Many of the media centers where WebCheckout is installed need to be able to manage charges, billing, and collections data. WebCheckout supports the ability to automatically or manually levy various types of charges, track the charges and payments in an invoice system, and prevent patrons from having additional access to materials depending on their invoice status. WebCheckout also supports the use of account codes to pay for charges against an institutional account such as a grant.
All operators can view charge information in reports and on a number of other screens, but only operators with the necessary capabilities can manage fines or perform overrides to allow a patron with fines to check out materials, etc. For more information about charges capabilities, see the Table 11.1, “Operator Roles and Capabilities Table” table.
This chapter describes how to work with fines and fees and invoices in WebCheckout.
There are two basic types of financial charges in WebCheckout: fines and usage fees.
- Fines
Fines are punitive charges that are levied against patrons as a penalty for abusing their borrowing privileges. Patrons incur fines when resources they have checked out become overdue, lost, or damaged. Many of these resources are expensive to replace, and the fines are often very high in order to discourage their abuse.
There are two kinds of fines: overdue fines, and abuse fines. Overdue fines are charged for the amount of time that a checked-out resource is overdue (past its grace period, if one has been set. Overdue fines are almost always controlled automatically. Abuse fines are fines that can be placed manually by operators with the Manage fines capability. These are generally added when resources are returned in a damaged state.
- Usage Fees
Fees are rental charges that patrons are required to pay for using certain types of resources. Unlike overdue fines, which are charged for the amount of time a resource is overdue, usage fees are charged for the duration of the checkout. Fees are estimated at the time of reservation or checkout, and are placed on the patron's record at return time.
The time between when a checkout was due and the time when it was actually returned is called the "overdue time". Normally, the period of time is subject to fines rather than fees. Depending on the circulation policies that are in effect, a patron may incur both overdue fines as well as usage fees for the same checkout. On the other hand, some schools only charge fees, and do not set fines.
Charges for fines and usage fees share the following characteristics:
Charges are controlled primarily with circulation policies that can be set on the organization, checkout center, or resource type level.
Circulation policies generate charges automatically. However, charges can also be added to a patron's record manually if necessary, by operators with the Manage fines capability. For example, abuse fines are always added manually.
All charges are tracked in invoices.
Charges can be paid by patrons directly, or paid through an institutional account, such as grants or department budgets . Invoice charges that are paid directly are called "normal" invoices. Invoice charges that are paid from an institudional account are called "recharge" invoices.
Charges that remain outstanding for 30 days or more result in an automatic hold being placed against a patron's account, which will block them from further activity until the hold is resolved.
The main difference between overdue fines and usage fees is how they are calculated. Overdue fines are charged for the amount of time that a resource is late past its due date and time (after the grace period if one has been set). Overdue fines are added to a patron's record when the resources are returned. Usage fees are charged for the duration of the checkout.
A number of circulation policies are used to define the behavior of fines, fees, and invoices.
Note
Most charges are generated automatically from the circulation policy settings, but operators with the Manage fines capability can also add charges to a patron's account manually when necessary. For example, abuse fines are often added to patron records manually.
The circulation policies for charges include fine rates and fine rules, and fee rates and fee rules. The rates specify how much money will be charged, and the rules specify how the rates will be applied. For example, you may charge an overdue fine of $5, and set a rule that will apply it to the patron's account once every half hour the resource is overdue until it's returned.
For complete descriptions of all the circulation policies that control fines and fees, see the following topics:
You can specify different fine and fee rules for different patron classes. For example, you can define a circulation policy that no overdue fines will be charged to faculty members, no matter how late their resources are. You can also specify a grace period, which is the amount of time after a resource becomes overdue, during which no fines will be charged; fines accrue after the grace period is over.
Circulation policies for overdue fines and usage fees are set on the Policy tabs of the Resource Type Detail, the Checkout Center Parameters, and the Organization Detail screens.
Charges are most commonly controlled at the resource type policy level, although like other circulation policies, they can also be set on the checkout center or the organization levels. We recommend setting a baseline overdue fine for the default patron class, , at the checkout center or organization level, and then set different fine amounts for specific patron classes and resource types as necessary.
If a usage fee is configured for a given resource type, but no overdue fine has been set, then the usage fee will be applied for the entire duration of the checkout, from checkout to return time, including any overdue time.
If both a usage fee and a late fine have been set, then the usage fee only applies to the period between the checkout and the scheduled return time, and the fine will apply to the overdue period between the scheduled return time (after the grace period, if set) and the actual return time.
