Why use a Barcode Scanner with Gateway? Great, how do I set it up? Defining a Barcode... 4

Transcription

1 Barcode Scanning Contents Why use a Barcode Scanner with Gateway?... 2 Great, how do I set it up?... 3 Defining a Barcode... 4 What if I can t easily identify the reference numbers on my invoice?... 9 Defining more difficult barcodes Ok, I m ready to start scanning in invoices What if I linked the wrong barcode to a property? What if the biller code in the scanned barcode doesn t match the BPAY biller code? How do I manage EFT & BPAY payments for the one creditor? console.com.au

2 Why use a Barcode Scanner with Gateway? A barcode scanner allows you to enter payments into Gateway faster and more easily than ever before. It is perfect for streamlining the process of entering multiple payments to a given creditor, such as when you need to enter multiple council or water rates notices for payment at the same time. Using a scanner replaces the need to manually enter details for each invoice into a pending or journal payment, one by one, and takes only a few minutes to set up. A barcode scanner can be used to process most standard invoices with Australia Post Billpay barcodes console.com.au Page 2 of 19

3 Great, how do I set it up? To get started processing payments with your barcode scanner all you need to do is set up a barcode definition in the creditor(s) file so that Console understands the information it contains when scanned. Once you have run through this process once to set up your first creditor, simply repeat the steps to set up other creditors for whom you want to scan invoices into Gateway. Let s say you want to start entering all of the rates notices from your local council via the barcode scanner. Here s what you will need: 1. A couple of invoices from the local council it doesn t matter if they are paid yet or not, we just need the barcodes for now. 2. Your USB barcode scanner Now you re ready to set up a barcode definition for the local council creditor in Gateway following the steps below console.com.au Page 3 of 19

4 Defining a Barcode 1. Open the local council creditor s file and click on Tools > Barcode definition. Before you can start paying bills from a particular creditor with your scanner, you need to set up a barcode definition in the creditor s file 2. Click into the Scanned Barcode field and scan your first invoice from the council. A string of numbers will appear console.com.au Page 4 of 19

5 When you scan the barcode a string of numbers will appear console.com.au Page 5 of 19

6 What do the numbers mean? Every scanned barcode will produce a long sequence of numbers. This sequence can be broken up into 4 or 5 segments. Each segment tells us useful information about the invoice: A biller reference number This segment corresponds to the biller reference on the invoice. These numbers identify the biller, in this case the local council, so they will be the same on every scanned barcode from the local council. This is usually the first few numbers of the scanned barcode, but may vary in length and position from biller to biller. A customer reference number This segment corresponds to the customer or account number that the biller has assigned to identify each customer, so it will change accordingly from invoice to invoice depending on the customer being billed. Billers commonly display this on the invoice as the account number, customer number or rate plan number. A Dollar Amount this will show the dollar amount on the invoice A Cents amount this will show the cents amount on the invoice 3. For the next step, take a look at your invoice and identify the biller reference, customer reference and dollars and cents amounts. On our local council invoice the details are: Biller Reference Customer Reference Amount $ console.com.au Page 6 of 19

7 Note: if you are having difficulty identifying any of these numbers on your invoice, see page 6 What if I can t easily identify the reference numbers on my invoice? 4. Look for these numbers in the scanned barcode numbers: You will find the biller reference, customer reference and dollar and cents amount of the invoice in the string of numbers Biller ref Customer ref Dollars Cents Note: we have included the two extra zeroes leading into the dollar amount as part of the dollar amount ($72) as it is reasonable to assume that the biller has allowed enough space to accommodate bills which may have a dollar amount in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Finding 1-2 extra zeroes before the dollar amount is typical and they should be included as part of the dollar amount. 5. Now that you have identified each of the segments of the barcode, click into the Barcode Definition field to enter this information into Console: Type a B into the Definition field for each number that represents part of the biller reference. Type an R for each number that represents part of the customer reference Type a $ for each number that represents part of the dollar amount Type a C for each number that represents part of the cents amount Type an X for each to indicate they are to be ignored by Gateway console.com.au Page 7 of 19

8 Use the key to define the numbers in the barcode The key states that the letter B is to represent the biller reference so, if the first four numbers of the scanned barcode are the biller reference you would start by typing BBBB into the Barcode definition field 6. In our example it would look like this: Scanned Barcode: You type: BBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRXXX$$$$CC 7. If the biller code matches the BPAY biller code, select the BPAY tick box within the barcode definition view. This will than save the biller code into the creditor file for future BPAY payments. If you don t wish to use the biller code for BPAY payments, leave the BPAY tick box unticked console.com.au Page 8 of 19

9 What if I can t easily identify the reference numbers on my invoice? While most Australia Post Billpay barcodes store the biller, customer number and amounts in a standard format and display them clearly on the invoice, some billers present their data in different ways that may be harder to decipher. For example some billers do not display the biller reference number on the invoice. Don t worry, you can still set up a barcode definition, but you will need to do a bit of detective work to find out the biller and/or customer numbers. Just follow the simple steps to define more difficult barcodes. Here s what you ll need: 1. Three invoices from the same creditor - two of them for the same owner and one for a different owner. 2. Your USB barcode scanner console.com.au Page 9 of 19

