Accounts receivable

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable]

For many hotels, accounts receivable invoices make up a large part of their bookkeeping. All invoices, that have been checked out with a debit payment method or a credit card are directly transferred into the new accounts receivable module - that is the module which manages open posts. For all invoices on account, a debtor account (on invoice) is opened automatically for the invoice recipient. Credit card receivables are summarized on a collective account for each credit card.

Scope of functionality

Accounts receivable management enables you to:

• manage accounts receivable with open amounts

• manage collective accounts for credit card receivable

• booking cash receivable (also for partial payments)

• enter commissions (discounts)

• transfer receivables

• combine accounts

• print bank statements and list of accounts receivable

• payment reminders

Settings (protel Air system data)

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable]

In order to be able to execute the following settings, the logged-in user will need to access the following program points: System data > POS > Payment methods.

 Overview tab

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable ]

After accessing the accounts receivable management, you will receive a clear list of all of the accounts receivable that are outstanding. The open amounts are then scaled based on time period (30/60/90/120 days), so that one can directly see how "old" the displayed debts are.

In the last column you can see the total debt per debtor.

All of the single and collective accounts are displayed (credit card accounts).

The displayed columns can also be shown or hidden arbitrarily (learn more).

Hints about Display

• Collective accounts, or accounts which have already received a payment or an installment will be marked with the following symbol:

This symbol in front of an account basically means that there are additional entries for this account.

With a double click, you can open all of the collective accounts and view all of the subordinate entries.

• Payments and cancellations will be displayed in red font.

• Paid off debtors with balanced debts will be displayed in gray and cursive font.

Print Tasks

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Overview tab]

By clicking on the [Print Tasks] button located at the lower half of the window, you can do the following:

• print account analysis for all accounts receivable

• print AR statement for a selected debtor

Print account analysis

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Overview tab> Print tasks]

At the bottom right, click on [Print account analysis]. protel Air then creates a PDF-file of the open debtors, based on the due date, divided into 30 day, 31-60 day, 61-90 day, 91-120 day > 120 day periods

Print AR statement

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Overview > Print tasks]

In the overview, select an account and click on the Print tasks > Print AR statement. protel Air then creates a statement containing all of the created invoices and outstanding amounts for the selected account.

The new text template for AR statements can be found in the system data (Documents > Templates > AR Statement (HTML5 only)).

Open profile

[Cash register > Accounts receivable > Overview]

In the lower left side of the window, click on [Open profile] to open the guest profile with the "Receivables" tab opened.

  Incoming payment tab

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable]

You can balance (or partially balance) one or more open amounts for a debtor in incoming payments tab.

If you access the incoming payment, the window will initially be empty. With the aid of the filter, you can set which accounts are to be displayed in the incoming payment tab.

Filters in incoming payments

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments]

	If you are searching for a certain account, you can enter the account number (or part of it) here. Example: Enter "K10", and all of the accounts which start with this sequence will be displayed.
	If you are searching for an explicit invoice, enter the invoice number (or part of it) here. The invoice prefix can be left out when entering the invoice number. Example: Enter "14. All of the invoices beginning with or containing this number (e.g., RE_ 1453 or RE_2314) will be displayed. Hint: You can sort the tables in either ascending or descending order by clicking the column’s header (Invoice no.)
	Display of the accounts receivable based on the value date, i.e., based on the value of the asset.
	Explicitly search the accounts receivable management for the Name of the invoice recipient.
	Set a check mark to the filter you want to use:
	Payment method: Filter the displayed accounts receivable for a Method of Payment, by selecting a method of payment in the selection box. Only the debit methods of payment can be selected (=accounts receivable)
	Amount: Search the accounts receivable management for the Invoice Amount.
	Status: By selecting the respective check box, only open or only booked out accounts will be displayed. If both of the check boxes have been selected, all of the accounts will be shown. Paid off accounts receivable with will be displayed in gray and cursive font.

Post payment

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments]

As soon as a payment has been made, select the respective account in the Incoming payments tab. At the lower part of the window, you will see the area needed or booking the payment.

1. Commission: This section is for the posting of commissions (see following section: "Credit card accounts")

2. Select the payment method for the booking from the Payment selection box.

3. The Payment date is already preset with the protel Air-System date. Change the date, if payment is to be executed on another day.

4. The open invoice amount has already been entered as a payment amount. When dealing with an installment, you can also enter here the amount of the installment (for more information, go to section on “Installments”.

5. In the Payment text field to the right , you can add additional texts about the payment. This text will be saved in the “Payment text” column.

6. Afterwards, click [Book] to proceed with the booking.

The assets will be balanced respectively and the debtor will be paid off - it disappears from the open list (to show paid off accounts receivable, select the "Booked" checkbox from the status selection list).

Credit card accounts

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments]

Credit card payments will be automatically put into a credit card collective account if the credit card payment type has been marked as debtor in the system data.

For credit card payments, you can also book commissions (service fees for the credit card provider) and enter them as a percentage or a fixed value.

1. When booking commissions, first select the transaction account (TAA) on which the booking is to take place:

The account used here must be stored in the system data (Options > System data > Articles).

2. Then, enter the commission as a percentage or as an actual amount. When using percentages, the amount of commission is automatically calculated and entered into the amount field.

Installments

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments]

When dealing with installments, simply overwrite the open invoice amount with the amount of the installment. This amount will then will be booked as a payment in advance and deducted from the invoice amount. The debtor account remains open with the balance.

More tasks

If you select an account from the overview, you will have more tasks available for the account:

By clicking the right mouse button, open "More tasks"...

...or by clicking the button

Show inovice

Opens the invoice overview for the selected account.

Open profile

Opens the guest profile for the selected account.