The circulation policy setting, Day Rollover Time, controls when one day ends and the next day begins. It is required for the per-day aspects of usage fees and late fines. The Day Rollover Time policy should generally be set on the organization or checkout center. The default rollover setting is midnight.
Invoices are collections of charges. They are used by operators to view information about a patron's record, and to track the charges and payment information. Operators with the Manage fines capability can add charges, waive charges, waive invoices, record payments, send reminder email to patrons, or place a hold manually on a patron's record.
Invoices have a distinct life-cycle, which follows a certain pattern: the assessment of the charges, the collection of all data in the invoice, finalization of the invoice, the collections process, possibly becoming overdue, and finally the historical record of the paid invoice.
Invoices are created when charges are added to a patron's record. Fines are added when checked-out resources become overdue, and accrue until their return according to the policies that are in effect. Fees are generally added when resources are returned. However, operators with the Manage fines capability can also create invoices with new charges manually at any time.
All operators can use invoices to view charge information, including a history of all payments.
All charges are tracked in invoices. Invoices record information about the charges, as well as payments (credits), partial payments, waived charges, etc. Depending on the fine rules and fee rules that are in effect, fines and fees may appear on the same invoice, on on separate invoices. Separate invoices are often used when fees are going be paid with account codes.
Charges can be paid directly by the patron, or they may be paid from an institutional account, for examle, with scholarship or grant monies. This money is tracked though account codes. If fines are listed on an invoice that also contains fees charges, the fine will be paid from the same account.
Note
You cannot delete any patrons with outstanding fines on their records. You must waive the fines before you can delete the patron.
Use the Find Invoices screen to locate invoices.
Charges are tracked in the Invoice screen.
Holds. Invoices with unpaid, or partially paid, charges have a status of Pending. If the charges remain unpaid after 30 days, the invoice status is changed to Hold and the patron is not allowed to use any other resources in WebCheckout until the hold has been resolved or they receive an override from a supervisor.
When a user with a pending invoice or a hold on their record tries to reserve or check out resources, the operator will see a warning message, which they or their supervisor will need to override.
Account codes are used to pay fines and fees that are recharges, that is, charged against an institutional account. They may be set in several places in the application, including:
Confirm Reservation screen
Confirm Checkout screen
Reservation Detail screen
Returning checkout screen
Invoice screen
This section is not yet complete. If you need this information, please let us know and we will prioritize it for you. You can send email to <support@onshored.com>, or enter a bug report against the documentation.
See Section 15.3.4.3, “Fines for Late Return” for descriptions of the Circulation Policies for fines.
See Section 15.3.4.2, “Usage Fees” for descriptions of the Circulation Policies for fees.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
This section describes how to set circulation policies that control overdue fines.
For more information about circulation policies, see Section 1.5, “Understanding circulation policies”.
The following instructions are identitical for setting overdue fine policies at the organization, checkout center, or resource type level. The only difference is which screen you use.
Fines at the organizational level are set on the Organization Detail screen.
Fines at the checkout center level are set on the Checkout Center Parameters screen.
Fines at the resource type level are set on the Resource Type Detail screen.
Procedure 8.1. To set up circulation policies for overdue fines
Open the appropriate screen:
To set fees at the organization level, click the
banner icon, which opens the Checkout Center Parameters screen. Click the Edit managing organization link, which opens the Organization Detail screen.
To set fees at the checkout center level, click the
banner icon to open the Checkout Center Parameters screen.
To set fees at the resource type level, click the
banner icon to open the Find Resources screen. Click the Find resource types link to open the Find Resource Types screen. Search for the resource type, and click on it in the search results in the right frame. The Resource Type Detail screen opens for that resource type.
Open the screen's Policy tab.
Select the patron class the policy will apply to.
Go to the Fines for Late Return area. If no fines are set, click the Enable link. The screen refreshes and the fine setup fields are now available.
Select the Fine Rule. Depending on which rule you selected, additional fields are added that will allow you to set the fine rate and specify how it is to be applied. For complete documentation on these fields, see Section 15.3.4.3, “Fines for Late Return”.
Enter the fine amount and complete the other fields as necessary.
Click the button to save the new fine policy.
The fine rate will be displayed on the Confirm Checkout and Confirm Reservation screens during checkouts and reservations. Fines on a patron's record are displayed on the Invoice tab of the Person Detail screen, and on the Invoice screen.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
This section describes how to set circulation policies that control usage fees.
For more information about circulation policies, see Section 1.5, “Understanding circulation policies”.
These instructions are identical for setting usage fee policies at the organization, checkout center, or resource type level. The only difference is which screen you use.
Fees at the organizational level are set on the Organization Detail screen.
Fees at the checkout center level are set on the Checkout Center Parameters screen.
