As part of Alliance Data s ongoing efforts to continuously improve quality, efficiency, and service, we

Transcription

1 Dear Valued Alliance Data Supplier, Re: Alliance Data is introducing e-invoicing As part of Alliance Data s ongoing efforts to continuously improve quality, efficiency, and service, we are transitioning to a paperless environment by implementing an electronic invoicing program. As a supplier to LoyaltyOne, Epsilon, ICOM, or Aspen Marketing Services who are subsidiaries of the Alliance Data Group of companies, you are receiving this communication to inform you about this new initiative that will impact the way you currently invoice these companies in a very positive way. With e-invoicing, suppliers will benefit from: A secure and guaranteed invoice delivery within hours, which will allow us to process your invoices more efficiently A net overall cost reduction due to the elimination of stationery, printing, postage, etc. Visibility to invoice and payment status through a vendor portal Elimination of common problems associated with paper invoices data accuracy, lost invoices, etc. We have partnered with OB10, a global leader of e-invoicing network and electronic invoice delivery, and we strongly believe that this new process will prove mutually beneficial to you, our valued provider of goods and services. Currently more than 108,000 world-wide suppliers use the OB10 network to submit their invoices to customers throughout the world. AllianceData is live with OB10 and receiving electronic invoices effective December 1, Your participation in this new process is required. Please be advised that non-compliance through the continued submission of paper invoices will be factored into future sourcing decisions.

2 What Happens Next? In a few days, an OB10 representative will contact you to explain the details of the program, help you select the option that best fits your business needs, and begin the enrollment process. Additional information concerning e-invoicing through OB10, including Frequency Asked Questions and Options Overview, can be found at If you prefer to get started right away, you may contact OB10 directly at (option 2) for assistance or via at Alliancedata.registration@ob10.com Thank you in advance for supporting this critical initiative. We look forward to receiving your invoices via OB10 and providing you with best practice and highest quality of invoice processing services available. Best Regards, Jim Pierce VP, Corporate Administration Todd Holcomb Sr. Director, Procurement & P2P Operations Alliance Data Alliance Data 7500 Dallas Parkway, Suite Dallas Parkway, Suite 700 Plano, TX Plano, TX 75024

3 Supplier FAQ s for submitting invoices to Alliance Data via OB10 What is electronic invoicing? Electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) is a communication methodology that utilizes the Internet to allow Alliance Data to receive invoice information directly from vendors without the need to print and mail paper invoices. Alliance Data has selected OB10 as our e-invoicing provider based on this vendor s leading market presence and the overall value and flexibility that their solution offers to suppliers. Who is Alliance Data? Alliance Data is the USA based parent company of LoyaltyOne (aka Air Miles), Epsilon, ICOM, and Aspen Marketing Services, and provides Purchasing, Accounting, and Accounts Payable systems which are used by these Canadian entities to pay their supplier invoices. Who is OB10? OB10 is the largest global network and e-invoice delivery service provider with more than 108,000 customers world-wide. Their e-invoicing solution enables organizations to electronically deliver invoices from their accounting systems in the structured data format of their choice without the need to install any proprietary hardware or software. OB10 offers two registration options to submit electronic invoices, and you will have the opportunity to choose the method that best fits your business model and structure based on the number of invoices that you submit to Alliance Data and to other customers who may also be using the OB10 network. Why is Alliance Data moving to e-invoicing? This new process will allow for better tracking of invoices, reduce unnecessary errors, and result in a more efficient process for Alliance Data and our suppliers. e-invoicing reduces the cost of manually handling the large volume of paper invoices that we receive daily without the associated costs and complexities of traditional paper methods. From a Suppliers perspective, it also reduces costs

4 associated with printing and mailing paper invoices, and it improves the efficiency of invoice processing in terms of time and accuracy. What e-invoicing options does OB10 offer to suppliers using their network? OB10 offers flexible electronic options for submitting e-invoices that accommodate a variety of supplier sizes, systems, and processing needs. In addition, suppliers do not need to install any hardware or software or change the way their systems are configured. There are two primary methods/options for sending invoices and credit notes through the OB10 network: the Integrated Solution and the Web Form: Integrated Solution: This option is the best fit for suppliers submitting a high volume of invoices and it allows them to send a billing (invoice or credit note) data file from their financial system directly to OB10. Web Form: This option is the best fit for suppliers submitting a low volume invoices and it allows them to create their billing invoices and/or credit notes directly on the on-line OB10 network and submit them electronically to their customers. Is the OB10 electronic invoicing program a requirement for all Alliance Data suppliers? Yes, e-invoicing is an enterprise-wide initiative and therefore, this program applies to suppliers that submit paper invoices to Alliance Data and all of its subsidiaries listed here. Alliance Data Accounts Payable will no longer accept paper invoices from your company unless otherwise expressly provided for in your written agreement with Alliance Data. OB10 will be our preferred method of receiving invoices in the future. This is an important initiative for Alliance Data, and suppliers participation is required. We hope that you will work with us in this initiative, and we strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to improve your own invoice submission method. The new process has full management support within Alliance Data, and non-compliance with this initiative will be taken into consideration when contract renewals with your company take place.

