscriber renewal notices? BCP (Client) This rule allows you to determine the sort order when exporting rate terms on renewal notices.

  Value
  Cost Descending	Rate terms are exported in cost-descending order.
  Cost Desc Prev Last	Rate terms are exported in cost-descending order, with the previous rate term exported last.
  Prev then Cost Desc	The previous rate term is exported first if the last payment matches it. Remaining rate terms are exported in cost order, from highest to lowest.

• 28. Limit renewal and invoice payment terms to last paid term and rates with longer terms? BCP (Client) When this rule is set to “yes”, the only terms that will appear are those for which the number of days is equal to or greater than the number of days of the last payment.

  Value
  Yes	Only terms that meet or exceed the last payment will appear.
  No	Payment terms are not limited in this way.

• 29. To which subdirectory under the ‘exchange’ directory should renewals generated from customer service be exported? BCP (Client) The Export Renewal option in Customer Service allows you to export renewal notices and invoices. This setting controls where these transactions are exported. For example, if your exchange directory is /dti/exchange/cm, and you enter “renewals” here, the files will be exported to the /dti/exchange/cm/renewals directory. If no subdirectory is entered here, the file will be exported to the default exchange directory itself. It will have the standard renewal file name plus the subscriber ID.

• 30. To which subdirectory under the ‘exchange’ directory should grace owed generated from customer service be exported? BCP (Client) An Export Grace button appears on the Transactions tab for grace export transactions. When this button is clicked, the grace export information will be exported to a file located in the default exchange directory and a rebill transaction will be created. This Business Rule identifies the subdirectory within the exchange directory where information is exported.

• 31. Should invoices and renewals be created for system generated permanently stopped subscribers? BCP (Client) Normally, only customers with current subscriptions are selected for invoices and renewals. This Business Rule allows you to also select subscribers who are permanently stopped.

  Value
  Yes	Permanently stopped customers are selected for invoices and renewals.
  No	Only current subscribers are selected.

• 32. Should subscribers get separate records exported for each rate code they are on while in grace? BCP (Client) This setting affects the “Detailed Export” renewal notice export format. If you set it to “yes”, two additional record segments (Q1 and Q2) will be exported for in-grace subscribers who have a rate change during the grace period. The Q1 segment will contain summary information for all rates up to the rate change. The Q2 segment will contain detailed information for the current rate/delivery schedule.

  Value
  Yes	Separate records should be exported for each rate code when subscribers have a rate change while in grace.
  No	Separate rate code records should not be exported for subscribers in grace.

• 33. How many days before a start should a subscriber be picked up for an auto renew? B (Client) This setting determines the number of days in advance of a pending new start that an auto-renew subscriber should be selected for auto-renewal. The default is 365 days.

• 34. Do you bill subscribers in advance for premium days? BCP (Client) Set this Business Rule to “yes” if you charge for bonus days and want to deduct the bonus day premium in advance from subscriber payments, rather than adjusting the subscriber’s expire date once the bonus day paper is delivered.

  Value
  Yes	Deduct bonus day premiums from subscriber payments. If you charge for bonus days, Naviga recommends setting this parameter to “yes”.
  No	Charge bonus day premiums by adjusting the subscriber’s expire date when the bonus day occurs. You should also select this setting if you do not charge for bonus days.

  Note: In the current version, this Business Rule is set to “no” and locked. Contact Naviga Support to change it to “yes” if you wish to bill premium days in advance.

  If Yes:

  • 35. Should premium day detail be exported in renewals? BCP (Client) If charging for bonus day premiums in advance, indicate whether premium details should be exported in the Detailed Export 2 format. The default is “no”.

    Value
    Yes	The expire date printing on renewal notices will be adjusted for lapse in service.
    No	The expire date printing on renewal notices will not be adjusted.

• 36. How many days should elapse before a subscriber is eligible to receive another printed bill fee? Default Value: 0 This rule determines the number of days allowed before charging the customer with another printed bill fee. Since each renewal term may only have one printed bill fee, this rule will only apply if the specified number of days exceeds the end of the current renewal period.