Fees at the resource type level are set on the Resource Type Detail screen.
Procedure 8.3. To set up circulation policies for usage fees
Open the appropriate screen:
To set fees at the organization level, click the
banner icon, which opens the Checkout Center Parameters screen. Click the Edit managing organization link, which opens the Organization Detail screen.
To set fees at the checkout center level, click the
banner icon to open the Checkout Center Parameters screen.
To set fees at the resource type level, click the
banner icon to open the Find Resources screen. Click the Find resource types link to open the Find Resource Types screen. Search for the resource type, and click on it in the search results in the right frame. The Resource Type Detail screen opens for that resource type.
Open the screen's Policy tab.
Select the patron class the policy will apply to.
Go to the Usage Fees area. If no fees are set, click the Enable link. The screen refreshes and the fee setup fields are now available.
Select the Fee Rule (the default is ). The screen refreshes. Depending on which rule you selected, additional fields are added that will allow you to set the fee rate and specify how it is to be applied. For complete documentation on these fields, see Section 15.3.4.2, “Usage Fees”.
Enter the fee amount and complete the other fields as necessary.
Click the button to save the new usage fee.
The estimated fee will be displayed on the Confirm Checkout and Confirm Reservation screens, the Returning checkout screen, and the Invoice screen. Fees on a patron's record will also be displayed on the Invoice tab of the Person Detail screen.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
This section describes how to add fines to a patron's record manually. Most fines are generated automatically from circulation policies, but sometimes you need the ability to add fines by hand.
This can be done at any time, not just when resources are renewed or returned. For example, you can add a charge for the replacement cost of a lost resource, or an extra fine for a damaged resource. This feature provides a lot of flexibility for adding patron charges under many circumstances.
Note
You can also add usage fees manually this way. More details.
Procedure 8.5. To add a fine to a patron's record manually
Click the
banner icon to open the Find People screen.
Find the patron's record by entering their ID or Name into the search fields and clicking the button.
Search results are displayed in the right frame.
Click the patron's Name link to open the Person Detail screen, which stores detailed information about this patron.
In the lower-left frame, click the Add a Fine link, which opens the fine-levying dialog. Complete the dialog:
From the Reason drop-down list, select the primary reason for the fine.
The Checkout Center defaults to the current organization. Select the patron's organization if it's different from the default.
Add a description if needed.
In the Amount field, enter the dollar amount of the fine, without the "$". The fine amount can be 0.00.
Click the button to add the fine the patron's record. The dialog closes and you are back in the Person Detail screen.
To verify the new fine, open the Invoices tab. There is a new entry for the fine you just added. If you want to see the invoice, click on the fine ID link.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
This section describes how to add an abuse manually to a patron's record.
Overdue fines are generated automatically when checked-out resources become overdue past their grace periods. But when a resource becomes lost or damaged, you can add an abuse fine to the patron's record by hand to make up for the loss. This feature provides a lot of flexibility for adding abuse fines under many circumstances.
There are two sets of instructions below. The first set describes how to add an abuse fine at any time. The second set describes how to add an abuse fine manually when renewing or returning resources.
Procedure 8.6. To add an abuse fine to a patron's record
Click the
banner icon to open the Find People screen.
Find the patron's record by entering their ID or Name into the search fields and clicking the button.
Search results are displayed in the right frame.
Click the patron's Name link to open the Person Detail screen, which stores detailed information about this patron.
In the lower-left frame, click the Add a Fine link, which opens the fine-levying dialog. Complete these fields:
From the Reason drop-down list, select .
Add a description if needed.
In the Amount field, enter the dollar amount of the fine.
Click the button to enter the fine in the patron's record. The dialog closes and you are back in the Person Detail screen.
To verify the new fine, open the Invoices tab. There is a new entry for the fine you just added. If you want to see the invoice, click on the fine ID.
Procedure 8.7. To add an abuse fine when renewing or returning resources
Click the
icon, which opens the Find Checkouts and Reservations screen.
Do a search to find the checkout, and click on the checkout ID link in the results to open the Returning checkout screen.
Click on the Add abuse fine link (in the Condition area), which opens the abuse fine dialog.
Enter a description, and the dollar amount of the fine.
Click the button. The dialog closes and you are back in the Returning checkout screen.
The new fine is added to the patron's record. It is visible as a link, Invoiced abuse charges. To view the invoice, click on this link. You can also verify the new fine information on the Invoices tab of the Person Detail screen.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
This section describes how to add fees to a patron's record by hand. Fees are most commonly administered automatically through circulation policies, but you can also add them to a patron's record by hand if necessary.