5 If I choose the Web Forms Option, does the OB10 portal accommodate multiple languages? Yes. Through the culture setting, which is controlled by the supplier, the language may be chosen for the Portal display. The choices that are available include: English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, American, and Portuguese. What s the difference between the English and American culture setting English culture displays the date in the dd/mm/yyyy format, where as, the American culture displays the date in the mm/dd/yyyy format. Alliance Data Group of Canadian Companies (Subsidiaries) include: LoyaltyOne, Inc. (includes AIR MILES and Direct antidote) LoyaltyOne, Inc. (including divisions - Colloquy, Precima, and L One Consulting ICOM Information and Communications LP (ICOM Canada) Epsilon Interactive Canada (Epsilon Canada) Aspen Marketing Services Will the French version of the Suppliers Communication Pack be available in the Suppliers Web portal? If so, how can I access it? Yes. The Suppliers Web portal will host all of the documents contained in the Suppliers Communication pack in both English and French. Suppliers may access these documents by clicking on the different active links displayed on the Suppliers web page at: What happens if I still send paper invoices? All suppliers are expected to support our e-invoice initiative by registering with OB10. AllianceData has been receiving electronic invoices since December 1, Your organization s nonparticipation can affect our working relationship in the following ways: Future contract award maybe affected Payment terms cannot be guaranteed

6 Processing cycle time will be extended as transacting business on paper invoices will be considered non-compliant with our standard process Supplier performance management score carding process will be impacted Is there a cost to suppliers for submitting e-invoices through OB10? Yes, there are fees assessed by OB10 to suppliers using the OB10 network to submit invoices to their customers. Pricing for the network is set by OB10, and all fees are billed by and paid directly to them by the supplier; however, this cost is minimum compared to the cost currently incurred by suppliers for printing, postage and overnight charges, etc. There are two options available for submitting electronic invoices: the Integrated Solution and the Web Form. If you choose the Integrated Solution there is an annual membership fee plus a transaction fee. If you choose to use the Web Form you are not required to pay a set-up or joining fee to start using this service. You just purchase blocks of invoices. Why doesn t Alliance Data pay the fees? To use the OB10 service, both you and Alliance Data will pay a fee as we will both benefit from the service. In addition, this is an open network and not a private exchange for Alliance Data. At present, Alliance Data does not cover Suppliers costs to produce paper invoices. Please consider that you will save costs for paper, printing, and mailing when moving to e-invoicing. Our analysis shows that moving to electronic invoicing will create savings for suppliers by streamlining their processes and significantly reducing the time in which their invoices are processed for payment. What does the membership fee cover? The membership fee covers the cost to OB10 of setting you up on their network and the general costs of maintaining the network. This is a once a year cost irrespective of the number of customers that you service via the network. When and how do I pay the membership fee? Integrated Solution: Payment of the initial annual subscription fee for Integrated Solution is due upon contract signing. OB10 will not commence Supplier implementation until credit card, ACH or other

7 payment is confirmed. The annual charge(s) includes set-up, mapping, maintenance and support for the service covered. Prices are subject to change with 30 days prior written notice. All fees are exclusive of taxes, which are the sole responsibility of the Integrated Supplier. Web Form: Upon completion of the Web Form registration, each supplier s account will be credited with an initial 12 transactions at no charge. These 12 transactions will be renewed after 12 months from the date of registration, unless they are completely used and additional transactions are needed within the 12 month period. At that time, a batch of 25 will be the minimum quantity you can purchase. Is there a GST/HST applicable to the OB10 membership fee? No, GST/HST is not applicable when paying OB10 supplier membership fees. OB10, Inc. is a USbased entity and therefore, billed fees are not subject to GST/HST. Does the change from paper invoice to this OB10 process change the taxation I currently apply on my paper invoices? No change. Under this new OB10 process (either the Web Form method or the Integrated solution) you will continue to bill Alliance Data s Canadian based subsidiaries (i.e. LoyaltyOne, ICOM, Epsilon, or Aspen Marketing Services), so you will continue to apply and submit the same sales tax amounts that you have been charging on your paper invoices based on the tax rules. Can I send electronic invoices using OB10 to all of my customers? Yes. Once you are subscribed to the OB10 network, OB10 will enable you to send electronic invoices to any other customers that are on the OB10 network. What if I don t have a system capable of creating electronic invoices? You may access the OB10 secure website and create invoices on-line using their Web Form. All you need is an Internet connection and web browser.

