This article will walk you through how to prepare the the Account Updater to be turned back on for your location(s).
What is the Account Updater?
Credit card account updating services are offered by the credit card networks via the various payment processors, like WorldPay, in the marketplace. These services automatically update members’ credit card data, like expiration dates, so that club personnel don’t have to individually track down members to get new expiration dates or card numbers.
Account updater services, offered by the various payment processors, all work slightly differently. In general the process starts with the payment facilitator, ClubReady, sending a list of credit cards attached to payments coming due in the next 10 days to the payment processor. After 7 to 10 days, ClubReady gets a response from the payment processor with any updated credit card account data
What has happened with the Account Updater?
The ClubReady Account Updater service was "on hold" during the COVID-19 crisis. While we were not running this service, we also made upgrades to the back-end process. On May 24th, 2021, we will turn Account Updater services back "ON" for your location(s).
What are your next steps?
Before Account Updater is turned back on, you will want to review your past due invoices and determine if:
- The invoice is valid and ClubReady should attempt re-billing if/when the member's credit card information is updated. If so, no action is required on your part.
- The invoice is valid but you would like to move its due date to some time in the future to spread out your member's payments to get caught back up. For these you will want to edit the invoice due date.
- You have no intention of collecting on the invoice at all. In these cases you will want to cancel the invoice or potentially cancel the entire agreement. Pay particular attention to evergreen agreements that continue to generate invoices that will never be paid or are likely to be charged back.
Below we will provide steps on how to locate and manage past due invoices.
Reviewing Past Due Invoices
Step 1 - Review the Late Invoices Report
Navigate to Reports > Sales > Late Invoices.
You will have multiple filters to choose from, including: All Invoices, Only Invoices NOT in Past Due Status or Only Invoices IN Past Due Status. You will want to select Only Invoices IN Past Due Status.
If you are a Membership club you will have additional filter options: All Invoice Types, Membership Invoices, Membership Add-On Invoices and Services Invoices. Select All Invoice Types.
You also have the option to configure how you would like to display your results: Detail Only, Chart Only or Chart and Detail. Select Detail Only.
If you would like to export this report directly to excel, click the Excel Export Only box.
To generate the report, click Run Report
Account Updater is a credit card updating process so you only need look at past due invoices that have a Y in the Has CC column and Yes in the Payment Details on File column. These are the invoices that ClubReady will bill for if the Account Updater service updates the credit card on file.
For any invoices that you want to be billed if their associated credit card is updated, you don't need to do anything. If you want to cancel or modify any of these invoices continue to Step 2.
Step 2 - Adjust Past Due Invoices
Locate the customer by searching for them under the Prospects or Customers/Members tab. Click on the customer's name. Select the BILLING icon.
Locate the past due invoice and click on the edit pencil.
If you want to cancel the invoice, choose Adjust The Invoice Details. Then select Cancel the Invoice - Yes.
This will cancel the invoice causing the system to not attempt to draft their credit card on file. Click the Update button to save your changes.
NOTE: Cancelling individual invoices will NOT cancel the agreement. Credits will need to be manually adjusted under the Bookings tab for the client.
If you want to adjust the due date of the invoice, locate the past due invoice and click on the edit pencil.
Choose Adjust The Invoice Details. Then select Changes Due Date - Yes.
This will allow you to type in or select from the calendar a new due date for this invoice. When you are done changing the due date click on the Update button.
Step 3 - Manage Evergreen Agreements
If you have any evergreen agreements that continue to generate invoices that will never be paid or are likely to be charged back, you will want to cancel those agreements. Follow these steps to locate and cancel evergreen agreements.
To access the agreement, go to; Prospects, Members or Custs > Search for the client' name and select > Agreements tab. Locate the correct agreement and click the corresponding Full Details button.
By default, you will be taken to the Agreement Summary. From this view, you can confirm if the agreement is in Evergreen (In Auto Renewal).
Click on the option on the left menu to Cancel This Agreement.
Cancel This Agreement Effective Immediately - This option will allow you to cancel the agreement effective immediately. You have the option to Cancel all future bookings. Then click on Do Agreement Cancellation.
Requirements - A 'Master Admin' login or a staff login with the following permissions.
- Reporting: Can access reports (must be enabled to see any reports)
- Reporting: Can access sales: past dues
- Customer Management : General: Can access client options
- Customer Management : Payments Related: Can view client billing information
- Customer Management : Payments Related: Can edit unpaid client invoices