Procedure 8.8. To add a fee to a patron's record manually
Click the
banner icon to open the Find People screen.
Find the patron's record by entering their ID or Name into the search fields and clicking the button.
Search results are displayed in the right frame. More details
Click the patron's Name link to open the Person Detail screen, which stores detailed information about this patron.
Note
You can also open this screen by clicking on the patron's name or ID link wherever they appear.
In the lower-left frame, click the Add a Fine link, which opens the add a fine/fee dialog. Complete these fields:
From the Reason drop-down list, select .
Add a description if needed.
In the Amount field, enter the dollar amount of the fee.
Click the button to add the fee to the patron's record. The dialog closes and you are back in the Person Detail screen.
To verify the usage fee, open the Invoices tab. There is a new entry for the fee you just added. If you want to see the invoice, click on the fine ID link.
Who can do this
All operators.
This section describes several ways to find information about patrons' fines.
Procedure 8.9. To locate patron fine information using the Find Invoices scree
This is the most direct way of looking up information about a patron's fines.
Click the
banner icon to open the Find Invoices screen.
Note
You can also open this report from the Available Reports screen's Outstanding Invoices link.
The default search is for all fines that are pending and holds. If you need to do a different search, enter the new parameters into the form and click the button to run your search.
The search results are displayed in the right frame.
Click the Fine ID link, which opens the Invoice screen. You can also open this screen by clicking on the fine ID link wherever it appears in the application
View current and historic information about the fine in the invoice. Operators that are authorized to do so can also use this screen to administer the fine.
Procedure 8.10. To view a patron's fine information in the Person Detail screen
There are a couple of ways to open the Person Detail screen, where you can view detailed patron information, including fines. You can open this screen by clicking on a patron's name or ID link wherever they appear in the application, or you can follow the steps below:
Click the
banner icon to open the Find People screen.
Enter the patron's ID or name and click the button.
The search results are displayed in the right frame.
Click the Name link to open the Person Detail screen.
Information about the patron's fines is the default display under the Invoices tab.
Procedure 8.11. To locate fine information using reports
Another quick way to find patron fine information is to run a report. The main report for locating fine information is Outstanding Invoices, which is described below. Other reports you may find useful are People with Holds and Find what's Late.
Click the
banner icon to open the Available Reports screen.
Click on the Outstanding Invoices link to open the Find Invoices search screen. The default search is for invoices that are pending (unpaid) or so old (pending for 30 days or more) that they've been converted into holds.
To run your report/search, enter the invoice ID or the patron's name, and click the button.
The search results are displayed in the right frame.
Click the Invoice ID link to open the Find Invoices screen. This screen contains detailed information about a fine, including payment history. Operators that are authorized to do so can also use this screen to administer the fine.
Who can do this
All operators.
This section describes a couple of ways to find information about a patron's fees.
This section is not yet complete. If you need this information, please let us know and we will prioritize it for you. You can send email to <support@onshored.com>, or enter a bug report against the documentation.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
When an invoice becomes 30 days or more overdue, WebCheckout automatically applies a hold against the patron's record. The hold prevents the patron from using any more resources until the invoice is paid or overridden by an operator with the Manage fines capability. This capability also includes the ability to apply a hold to a patron's record at any time, whether they owe money or for some other reason.
Procedure 8.12. To apply a hold manually
Open the Invoice screen by doing one of the following:
Note
If no invoice exists, you need to create one. More details.
Open the Find Invoices screen, do a search for the invoice, and click on its ID link in the search results.
Open the the Person Detail screen, go to the Invoice tab, anc click on the invoice ID link.
Open the Admin tab, add a comment if you want, and click the button.
The hold is applied to the patron's record, and they will be unable to use more resources unless they get an override from an operator with the Override a patron’s hold to allow checkouts capability, or the hold is removed.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Override a patron’s fine to allow checkouts capability or the Override a patron’s hold to allow checkouts capability.
If a patron has fines or holds on their record, you will see warning messages when you try to renew or check out resources for them. If you have the required capabilitiy, you can perform an override and allow the patron to borrow the resources. If not, you will need a supervisor to help you.
Procedure 8.13. To perform an override
Fines and holds can be serious problems, and you may want to create a record of your actions for future reference. Most overrides are done during checkouts or renewals, so you can enter a comment into the Add Comment field.
To perform an override, enter your PIN at the prompt during a transaction such as a checkout or renewal to override any fine or hold warnings.
Who can do this
Any operator with the Manage fines capability.
This section is not yet written. If you need this information, please let us know and we will prioritize it for you. You can send email to <support@onshored.com>, or enter a bug report against the documentation.