Creating 'Open Item' Payment Reminder for a Customer or Payer in (ARS650)

This document explains how to create a payment reminder in 'Payment reminder. Open' (ARS650). This is a list of customer invoices for one or several customers or payers. The list of customer invoices can include only past due invoices or both past due and not due invoices.

The function (ARS650) replaces the old function 'Payment reminder. Open' (ARS150) and provides new capabilities for processing payment reminders. The new function has API support, configurable views, and can be processed by job scheduling. The possibility to include both the creation and update of a proposal in the same run is also introduced. If a proposal is created from a blank division, this proposal can include invoices existing in more than one division, and the user can then decide whether to create just one payment reminder for all invoices in all divisions or create one payment reminder for each division. Also, there is an option enabling several users to work with the same payment reminder proposal.

Limitations

When the feature (ARS650) is activated, you cannot use the old functionality in (ARS150).

This function cannot define amounts on the payment reminder rule on (CRS465/E) for a specific division or currency. This can have an impact on how the invoice is selected if a payment proposal is created in (ARS650) from a blank division and more than one division is included in the selection on (ARS655/E). Limitation amounts on (CRS465/E) 'Min amt remindr' and 'Min remind chrg' are checked against 'Amount due – local' on (ARS651/B) which is the total of all invoices for the customer or payer listed on (ARS652). 'Reminder charge' (CRS465/E) refers to and is added in the payer currency (CRS610/J)..

Outcome

A payment reminder is created and printed, listing all past due accounts receivable invoices, per customer or payer, and currency. Depending on the payment reminder rule you used, you may specify any penalty interest and also include open invoice records that are not past due. You can print each record with additional information such as order number or a comment. The invoices on the reminder are sorted on the number of reminders which means oldest past due invoices are listed first. Also, you can sort the invoices on the invoice date.

If no adjustments have been made to the proposal in (ARS651) on customer or payer level or in (ARS652) on invoice level, all invoices selected in (ARS650) are included in the payment reminder. When a specific invoice is included in the payment reminder proposal, it receives status 9 in status - payment reminder field in 'Acc receivable. Display' (ARS200). This prevents the invoice from being included in another payment reminder proposal. The status is reset if the invoice is removed from the payment proposal (ARS650) or when the proposal is updated.

The number of reminders and the last reminder date in 'Customer Invoice. Change' (ARS201/E) are updated when a payment reminder proposal is confirmed in (ARS650). Account entries and account receivable entries are created for the reminder charge if 'Create trans' has been activated for the reminder rule in (CRS465). If the payment reminder proposal was created from a blank division, the reminder charge is updated in the 'Report division' selected when confirming the proposal on (ARS655/G) or updated in each division separately if the payment reminder proposal is created with 'Split by div' activated on (ARS655/E).

For each payment reminder that is created, a number is assigned from number series 50-1 in (CRS165). This payment reminder number is stored as additional information number 202 for each invoice in FSLEDX table. The content of each payment reminder is displayed in 'Acc Receivable. Display Add Info Detail' (ARS251) reached through option 1='Select' in 'Acc Receivable. Display Additional Info' (ARS250). The additional information numbers connected to each invoice is displayed in 'Customer Invoice. Display Add Info' (ARS216) reached through related option 11='Additional info' in 'Customer Invoice. Display Separate' (ARS215).

After confirmation of the proposal in (ARS650), the proposal is updated to Proposal status 90='Confirmed'.

You can print or send the payment reminder in an email to the customer or payer directly from M3. The email address used from 'Email address. Open' (CRS111) is email type 11 (payer) first and second type 01 (customer).
Note: The 'Copy' settings in 'Doc Media Control Object. Connect Media' (CRS949) must be 0, 'Not print copies of previously printed document', to not send previews and copies of payment reminders directly to payer email addresses. Previews and copies are created with alternative 6, 'Print reminder' in (ARS650).
The proposal is saved in these tables:
  • 'AR Payment Reminder. Open' (ARS650): FARRMH table
  • 'AR Payment Reminder – Details. Open' (ARS651): FARRMD table
  • 'AR Payment Reminder – Invoices. Open' (ARS652): FARRMI table

Payment reminder proposals that are created from blank divisions are stored in these tables under blank divisions. Otherwise, they are stored under the division in which they are created.

Additional payment reference

The XML printout file (ARS659PF) contains the parallel invoice number PAIN if that exists on the invoice transaction in 'Customer Invoice. Change' (ARS201/E) but is not presented on the printed document (ARS659PF). When PAIN is included in the standard XML, you can add it as a customer adjustment on the document.