8 I already send some invoices to customers via EDI. Can I use this? EDI is just another data format that OB10 can support. However, Alliance Data will not accept EDI format directly from suppliers. Invoices must be submitted through the OB10 network. I can make invoices available to my customer to view via the Internet. Can I use this instead of OB10? The OB10 network ensures that Alliance Data receives the data you send in a format that will automatically upload into our accounting software. Providing an image of the invoice or an option to download the data in a fixed format does not satisfy our business requirement. Do I need to install any software in order to submit my invoices electronically through OB10? No. The OB10 service is non-intrusive. Suppliers can use a standard Internet browser to upload electronic files created by their existing accounting system. What are the minimum system requirements for using OB10? The minimum operating system requirements are: Microsoft Windows XP, Linux or Max OS X*. Minimum browser requirements are: MS Internet Explorer 7 Safari 4 Mozilla Firefox 3.0 What are the Invoice Data Elements required for invoice submission to Alliance Data? See Invoice Data Elements Required for Invoice Submission to Alliance Data by Canadian Suppliers section below. Will I be able to attach any additional documentation to invoices submitted through OB10? Yes. You will be able to attach additional backup documentation at the time you submit your invoice. Please be aware that all attachments must be in PDF format.

9 I am planning to change my invoicing software soon, should I wait before subscribing to OB10? The OB10 network accepts any structured data format. You can join the network and send your invoices now and simply advise OB10 of the changes when you are ready to use your new software. They will make the necessary modifications without interruption of invoice delivery. Will Alliance Data make payments using OB10? No. All payments to our suppliers will continue to be issued by our Alliance Data Corp. Accounts Payable department twice weekly, as we do now. Will I be forced to provide a PO number for all of my invoices or will OB10 accept non-po invoices? Our preference is that all products and services provided to Alliance Data be tied to a valid Alliance Data issued Purchase order; however, you will not be required to have a Purchase Order to invoice us. OB10 will accept both PO and non-po invoices. If you submit a PO invoice, OB10 will validate your PO number against a database of valid AllianceData issued Purchase Orders. PO Invoices received by OB10 without a valid PO # will be rejected. Suppliers will then need to contact their Alliance Data purchasing department to obtain a valid PO# for the products/service that they are invoicing. How can I obtain additional information on OB10 and their e-invoicing service? For additional information you may visit the OB10 website at You may also contact them via at AllianceData.registration@OB10.com or call our dedicated Supplier Service line at (Option 2).

10 Invoice Data Elements Required for Invoice Submission to Alliance Data by Canadian Suppliers Whether suppliers choose the full integrated solution (e-invoicing) or the Web Form alternative to submit their invoices through OB10, Alliance Data will require the following information for each electronic invoice. These key elements are necessary for Alliance Data to promptly process your invoice and pay you on time. If your invoice is missing any of the following key elements, OB10 will not be able to accept your invoice for delivery to AllianceData but instead will return it to you along with the reason for the failure. PO Invoices No multiple Purchase Orders are allowed on the same invoice. Valid Alliance Data issued Purchase Order Number 10 digit number. Do NOT include the BU (ADS, CAN, etc.) in front of the PO. The Purchase Order line number for each invoice line submitted Quantity of items invoiced by line number Cost per item invoiced Unit of measure for each item invoiced (ex. each, box, pound) Remit to Address, including city, state, and zip code Ship to Location, including address, Department Name/ Contact Name, City, State, and Zip Code Invoice Number Invoice Date Invoice Payment Terms Invoice Currency Invoice Total Amount Tax Registration Numbers ( when these taxes are billed) o GST / HST # (example: RT) o QST (Quebec) # (example: TQ) o Manitoba PST# (example: MT) Tax Amount - if applicable, must be recorded by each line item o GST / HST

11 o QST (Quebec) o Provincial Sales Tax (PST) Freight Amount - if applicable NOTE: Work on the associated product or service must not be initiated until after you receive a purchase order number from Alliance Data. Non-PO Invoices & Credit Notes / Memos Remit to address, city, state, and zip code Ship to Location, including address, Department Name/ Contact Name, City, State, and Zip Code Invoice Number Invoice Date Invoice Payment Terms Invoice Currency Invoice Total Amount Tax Registration Numbers ( when these taxes are billed) o GST / HST # (example: RT) o QST (Quebec) # (example: TQ) o Manitoba PST# (example: MT) Tax Amount - if applicable o GST / HST o QST (Quebec) o Provincial Sales Tax (PST) Freight Amount - if applicable NOTE: All Suppliers submitting Non-PO invoices must include a valid Department Name and a Contact Name in the Ship to address to ensure proper routing of the invoice for processing (coding & approval). Failure to include this information will result in processing/payment delay due to the additional research that will be needed in order to ensure routing accuracy.

12 What Happens Next? A member of the OB10 team will contact you within two weeks to discuss the available e-invoicing options, and help you select the solution to meet your business needs. Additional information concerning e-invoicing through OB10, including Frequently Asked Questions and Options Overview, can be found at You can also contact the AllianceData/OB10 customer support number at (option 2) for assistance or with any questions you may have regarding e-invoicing through OB10. AllianceData is live with OB10 and receiving electronic invoices effective December 1, Your participation in this new process is required. Please be advised that non-compliance through the continued submission of paper invoices will be factored into future sourcing decisions.