Create batch (combine accounts)

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments  > More  tasks]

Should numerous invoices be paid together, you can select the respective invoices via multiple selection, create a batch by clicking the [More tasks > Create batch] button, and then pay them off together. For this batched booking, protel Air automatically generates a batch which includes all debts and payments.

The Batch type is marked with this symbol:

A double-click on a batch shows all of the accounts receivable and payments contained in the batch.

Transfer item

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments  > More tasks]

To transfer an open item to another account, select the respective line and choose “Transfer item” from the [More tasks] list.

The guest search then appears where you can search for the debtor's profile to which you would like to transfer to.

Dissolve batch

Batched accounts can be separated again by selecting the batch in the overview and then clicking the [More tasks > Dissolve batch] button.

Void payment

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments/Payment history  > Additional tasks]

Should a debtor be booked by mistake, the payment can be voided:

1. Display all of the “booked out” accounts: Activate the Status filter...
   
   
   and select the "Booked out" checkbox:
   
   

2. Click on the magnifying glass  to update the list.

3. Search the list for the respective account.

4. Double click on the symbol  in front of the account in order to list the booked payments.
   

5. Select the booking you would like to delete (booked payments will be shown in red font).

6. At the bottom of the window, click the [More tasks] > Void payment.

7. Afterwards, a cross-entry via the payment methods with which the debtor was paid off, will be created. At the same time, the debtor will be opened again so that the correct booking can follow.

Book reminder fee

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments > More tasks]

Has a payment reminder fee been sent to an open debtor, look further below: "Payment reminder" the reminder fee can be placed separately into the invoice.

In the Accounts receivable management, look for the debtor in the incoming payments tab for which you would like to post a payment reminder.

Click on Post reminder fee. protel Air will then create a passerby invoice in which the invoice recipient is already included.

The passerby invoice opens with the entry € 0.00, where an item which had been previously created item (e.g., payment reminders) with the due amount, will need to be posted - see next illustration.

Has the payment reminder been paid, the passerby invoice will be checked out (to do so, click on the > Check out located in the passerby invoice).

Print Tasks

Print account summary

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments > Print tasks]

Select an account from the overview in order print an account statement of all receivables. Click on Print tasks > Print account summary.

When working with credit card batched accounts, all of the receivables from the respective reservations will be shown here together.

Print accounts receivable report:

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable > Incoming payments > Print tasks]

Print a complete list of the accounts receivable visible in the window.

Click on Print tasks > Print Accounts receivable report.

protel Air prints the list exactly the way you see it on your monitor (WYSIWYG), considering all of the set filters and display options. You can show or hide certain columns or change the order and this will be taken into account when printing the document.

 Payment history tab

[Cash Register > Accounts Receivable]

All of the booked out debtors are displayed by default in the payment history.

Incoming payments can also be deleted here (see above, section: Void payment).

Payment reminders

[Cash Register > Accounts Receivable > Payment reminder tab]

In the payment reminder, all of the debts appear which, based on the definition of the reminder code, are due, i.e., after the due date is reached the respective payment reminder must be initiated. By means of the [Payment reminder] button, all of the payment reminders and for a selected debtor can be generated and sent. Debts for which payment reminders cannot be generated (cannot be dunned) will be displayed in red font. This occurs when the respective payment reminder code is allotted in the guest profile, or by setting the respective check mark in the respective payment reminder check box (see below).

Settings (Payment reminders)

[Cash Register > Accounts receivable]

To actively use the payment reminders, there are a few pre-settings which will need to be done in the system data. 

 Payment reminder tab

[Cash Register > Accounts Receivable > Payment reminder]

The following information will be displayed for each accounts receivable:

• Account, Invoice number, and Invoice date

• Name of debtor

• Open balance

• Days open: Number of days the balance is open

• Days left: Number of days until the next reminder

• Reminder levels: Payment reminder level reached. Has a debtor not yet been reminded, then the payment reminder level is 0.

• Reminder date: This is the deadline when the payment reminder is due, i.e., a payment reminder can be created as of this date. The reminder date is automatically calculated based o the invoice date and the payment reminder code. (provided that the invoice date has not been manually overwritten).

Example:
Invoice date: 1.1.2016
Reminder levels 1 starting at 14 days
Reminder date: 15 January 2016

Filter

By means of the filter you can search the accounts receivable for special features.

In addition to the default filters (From/to, Reminder codes), there are several filters you can show via clicking the More-Menu .

Set the checkmark to show the respective filter.

In the following example the filter "Level" has been set:

Fig.: Show only accounts receivable with level 2.

Payment reminder

[Cash Register > Accounts Receivable > Payment reminder]

Select an accounts receivable and click on the [Payment reminder] button.

These possibilities are available in the dialog box:

Sending several payment reminders

Use one easy step to send several payment reminders. To do so, select the accounts that are to receive a payment reminder by holding down the <Ctrl> button and select the individual accounts by clicking on them. Afterwards, click the [Payment reminder] button.

The Payment reminder dialog complies with the above mentioned dialog box, only the Set reminder level to and Last reminder date entry fields are missing. Because the debtors can have varying reminder levels, the reminder level will be increased by one level up if the Increase reminder level after print checkbox has been selected.

Notes about payment reminder fees

The payment reminder fee will not be posted separately, but rather displayed in the payment reminder only for "informative" purposes. You can, however, post the payment reminder fee separately,  by creating a passerby invoice (see above: "Passerby invoice" tab > More tasks > Post payment reminder fee).

Payment reminder text templates

Standard text templates for payment reminders can be found in the protel Air System data (Flash) under Options > System data > Text templates > Payment reminders.

 Reminder history:

In the reminder history, already created (sent) payment reminders can be reviewed. This will help you see when you sent a payment reminder to the invoice recipient.