Credit Overview 

Use

This function is used to update credit volumes and values. It also documents the usage of credit volumes and saves the prebilled volumes and values for the next usage billing.

Integration

The credit overview is a tab page for the service item in a single contract.

Readings can contain credits (“deduction volumes”), such as test copies made by a service technician. When you enter a reading with deduction volumes, the system updates the credit volume in the credit overview.

Features

Origin of a Credit Volume

The credit overview takes the credits from the following sources:

·        Readings (usage volumes not relevant for billing – deduction volumes)

·        Manual entries (correcting the credit volume and values for the next billing period, for example, in order to avoid canceling billing documents)

·        Prebilling (usage volumes billed in advance, such as the usage volume included in the service flat rate)

Only manually created credits can be changed (with the exception of used credits). Used (and partially used) credits cannot be changed.

Validity Period of the Credit Volume

Credit volumes and values have a validity period, which is derived from the following periods:

·        Reading date

·        Billing period of the billing request item (such as billing period of the service flat rate)

·        Manually entered validity period

Type of Credit

When you prebill single contracts, the system normally creates credits with type “C”. Credits of this type are then used during usage prebilling, for example, when you enter readings. Pool prebilling uses credits with type “P” exclusively. Credits of this type are created after usage prebilling. For example, the system saves the gross and net usage volumes after usage prebilling. You define when which types of credits are created in Customizing for Pricing. For more information, refer to the Implementation Guide (IMG) for Usage-Based Billing under Pricing ® Assign Usage Functions and Credit Overview.

Credit Usage Details

Press the Credit Usage Details button to display the used credit volume of an item. The detailed display indicates the source of the credits, which can stem from a billing document or from change processes. In the case of change processes, the system transfers any available credit to the successor item.