The rules for creating parallel invoice numbers are defined in 'Additional Payment Reference. Open' (CMS090).

Before you start

Before you start, you must meet these prerequisites:
  • You must meet the starting conditions listed in Managing Customer Debts by Using Reminders.
  • You must define the settings on blank division in 'Settings – Account Receivable' (ARS905). In the section 'Multiple users' (ARS905/F), you must also set parameter 'Payment reminders' on all divisions. You can use this parameter to block or allow several users working on the same payment reminder proposal. If settings are missing on division, settings for blank division are used.
  • There must be invoices with an outstanding amount for the customer in accounts receivable.
  • You must set the rules that determine which invoices should be included in the reminder in 'Payment Reminder Rule. Open' (CRS465).
  • You must connect each customer or payer that is included in the payment reminder routine to a payment reminder rule in 'Customer. Open' (CRS610/K). Note that you must activate the rule in the adjacent field.
  • To use standard texts for introductory comments and closing comments on the payment reminders, these are defined per language in 'Payment Reminder Rule. Enter Text' (ARS010).
  • You must define an interest rule in 'Interest Invoicing Rule. Open' (CRS460) and connected to the payer in 'Customer. Open' (CRS610/K) to calculate interest and include it in the payment reminder. Note that you must activate the rule in the adjacent field.
  • You must define number series 50-A for blank division in 'Number Series. Open' (CRS165). When you create a proposal in (ARS650), a proposal number is retrieved from this number series, regardless of in which division you create the proposal.
  • Define number series 50-1 for each division, and optionally for a blank division to process payment reminders from the blank division, in (CRS165). When you confirm a proposal in (ARS650), numbers are retrieved from this number series and are also used as invoice number, if create transaction is activated together with reminder charge on the reminder rule (CRS465).
  • To schedule payment reminder jobs (ARS650), you must meet the starting conditions listed in M3 Business Engine Administrator's Guide for Job Scheduler.

Follow these steps

  1. Create payment reminder proposal for a customer or payer in (ARS650).

    Create a proposal by defining a set of selection criteria on 'Payment Reminder. Open' (ARS655/E). If the 'Auto upd prop' parameter is selected, the proposal is created and updated in the same run, and the final payment reminders are printed directly. This automated work flow speeds up the process and minimize your work effort. On the other hand, if this parameter is deactivated, you can make manual adjustments to the proposal before updating it, putting you in full control of the process. For the manual process, you proceed with steps 2, 3, and 4. For the automated process, you proceed to step 4 directly.

    Note: All credit invoices are included in the proposal, regardless of the due date. If the credit total is equal to or greater than the total amount due, that is, if the customer is owed, then all customer invoices in the proposal are blocked from being included in the final payment reminder
  2. Verify and adjust payment reminder proposal for a customer or payer in (ARS650).

    Review the proposal to ensure that the records are correct. If necessary, adjust the proposal by including, excluding, or deleting customers or payers, depending on the grouping method selected for the proposal, in sub-program 'Payment Reminder– Details. Open' (ARS651) or invoices in the sub-program 'Payment Reminder – Invoices. Open' (ARS652). This prevents them from being included in the final payment reminder. You can also add or adjust text to be printed before and after the payment reminder or use user-defined comments that are automatically proposed. Specify the text per customer or payer in sub-program (ARS651) or per invoice in sub-program (ARS652).

  3. Create final payment reminder for a customer or payer in (ARS650).

    After you review and adjust the proposal, print the final payment reminder by confirming the proposal in (ARS650).

  4. Send payment reminder to the customer or payer.

    Since the reminder is saved under an information category number, you can delete it in (ARS650).

List proposals on (ARS650/B)

On (ARS650/B), you can sort the proposals based on these three standard sorting orders:
  • Proposal number, retrieved from number series 50-A in (CRS165), descending order.
  • Name set by the user on (ARS655/E) when creating the proposal.
  • Created by the user ID who created the proposal.

You can also configure your own user-defined sorting orders in 'Sorting Order. Open' (CRS022), reached from (ARS650/B) by prompting the 'Sorting Order' field twice.

For the sorting orders, you can configure your own user-defined views in 'View. Open' (CRS020), reached from (ARS650/B) by prompting the 'View' field twice.

For the standard sorting orders, you can filter on these fields on (ARS650/B):
  • 'Proposal status' (From – To)
  • 'Proposal progress' (From – To)
  • Division

    You can only change this field when you are logged on to blank division. If you enter a value in this field, the proposals created for the selected division are listed. If you leave this field blank, the proposals created from blank division are listed.