10 Defining more difficult barcodes 1. Open Microsoft Notepad (Microsoft Word will also work but Notepad gives a better layout) 2. Click the cursor into the Notepad or MS Word document and scan the three barcodes, starting with the two invoices for the same owner. The result should look something like this: You can work out the biller and/or customer reference numbers by a process of elimination, comparing several barcode numbers from the same biller 3. We begin by looking at the dollar and cents amount of each invoice. The first is $124.72, the second is $78.56 and the third is $ This is the easiest information to find in the barcode numbers. It is also reasonable to assume that the leading zeros are part of the dollar amount. We can replace those positions in the file with the barcode formatting symbols. Notepad should now look like this: First identify the dollars and cents amount as they are easy to spot and replace with the symbols from the key ($ for dollars and C for cents) 4. We now look for any part of the barcodes that are the same values in the same positions in every barcode. Since this is the same in all barcodes for the same creditor but different owners, this must be the biller reference. It looks like is our biller reference. This may or may not be listed on the invoice somewhere. Our barcodes now look like this: console.com.au Page 10 of 19

11 Any numbers which are the same on all three barcodes and appear in the same position represent the biller reference. Replace them with a B for biller 5. We know that the first two barcodes are from the same owner, but the third is from a different owner. We need to find the part of the barcode that is the same in the first two barcodes, but different in the third. It looks like is the customer reference for the first owner, and is the customer reference for the second owner: The customer number will be the same on the first two barcodes as they are for the same owner and different on the third 6. We have now accounted for everything in the barcode. Anything left over is not used by Gateway. These may be check characters or other reference numbers that we are not interested in. We can replace these with the Ignore character in our barcodes: Now that you have identified all of the information Gateway needs, any numbers left over can be replaced with an X so that they are ignored by Gateway 7. Everything has been accounted for and we have our barcode definition. It is XXXRRRRRR$$$$$$$CCBBBBBX 8. Once you have finished defining the barcode you can test it out on a few invoices to verify it has been defined properly. Click in the Test barcode field and scan a console.com.au Page 11 of 19

12 barcode from any invoice from that creditor. check that the information that appears is correct. In rare cases you might need to modify your barcode definition slightly, but in most cases this procedure will give you the correct barcode definition. View the Test Barcode field and scan various invoices from this creditor to confirm that your barcode definition is correct. Check the biller and customer references and amount against each invoice console.com.au Page 12 of 19

13 Ok, I m ready to start scanning in invoices The Barcode Payment function is found in the Transactions Menu. In order to use Barcode Payments you must have the same level of access as other Payment functions. 1. In the barcode payment window that opens, select a creditor to pay by searching or using the intellisense function. Ensure the Creditor has been setup with a Biller Code, and for BPAY payments, ensure the BPAY tick box is ticked. 2. Enter the details you wish to appear on the owner s statement. Details entered in this section will automatically populate into the Details section of every transaction line so the details do not need to be re-typed. However, the Details field is editable if you wish to enter unique details for each line. 3. For BPAY payments, ensure the Creditor has been setup with a biller code and the BPAY tick box is ticked. If you wish to process regular EFT or Journal payments, untick the BPAY tick box console.com.au Page 13 of 19

14 Click your cursor here to start scanning 4. With the cursor in the barcode field of the table, scan the barcode of the first invoice. Using the barcode definition set in the Creditor file, the customer reference and the amount will be extracted and populated into the table and you can simply scan the next invoice. NOTE: The first time you scan an invoice from this creditor for a particular property, you will need to select the property from the drop down menu, as you would in a regular payment screen. Gateway will then link the customer reference in that barcode to the specific property for future payments. 5. Upon completion of this transaction line the cursor will move to the barcode field of the next line console.com.au Page 14 of 19

15 Note: If your property hasn t been setup with the customer reference number, you can select the property after scanning the barcode. The reference number can then be saved for future barcode payments against this property for this particular creditor. 6. Once all invoices have been scanned, check the box to deduct maintenance commission, if required. Maintenance commissions will be deducted at the next disbursement. 7. Click OK to process the transactions. A report will generate showing the payments completed and any new barcodes committed to the system. Note: Gateway will create individual journal payments for these invoices. If there are insufficient funds to make the payment, Gateway will create a pending payment instead console.com.au Page 15 of 19

16 What if I linked the wrong barcode to a property? No problem, Barcode Management is located in the Tools section of each property file. If you have authorisation to make payments using the barcode method, you can simply open this area from the property file to view or delete a linked barcode from a particular creditor. Any barcodes which have been linked to this property will be shown in this window console.com.au Page 16 of 19

17 If the incorrect barcode was linked to this property, simply select from the list and click delete console.com.au Page 17 of 19

18 What if the biller code in the scanned barcode doesn t match the BPAY biller code? If you are using BPAY payments, and the BPAY biller code doesn t match the scanned biller code, you can manually enter this instead. You will always need the B in the Barcode Definition to define the biller code, however, you can have the BPAY biller code stored in a separate location for each creditor. To do this, open the relevant file and choose the details tab. You will notice a field for biller codes. Manually enter the BPAY biller code in this field, then save & close the creditor. This biller code will now be used for all future BPAY payments console.com.au Page 18 of 19

19 How do I manage EFT & BPAY payments for the one creditor? No problem, by defining the barcode definition for future EFT payments, then manually entering the BPAY biller code under the creditors details, you will have the ability to process both BPAY payments and EFT payments for one creditor console.com.au Page 19 of 19