On this screen you define the contents of the package that make up a bill. For example, you identify the form you'll use, the envelope, and the letter or other enclosures.
When you run the 'Billing' update, QuickFill groups the bills by type of form (which you specify in the 'Form set code' field), then by publication and finally by the package code. In front of each group is a "dummy" bill that identifies the publication, form set, and package. QuickFill creates a separate file for each type of form. (If you use the mail-merge bill format, QuickFill creates separate files for each publication and form set code combination you use).
The billing update also produces a report that shows the number of bills produced for each publication first by effort and then by package.
Billing package definitions can also be used for order acknowledgements, created by the 'Order Acknowledgements' report.
Defining billing packages
When you select 'Billing' under 'Definitions' on the main menu, then select 'Packages', you'll see a list of currently defined packages in the upper half of the screen and the "New," "Change," "Replicate," and "Delete" options running along the bottom.
You can define another billing package by clicking on "New," filling in the fields described below, and then clicking on "OK." If the billing package you want to define next is similar to one you've already defined, you can replicate the existing package by selecting the billing package you want to replicate and clicking on "Replicate."
Package code
Enter a code to identify the package. If you plan to use a different package for each effort in the billing series, you might want to include the effort number in the code.
Note: compatibility with other fulfillment systems
Many other subscription fulfillment systems group bills by effort number, whether it's necessary or not. If you want to compare the bills you get from QuickFill with the bills you get from your old system, you can force QuickFill to group its bills by effort number. Here's how. Just use a unique package for each effort in your billing series. QuickFill groups together all bills by package, so you'll now be able to compare the two.
Description
Enter a brief description of the package. (This should explain what you'll use the package for.) You'll see a list of package codes and descriptions when you right click in the 'Package' field of the 'Billing series' screen. So you'll be able to identify the packages you want to link to the billing series.
You can customize the design of your bills using the QuickFill Form Designer application. In the Form Designer a form set code identifies a set of designs, one for each of the types of printed output QuickFill can produce (bills, gift bills, combination bills, renewals, gift renewals, acknowledgements and gift acknowledgements). The code you enter here tells QuickFill which form set to use when the bills are printed. If you do not enter a code, or if the code you enter is not defined in the form designer then the default or "Blank" form set will be used.
Leave this field set to "Simple" if this package is not intended for gift or group subscriptions. Simple bills or order acknowledgements do not contain a detailed list of ship-to addresses. They are typically printed on a short 8.5" by 7" form but you can change both the page size and layout in the Form Designer. Click here to see a standard simple bill. QuickFill will print the bills using the 'BILL' form (or 'COMBOBILL' form for combination bills, or 'ACK' form for order acknowledgements"), as specified in the Form Designer.
Click on "Detailed" if the billing series that uses this package is for gift or group subscriptions and you would like your bills or order acknowledgements to list the names and addresses of the ship-to customers that belong to those subscriptions. The 'GIFTBILL' or 'ACK' form will be used, as specified in the Form Designer. Even if you select the "Detailed" option QuickFill will not produce detailed bills for single or two-party subscriptions or for combination bills but will instead revert to the "Simple" format. Click here to see a standard detailed bill.
Click on "Mail-merge" if you want QuickFill to print the bills for this package using Microsoft Word using a mail merge process. If you select the mail-merge option, QuickFill creates a disk file containing the names, addresses and all of the price data required to produce a bill. The fields included in this file are determined by the 'Mail-merge format code' that you select. Please note that detailed bills containing a list of the names and addresses of the ship-to customers for gifts and groups cannot be produced using the mail-merge process.
Mail-merge format code
If you select the "Mail-merge" format, you must also enter a code in this field to indicate the file format to be produced. To enter a format code, right click and then select the code from the list that appears. The mail-merge file can be either a dBase file or a delimited text file. You choose which on the 'Mail merge' tab of the 'Preferences' screen.
QuickFill will produce a file with all the data that ordinarily would have been printed on your bills. The file can then be used with the mail-merge feature of your word processor to produce bills of your own design. There are four available formats—MMERG1, MMERG2, MMERG3 and MMERG4. MMERG1 is a basic format that contains all of the data elements that are on the standard bill. The MMERG2 and MMERG3 formats are supersets of MMERG1, but include additional customer address fields that may be used for sorting purposes. The MMERG4 format is similar to the MMERG3 format, but breaks the pricing data out into sets of separate fields. We supply a sample Microsoft Word mail-merge document that works with the MMERG4 format. Look in the QuickFill program directory for a file named "Bill.dot".
Print credit card info block on bill
If you want to accept credit cards for payment, check this field. QuickFill then prints fields on the bill where the customer can fill in a credit card number, expiration date, and signature. If you don't want to accept credit card payments—or you already have the necessary fields preprinted on your bill—leave this field blank.
Hint: Testing credit card payments
If you specify by package whether or not you want credit card information printed on the bills, you can test the effectiveness of accepting credit card payments. Here's how:
Assign some of your orders to a billing series that uses packages that include credit card information. When you run the 'Payment rate' report by billing series you will be able to see whether or not you get a better payment rate by accepting credit card payments (click here for information on how to change billing series).
Circular, Card, Buckslip, Envelope, Reply Envelope, Letter IDs
In these six fields, you identify the contents of the package. Enter any identification codes you want in these fields. The codes are for your information only. QuickFill doesn't use them.
Enter any text you want in order to further describe the package and how you'll use it.
Fixed cost
The fixed cost of the billing package represents one-time charges to produce the package, such as designer fees. This figure is for your information only. QuickFill doesn't use them.
Variable cost
Enter the cost per thousand for the items that make up this billing package. The variable cost represents the cost to produce each additional thousand pieces. These figures are for your information only. QuickFill doesn't use them.
You can also change the definition of a billing package by moving the cursor to the package you want to change and double clicking on the package, or clicking once on "Change." When you change an existing billing package, make sure you know which billing series definition uses that package—any changes you make to the package affect all the billing series that use that package. You can delete a billing package that is not being used by moving the cursor on the package you want to delete and clicking on "Delete."
To delete a billing package that is currently linked to a billing series, you must first either change the billing series so that they use some other billing package, or delete the series.
Click here for information on how to merge billing package codes.