Statuses displayed on (ARS650/B)

This list shows the statuses displayed on (ARS650/B):
  • Proposal status
    This field indicates the current status of the proposal. These are the statuses:
    • 10='In progress': This is a temporary status set during creation of a proposal.
    • 20='New': This status is set when a proposal is created.
    • 90='Confirmed': This status is set when a proposal is confirmed.
    • 99='No records selected': This status is set when a proposal is created without any records.
  • Proposal progress
    This field indicates if work is in progress for the proposal. These are the statuses:
    • 0='The proposal can be processed'
    • 1='Creation in progress'
    • 2='Change in progress'
    • 4='Delete in progress'
    • 6='Printing in progress'
    • 9='Update in progress'

    Processing of the proposal is only allowed if the 'Proposal progress' is 0. If 'Multiple users' is allowed in (ARS905), processing is also allowed when 'Proposal status' is 20 and 'Proposal progress’ is 2.

    If a proposal number in (ARS650) has incorrectly ended up in a blocked status where 'Proposal progress' is not equal to zero and the proposal cannot be processed, you can use problem solving ID AR11 in 'Program Problem. Solve' (CRS418) to reset 'Proposal progress' to zero. This possibility is only available for proposals in 'Proposal status' 20 or 90.

Options available on (ARS650/B)

On (ARS650/B), these options are available:
  • 1='Create': Use to create a new payment reminder proposal. The selection panel (ARS655/E) is displayed.
  • 2='Change': Use to change an existing payment reminder proposal when 'Proposal status' is 20. The panel (ARS651/B) is displayed where changes are allowed.
  • 4='Delete': Use to delete an existing payment reminder proposal when 'Proposal status' is 20, 90, or 99. The panel (ARS650/D) is displayed.
  • 5='Display': Use this option to display an existing payment reminder proposal when 'Proposal status' is 20, 90, or 99. The panel (ARS651/B) is displayed where no changes are allowed.
  • 6='Print reminder': Use to preview and reprinting the payment reminders (ARS659PF). Preview is allowed when 'Proposal status' is 20, and reprint for an already confirmed payment reminder proposal when 'Proposal status' is 90.
  • 7='Print proposal': Use to reprint the proposal (ARS653PF) for a payment reminder proposal when 'Proposal status' is 20.
  • 9='Confirm': Use this option to confirm a payment reminder proposal when 'Proposal status' is set to 20 to print payment reminder (ARS659PF).

Processing payment reminder proposals through API transactions

You can process payment proposals in (ARS650) through these API programs and transactions:
  • ARS650MI Manage payment reminder header (FARMMH table)
    • Dlt: Use to delete a payment reminder header and corresponding invoice records in the FARRMD and FARRMI tables.
    • Get: Use to get data for a payment reminder header.
    • LockProposal: Use to lock a payment reminder header record by setting 'Proposal progress' to status 2
    • Lst: Use to list data for payment reminder headers.
    • UnlockProposal: Use to unlock a payment reminder header record by resetting 'Proposal progress' to status 0.
  • ARS651MI Manage payment reminder details (FARMMD table)
    • Dlt: Use to delete a payment reminder details record and corresponding invoice records in FARRMI table.
    • ExcludeRecord: Use to exclude a record by setting 'Proposal line status' to status 1.
    • Get: Use to get data for a payment reminder detail record.
    • IncludeRecord: Use to include a record by resetting 'Proposal line status' to status 0.
    • LockDetails: Use to lock a proposal line by setting 'Proposal progress' to status 2.
    • Lst: Use to list data for payment reminder detail records.
    • UnlockDetails: Use to unlock a proposal line by setting 'Proposal progress' to status 0.
    • Upd: Use to update data for a payment reminder detail record.
  • ARS655MI Manage payment reminders
    • Confirm: Use to confirm a payment reminder proposal to update FSLEDX, create (ARS659PF) and if reminder charge with create transaction is used on the reminder rule (CRS465), create FSLEDG and FGLEDG transactions.
    • CreateProposal: Use to create a payment reminder proposal in (ARS650) and (ARS653PF). If the 'Auto upd prop' parameter is selected, the proposal is confirmed and ARS659PF is created as well.
    • PrintProposal: Use to reprint a payment reminder proposal, (ARS653PF).
    • PrinReminder: Use to reprint payment reminder, (ARS659PF).
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