IN BRIEF
The Automated Billing - Anniversary Charges workflow is a pre-built Autopilot billing workflow that automates the preview, scheduling, and processing of anniversary-based charges. It allows administrators to configure billing criteria, review charges before processing, and schedule execution independently from other automated billing workflows.
Overview
The Automated Billing - Anniversary Charges workflow is part of the Autopilot Workflow Library and is designed to automate the creation of Anniversary Charges independently of the full monthly tuition billing workflow.
This workflow generates anniversary charges in two stages: Preview and Process, with a configurable wait period in between.
This structure allows administrators to:
- Review generated charges before they are processed.
- Customize billing criteria to align with specific business practices.
- Schedule anniversary charge processing independently from other billing workflows.
The workflow consists of three sequential actions that must remain in order:
- Generate Anniversary Charges (Preview)
- Wait For Action
- Generate Anniversary Charges (Process)
To review important notes about iClassPro's Automated Billing workflows, see our "What Do I Need to Know Before Setting Up Automated Billing Workflows?" document.
Accessing the Feature
- From the main navigation menu, go to AUTOPILOT.
- Select Workflows.
- Select Add a Workflow.
- Browse the Workflow Library.
- Select Automated Billing - Anniversary Charges.
Selecting this workflow copies it into your account, allowing you to customize it without affecting the original template.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add the Anniversary Charges Workflow
- From the main navigation menu, go to AUTOPILOT.
- Select Workflows.
- Select Add a Workflow.
- Browse the Workflow Library.
- Select Automated Billing - Anniversary Charges.
- Confirm the workflow is added to your account.
The System adds a pre-built workflow containing three sequential actions that cannot be reordered.
Schedule the Workflow
For instructions on configuring the workflow schedule, see “Configuring a Scheduled Event” in How Do I Copy and Configure Autopilot Workflows?
Note that each workflow operates independently and can be scheduled separately from other workflows.
Configure the Generate Anniversary Charges (Preview) Action
- Select the Generate Anniversary Charges (Preview) action.
- Configure the available settings:
- Location
- Program
- Charge Category
- Enrolled In
- Any
- Class
- Camp
- Anniversary Charge Due in
- This Month - the system will identify students who are active in the current month and eligible for anniversary charges.
- Next Month - the system will identify students who are active in the next month and will be eligible for anniversary charges.
- NOTE: If "Next Month" is selected, students who are billed will have their Anniversary Eligibility Date adjusted to ensure that the student will not be deemed eligible for an Anniversary Charge again any earlier than the established Anniversary Timeframe.
- Due Date in X Days - this option replaces the “Due Date” field in the manual TRANSACTIONS>ANNIVERSARY CHARGES task. The Due Date will be calculated as "X" days from the date the Automated Billing workflow is triggered.
- Send Preview Summary to Email - This field is required and defines which email address(es) should receive an email alert when the “Generate Anniversary Charges (Preview)” step is completed. Multiple email addresses can be separated with a comma.
- Send Preview Summary to Phone- This field is optional and defines which phone number(s) should receive an SMS alert when the “Generate Anniversary Charges (Preview)” step is completed. Multiple phone numbers can be separated with a comma.
- NOTE: If this field is left blank, no summary text will be sent.
- Modify all applicable fields to match your billing requirements.
- Save the action settings.
These settings control which charges are generated during the preview phase and how summaries are delivered.
Configure the Wait For Action Step
This step defines how many days/hours/minutes the system should wait after generating the Anniversary Charges preview before it moves forward and processes the preview results.
NOTE: This period defaults to one (1) hour.
Generate Anniversary Charges (Process) Action
This action is locked and cannot be edited. When accessed, the System displays the message: “This action is locked and not editable.”
After the configured wait period completes, the System automatically processes Anniversary Charges using the previewed data.
NOTE: Any emails/phone numbers configured to receive the preview summary will also be notified of the Process action.
Final Steps
- After configuring the workflow, Save your changes.
- When you are ready, Enable the workflow to begin using it.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
-
Why can I not edit the Generate Anniversary Charges (Process) action?
- This action is intentionally locked to ensure charge processing occurs consistently after the preview and wait steps. The System displays a message confirming that it is not editable.
-
Can I enter a wait time of zero?
- No. The System requires all wait time values to be greater than zero and will not allow invalid entries. This is to allow staff time to look over and approve the preview before the charges are processed, and to cancel the task if the preview is incorrect.
-
Can I reorder or remove actions in this workflow?
- No. The three actions are sequential and must remain in their original order to ensure proper preview and processing behavior.
-
Does adding this workflow affect other billing automations?
- No. Each workflow operates independently and can be scheduled separately from other workflows.