Billing and payment management

This guide explores the payment and billing management functionality of the SubCon Admin Portal. It describes and provides instructions for each feature of the payment/billing tab. You can:

• view a subscription's billing status, saved payment methods, and transactions

• make payments and update payment methods

• opt subscriptions into automatic renewal (auto-renew)

• switch auto-renew subscriptions back into invoices

• opt subscriptions into/out of an electronic bill (eBill)

Tip: To quickly show an accounts current balance, select the show balance button in the upper right corner. If the displayed number is negative, the account is past due.

Navigation

To view the payment/billing tab, perform a subscription search, and then select the payment/billing tab.

Grids

Status Details

The status details section of this tab displays information about a subscription's status. These values are processed in real-time. The source column indicates which database the values come from, either Subscribe or Circulation.

Term or phrase	Description	Source
Auto-renew	Indicates whether the subscription is enrolled in automatic payment renewal. Values can be either Yes or No.	Subscribe
Payment method type	The payment method used for the last transaction (e.g. CreditCard or BankDraft) Note: this field applies to subscriptions that are not currently enrolled in auto-renew.	Circulation
Current payment method	The last four digits of the payment's account number. Note: will only display if subscription is enrolled in auto-renew.	Circulation
Expiration date	The date at which the subscription expires (MM-DD-YYYY). Note: For NCS Circ clients, the expiry date and paid thru date are same.	Subscribe
eBill	Indicates whether the subscription is enrolled in an electronic/paperless billing system. If so, the email address that is invoiced will display here.	Subscribe

Saved Payment Methods

The saved payment methods grid displays a subscription's saved payment methods. The values come in real-time from the circulation system.

Term or phrase	Description
Payment method type	Indicates the type of saved payment method (e.g., CreditCard or BankDraft).
Account number	Either the masked credit card or bank account number.

Subscription Financial Transactions

The subscription financial transactions grid displays a subscription's transaction history. Use the drop-down menu to apply length filters. Select the icon in the details column to view detailed transaction information.

The values come in real-time from the circulation system.

Transaction Terms

Term or phrase	Description
Amount	The total amount of the transaction.
Transaction type	Indicates whether the transaction is auto-renew (AutoPay), a one-time payment (Payment), or a declined payment (PymtDecline).
Payment method	Indicates whether the payment method was Bank Account, Credit Card, Check or Cash.
Status	Indicates whether the payment was completed (Captured) or declined (Declined).
Add date	The date the transaction was made.
Details	Select this icon to view detailed transaction information.

Detailed Transaction Information To view these details, select the icon in the details column. Important: The payment amount includes any adjustments, coupons or discounts.

The values come in real-time from the circulation system.

Term	Description
Transaction ID	Transaction's identification number
Payment amount	Cost of the subscription before tax and tip.
Tax amount	The tax of the subscription.
Tip	Optional tip added on top of the subscription.
Adjustment amount	A credit or debit made to the account’s balance but unrelated to the subscription cost (e.g. an activation fee). There can be multiple fees. Only the total displays. Note: This value will only be included in the total amount if cash flag = Yes in the circulation system.
Coupon amount	A percent or flat amount reduction off the price of a subscription indicated by a detachable voucher. Note: This value is not included in the total amount.
Discount	The difference in price from the immediately previous transaction.
Bank name	The name of the subscriber's bank. Note: This field only appears if payment method is Check or Bank.
Check number	The check number of the particular payment. Note: This field only appears if payment method is Check.
Bank number	The bank number of the particular payment. Note: This field only appears if payment method is Bank.

Payments

Make a payment

You can make one-time payments only on subscriptions not currently enrolled in auto-renew. View this workflow for a visual representation.

For security reasons, a CSR Rep can only make one payment every 24 hours.

To make a payment:

1. Select the make a payment button.

2. Choose a payment term and rate.

3. Confirm whether the subscriber wishes to add a tip.

4. Confirm whether the subscriber wishes to enroll in auto-renew. If so, check the auto-renew box.

5. Confirm the disclaimer text to the subscriber and select a payment method.

6. Enter the payment information details and select Submit. The request is processed in real-time with the payment provider and NCS Circulation system. Note: The activation fee is a flat fee applicable to subscriptions not currently enrolled in auto-renew. The fee amount is configurable in the Subscribe and Circulation databases.

Auto-renew

View this workflow for a visual representation.

Opt into auto-renew

For security reasons, a CSR Rep cannot opt a subscription into auto-renew if a payment has been made in the last 24 hours.

To opt a subscription into auto-renew:

1. Select the auto-renew sign up button. The sign up form appears.

2. Confirm a payment term with subscriber. Term is the number of weeks per billing cycle. Total payment is the amount due today.

3. Confirm the disclaimer text to the subscriber and select pay with credit card.

4. Enter the credit card details and select submit. The request is processed in real-time with the circulation system.

The new payment method will appear in the saved payment methods grid after selecting the refresh button.

Update a payment method

A CSR can update the payment method of the subscription that's on auto renew.

This feature allows you to update a payment method (e.g. switching credit cards) or change a payment method (e.g. switch from a credit card to a bank account).

To update or change a payment method:

1. Select the update payment method button. The feature appears.

2. Confirm the disclaimer text with the subscriber.

3. Determine if the subscriber will update or change their payment method. If only updating, select the continue with… button. If changing, select the switch to… button.

4. Fill in the new payment’s information.

5. Select either submit or save, depending on which option the subscriber chose. The updated payment information is processed in real-time with the circulation system.

The new payment method will display in the payment method grid on the next published day.

Switch to invoice

To switch to invoices:

1. Select the switch to invoice button.

2. Confirm the disclaimer text with the subscriber.

3. Select submit. The updated information is processed in real-time with the circulation system.

eBill

View this workflow for a visual representation.

Opt into an eBill

You can opt subscriptions into an eBill only if they are not enrolled in auto-renew.

To opt a subscription into an eBill:

1. Select the eBill sign up button. The sign up form appears.

2. Verify the email address. If a subscription email is recorded, that will automatically populate here.

3. Confirm the disclaimer text to the subscriber and select submit. This request is processed in real-time with the circulation system. The new email address will populate in the eBill field under Status Details.

Update an eBill email address

Once a subscription has opted into an eBill, the corresponding email address can be updated in the status details section. Select the pencil icon the eBill row and enter a new email address. Any change will occur in the Circulation system in real-time.

Opt out of an eBill

To opt a subscription out of an eBill:

1. Select the cancel eBill button.

2. Confirm your decision and select OK. This request is processed in real-time with the circulation system. The email address will be removed from the eBill field under Status Details.

The information displayed in this tab returns in real-time from our circulation databases. You must have NCS Circ 2018.5 or greater for current integration.