To eliminate manual admin effort and reduce the risk of missed billing, you can now configure automated recurring contractual charges (such as minimum pallet agreements or monthly service charges) directly within Clarus.
Once configured, these time-based fees are raised automatically and flow seamlessly onto your invoices.
Setting Up a Recurring Charge
You can add a recurring charge directly from the Charge Card.
1. Required Fields
When creating a recurring charge, you will need to fill in the following details:
- Code & Name of Charge: The identifiers for the specific fee.
- Description: Clear text explaining the charge for internal or customer reference.
- Quantity: Optional. You can leave this blank if you prefer. If left blank the quantity will show as 1 on the charge line.
- Price: The monetary value of the charge.
- Nominal Code: For financial and accounting routing.
- Initial Charge Date: The start date for the cycle.
- Frequency: How often the charge should repeat.
2. Available Frequencies
Clarus supports four frequency options, calculating repetitions from your chosen Initial Charge Date:
- Daily: Repeats every single day starting from the initial date.
- Weekly: Repeats every week on the same day of the week as the initial date (e.g., if the initial date is a Tuesday, it repeats every Tuesday).
- Monthly: Repeats on the same calendar day each month.
- End of Charge Window: Automatically generates the charge on the final day of each active charge window.
💡 Leap Years & Short Months: If you set a monthly charge for the 29th, 30th, or 31st, Clarus automatically adjusts for shorter months. For example, a charge set for the 31st of the month will automatically fire on the last day of February.
How Recurring Charges Appear in Charge Windows
Automated charges behave just like standard charge types and appear directly on your charge lines, clearly flagged as a Scheduled Recurring Charge.
Depending on your billing cycles and frequencies, charges will dynamically adapt:
- Multiple Charges: A recurring charge can appear multiple times in a single charge window if the frequency allows it (e.g., a weekly charge falling 5 times within a 1-month window).
- Skipped Windows: If no scheduled recurrence date falls within a specific charge window (e.g., a monthly charge where the specific day falls outside a short weekly window), no charge will be generated for that period.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What happens if I update or disable a recurring charge?
Any changes or deactivations will only apply to future scheduled charges. Historically generated charges will remain unaffected.
What happens if a Charge Card becomes inactive or is removed?
If a Charge Card is inactivated or removed from an account, all associated scheduled recurring charges will automatically stop generating.