Overview
This document will outline the potential billing communication an account might receive during the automated billing cycle. It is intended to provide a complete end-to-end picture of when communications are sent, and the billing settings that controls them.
This article will not discuss customizing these communications. For instructions on editing the communication templates, read Managing Communication Templates
For a broader explanation of the communication system, read Customer Communications - Overview
This article assumes a basic understanding of billing concepts within gaiia
Full Billing Communication Cycle
This section details the communications an account may receive as it progresses through the stages of an automated billing cycle.
Accounts enrolled in autopay that successfully settle their invoices typically only receive the invoice email. However, payment issues, overdue invoices, delinquency, and similar problems will trigger further communications to the account.
The sequence of these communications may vary based on specific settings and requires certain functionalities to be activated. Generally, the communications are dispatched according to the stages outlined below:
High-Level Stages:
- A communication is sent containing the invoice
- If auto pay is enabled and taken first, a communication is sent regarding the payment
- A communication is sent when the payment is successful
- A communication is sent when the payment is unsuccessful
- A communication is sent when a successful or pending payment has been updated to failed
- A payment reminder communication is sent if an invoice remains unpaid
- A communication is sent if an invoice become overdue
- If auto-suspension for delinquency is enabled, a communication is sent notifying the account that they have entered delinquency and their services were suspended as a result
Detailed Stages:
| Order | Activity | Communication | Billing Setting | Comments |
| 1 | The recurring invoice is generated | Statement system communication |
Invoice day (Set per account) |
This only occurs for the recurring invoices automatically generated by gaiia. A separate communication (Manual statement) is used for manually generated invoices. |
| 2* | Communication is sent when the auto payment for the invoice is successful | Payment Successful system communication |
If an account is setup on auto pay. |
The delivery date depends on when the auto payment is taken. This communication will not be sent for accounts who do not have auto pay enabled. This row assumes a successful payment occurred. Payment failures are outlined in the rows below. |
| 2* | Communication is sent when the auto payment for the invoice is unsuccessful | Retry payment failed system communication | If an account is setup on auto pay. |
This will only occur when the account is using auto pay. |
| 2* | Communication is sent when a successful or pending payment is updated to Failed | Payment failed system communication | N/A |
Scenarios where this could occur are charge backs for credit cards, and pending payments on bank account payments. |
| 3 | A reminder to pay the invoice is sent | Payment due system communication |
Days before payment due reminder |
The communication will be sent a number of days before the invoice due date (the Due date noted in the Current invoice period for each account under their Billing tab). The invoice due date is determined by the Days to become overdue after invoice day. |
| 4 | The invoice has become overdue | Overdue system communication | Days to become overdue after invoice day |
Accounts with an Overdue on their invoice will have received this communication. The setting determines how many days must elapse after issuing the invoice before it becomes overdue. For example, if an account had an invoice day on the 1st and the setting was 13, on the 14th the invoice would become overdue and this communication would be sent. |
| 5 | An account has entered delinquency and is being suspended | Delinquent - Suspension of services notice system communication |
Days to become delinquent after an invoice becomes overdue determines when accounts are treated as delinquent. If First delinquency step when an account becomes delinquent is set to Suspended, it will automatically suspend the account. |
This can also occur when an account is manually suspended through the delinquency steps. This communication is only sent when an account is both in the Suspended status and is delinquent. Days to become delinquent after an invoice becomes overdue is always calculated as the total number of elapsed days after an invoice became overdue. For example, if an account had its invoice generated on the 1st, the overdue setting was set to 13 and the delinquency setting was set to 2, on the 16th the account would become delinquent and the necessary communication would be sent. |
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