Miscellaneous Charges - Adding Fees to an Account

The Charge tool creates a single-line-item charge on an account. Use it for late fees, service charges, administrative fees, or any other miscellaneous charge that does not require the full invoice creation workflow.

Charge vs Invoice

Both tools create orders on an account, but they serve different purposes:

• Charge — a quick, single-line-item entry with a title, amount, description, and optional GL account. No item selection, shipping, tax calculation, or payment handling options.
• Invoice — a full-featured order creation tool with multiple line items, item selection, shipping options, tax calculation, tip entry, and payment handling choices.

Use the Charge tool when you need a simple, fast charge without the complexity of the Invoice tool.

Creating a Charge

To create a miscellaneous charge:

1. Navigate to Tools > Charge in the Ecommerce portal
2. Select the Account from the dropdown (only open accounts are listed)
3. Enter a Title for the charge (e.g., "Late Fee", "Service Charge"). If left blank, it defaults to "Misc Charge."
4. Enter the Amount — must be a non-zero value
5. Enter a Description (up to 255 characters) — this text appears on the account's statement and provides context for the charge
6. Optionally select a General Ledger # from the dropdown — this assigns the charge to a specific GL account for accounting categorization
7. Click Create Charge

The tool description reads: "Create a new charge to an account. A charge shows up in the account statement like an invoice. It can be used for misc charges such as Late Fees."

Validation

The system validates the following before creating the charge:

• An account must be selected ("You must select an account to continue")
• The selected account must be valid ("The account you selected is not valid")
• The amount must be entered and cannot be zero ("You must enter an amount. Zero is not allowed.")
• The description cannot exceed 255 characters ("The description can only be 255 characters long.")
• A title must be provided ("The fee title is missing." — though the system defaults to "Misc Charge" when left blank)

How the Charge Is Processed

When a charge is created, the system:

1. Creates an order with the charge amount
2. Populates billing information from the account's billing contact
3. Marks the order as completed with a due date calculated from the account's billing terms
4. Creates an order detail line item with the description
5. Records a charge transaction in the account's transaction history
6. Updates the account balance to reflect the new charge
7. Adds a note to the account documenting the charge

Where the Charge Appears

After creation, the charge appears in several places:

• Purchases tab — listed as an order with the charge amount and due date
• Transactions tab — recorded as a charge transaction
• Account Balance — the account balance on the Account List increases by the charge amount
• Statements — included when statements are generated for the account

Due Date Calculation

The due date on the charge is calculated based on the account's billing terms. If the account uses "Default Days To Pay" (typically 30 days), the due date is 30 days from the charge creation date. If custom terms are assigned to the account, those terms determine the due date.

Tips

• Use meaningful titles and descriptions so the purpose of each charge is clear in the account's history and on statements
• Assign a GL account to ensure charges are properly categorized when GL transactions are exported
• For charges that require multiple line items, shipping, or tax, use the Invoice tool instead
• Review the account's Purchases tab after creating a charge to verify it appears correctly