Regardless of where you begin this process, (a customer record, the EFT Customer list, or the EFT Processing form) the same data entry form will be displayed to the user. For this example, we will begin from a customer record.
1. From a customer record, on the customer tree, highlight Payment Options, right-click and select Manage Payment Methods.
2. The Customer Payment Methods form will be displayed. Click on the Bank Accounts tab at the top, then click on the New button at the lower right of the form.
3. Forte’s data entry form will be displayed. Each data entry field on this form will be explained below.
A. Routing Number - Click in the box and enter the 9-digit bank routing number. Canadian banks have transit routing numbers consisting of a five-digit branch transit number followed by a three-digit institution number. To turn this into an EFT Routing Number usable by Forte, you must add a leading zero to the institution number followed by the branch transit number. For example, if the bank’s transit number on the MICR line of a check appears as “39431-001”, the user would add a leading zero to the branch number and create a nine-digit EFT routing number in the format “000139431”.
B. Checking or Savings – Make a selection from the drop-down list indicating whether this is a checking or savings type bank account.
C. Account Number - Enter the customer’s bank account number and press the tab key on your keyboard. The system will then require the user to re-enter the same account number. Both entries must match.
D. Re-Enter Account Number - The system requires the user to re-enter the same account number. Both entries must match.
E. Country – The default is United States of America. If the bank account is in Canada, click on the drop-down arrow to the right of the field to select the correct country.
F. Name – This field is for the bank account holder’s name. The Customer’s primary bill to name in SedonaOffice will auto-fill into this field. The name must be entered as first name, a space, middle initial (if any), followed by a space, and then the last name. There can be no punctuation in this field. If the name defaulted into this field is incorrect, make your changes then move onto the next field.
G. Street Address – The Customer’s primary bill to street address will default into this field. Make certain this is the address where the customer receives their bank statements. Make corrections if necessary.
H. City - The Customer’s primary bill to city will default into this field. Make certain this is the city where the customer receives their credit card statements. Make corrections if necessary.
I. State/Province - The Customer’s primary bill to state or province will default into this field. Make certain this is the state or province where the customer receives their credit card statements. Make corrections if necessary.
J. Zip Code/Postal Code - The Customer’s primary bill to zip code or postal code will default into this field. Make certain this is the zip code or postal code where the customer receives their credit card statements. Make corrections if necessary.
When finished filling in the form, click on the Create Token button at the lower right of the form. The bank account will be added to Forte’s system and a token will be held within SedonaOffice.
4. Once the bank account information is saved and tokenized by Forte, you will be returned to the Customer Payment Methods form to finish entering additional information that will be stored in the SedonaOffice database. Each data entry field on this form will be explained below.
A. Payment Method – From the drop-down list, select EFT.
B. Auto Processing Recurring – If the bank account has been authorized to be used for automatic payment of invoices created through cycle invoicing, select this checkbox. If this option is selected, the customer’s cycle invoices will automatically be sent to Forte using this bank account. If this option is left unchecked, the bank account will be kept on file for use when the customer contacts your company to make a payment.
C. Auto Processing Non-Recurring – If this option is selected, the user can create automatic payments for non-recurring invoices (e.g. job, service or miscellaneous invoices) through the Auto Process Non-Recurring Invoices program.
D. Max Amount (for Auto Processing Non-Recurring) – If the previous option (Non-Recurring) checkbox was selected, this field will open for you to enter a maximum dollar amount, per transaction, that is authorized to be billed to this bank account. If a transaction is greater than the dollar amount in this box, only the maximum amount will be authorized to be charged. The default is zero meaning that the customer has not indicated a maximum amount.
E. Hold Day – If the Auto Process Recurring checkbox was selected, this is the day of the month (between 2 and 28) that cycle invoice payments will be submitted to Forte for funding.
Example: Your company has posted cycle invoices dated September 1st for the October service period. Your customer has requested that their bank account be charged on the 5th of the month. Entering a hold day of 5 will make this invoice eligible to go to Forte on October 5th (as October is the month of service and your customer chose the calendar date as the 5th of the month).
The number “1” is not a calendar date. When a new payment method is entered, the default hold day assigned is “1”. The number 1 gives the user the ability to select whatever date the invoice should be sent to Forte for cycle invoices based on the entry made to the ACH Hold To Process date in the cycle billing posting form.
F. Days Past Inv Date – Many companies run their cycle billing prior to the start of the service period being invoiced. If this is your policy and your company wants to receive payment in advance of the service period, you may elect to utilize the number of days past invoice date. Unlike a hold day, which is based on a specific calendar day, this option will allow an invoice to be sent to Forte “x” number days after the invoice date. Entering “1” enables the invoice to go to Forte on the date of the invoice. Any value entered greater than 1 will add “x” number of days to the invoice date to have it available to go to Forte.
For example, cycle billing is posted for the service period of October. The invoices are dated September 15th. If the customer has Days Past Invoice Date set to 5, the EFT will be submitted to Forte on September 20th.
G. Auto Bill To Recurring – If there is only one Bill To record associated with this customer, the bank account you are entering will be used for all recurring transactions for the customer. If the customer has multiple Bill To records, you may link this bank account to a specific Bill To record by clicking on the drop-down list in this field and selecting the appropriate Bill To record.
After making all your selections on the Customer Payment Methods form, click the Save button at the lower right of the form. A confirmation message will be displayed indicating the bank account information was successfully saved. Click the OK button on the message box. You may then close out of the Customer Payment Methods form.
