In this article:
What is Combined Billing?
Combined Billing is a tool used to combine multiple invoices for a single customer. This can be multiple invoices from one Recurring Job or a combination of invoices from different Jobs. The main benefit of this is having a single billing document to send to a Client which includes multiple Invoices and it can be automated.
What is a Combined Billing Schedule?
Combined Billing works by first creating a Combined Billing Schedule for a customer, which determines how often SingleOps generates an invoice for that customer. Once applied to the customer's Jobs, this schedule consolidates all invoices for completed visits within the specified timeframe onto a Combined Invoice (CMB) that is generated on the set schedule.
Examples:
To invoice on a monthly schedule with a dynamic charge (e.g. this month we mow 4 times, next month 5 times and we want the invoice to reflect that) a per visit invoice Job with a CMB should be used.
To include multiple services set up a separate Jobs on one billing document (e.g. a One-off Job tree removal, Recurring Job pruning, and Recurring Job snow removal all occurred within one month), a CMB should be used.
A best practice that SingleOps recommends for CMBs is that people who want all of a month's visits on one invoice is to date them for the end of the month, the 31st.
Create a Combined Billing Schedule
On Client Page
Navigate to:
Clients All Clients
Select desired client.
Select New Combined Billing Schedule from Client page.
You will go through setting rules to determine how and when an invoice is generated. Pay special attention to the Invoice Frequency choices. The choice made here, in conjunction with the Job start & end dates, will affect what Jobs/Visits end up on the individually generated CMB.
On Job Creation
Create a Job in the Proposal, Active or Completed stage.
Enter the Customer Name
Once the customer name is entered the Customer Billing Schedule field will become visible at the top of the screen. You can create a new Customer Billing Schedule or add this new Job to an already existing schedule.
When are CMB Invoices Generated?
The CMB invoice is created based on the selected invoice frequency minus lead days chosen in Account Settings.
For example, if the Customer Billing Schedule is set for every 1 month on the 25th and lead days are set to 5, the CMB invoice will be created on the 20th of each month.
To update lead days:
Navigate to:
Setup Account Settings
Click on QuickBooks from the blue menu
Type a number into the box next to Invoice Lead Days?
Don't forget to select Update Settings
When are Visits Added to a CMB Invoice?
The date chosen for the Customer Billing Schedule is essentially the last date visits will be included.Per-visit invoices are added based on the date that they are marked complete in SingleOps, while fixed invoices are added based on the cadence of the CMB.
Below are examples using April and May. It is recommended to set monthly CMBs to day 31..
Day of Month | Per Visit Invoices | Fixed Invoices |
Monthly 31st |
| Fixed Invoice Job Start Date of 5/1, first fixed invoice added to 5/31 CMB |
Monthly 1st |
| Fixed Invoice Job Start Date of 5/1, first fixed invoice added to 5/1 CMB |
Monthly 15th |
| Fixed Invoice Job Start Date of 5/1, first fixed invoice added to 5/15 CMB |
Where can I find my CMB invoices?
CMB Invoices can be found using the search bar, Client Detail Page, Open Invoice page, or Paid Invoice page. Search "CMB" to find CMBs which have already been generated.
Note: There is no page that shows all scheduled CMBs, but you can use Filters and the search bar in the Invoice Page to show all CMBs which have been created during a stipulated range of time.
What do CMB Invoices Look Like?
CMB Invoices use the Combined Invoice template. The address displayed in the document defaults to the Client’s billing address, since a CMB can span multiple visit locations. To use a different billing address, edit the CMB on the client page, enter an Invoice Location, and save.
For more information, see Document Templates.
CMB Page in SingleOps
Basic CMB Document Example:
CMB FAQs
Why did my already paid invoices and their payments move over to my newly created CMB?
If you add a CMB to a job that is already in progress, any invoices that area associated with the job will automatically be combined and move to the first generated CMB of this chain
CMBs are best added at the beginning of a job or prior to invoices receiving payments to avoid confusion
In the event that a job is added to a CMB after payments have been received and the CMB combines the sub invoices and their associated payments, you will need to clean up your QuickBooks account as the sub invoices will now be showing Open as their payments have moved to the newly synced CMB.
Void the sub invoices now that they are associated with the CMB to avoid doubling your A/R
Can CMB invoice dates be changed? Can I Edit my CMB?
Yes, Admin users can edit CMBs.
⚠️ Any payments must be deleted from the CMB, to be able to edit it.
I don't see my invoices in my CMB. Should I delete them to troubleshoot this?
No — we strongly recommend against deleting CMBs, as this can break the billing schedule and stop invoices from generating.
If you don't see your expected visits on a CMB, common reasons include:
The visit hasn't been marked as completed yet. For per-visit jobs, only completed visits are pulled onto that period's CMB; incomplete visits wait for the next generated invoice.
The invoice isn't scheduled to generate yet (it generates on the schedule date minus your Invoice Lead Days).
One of the invoices is type Fixed and a change was made to the job after the CMB was already generated. Edits made after generation don't automatically update an existing invoice and may require SingleOps Support to assist with Regenerating the CMB.
⚠️ Regenerating a CMB to pull in new information is a back-end action that only SingleOps Support can perform.
If your CMBs aren't populating as expected, please contact suppot@singleops.com, and we'll be happy to help.
Can a CMB have Jobs from different operations?
Yes, while CMB Operations are required, jobs with different operations can apply the same CMB. For example, If a CMB is created with Operation: Tree Service, both of these Jobs can be included in this CMB:
Job #3572 with Tree Service Operation
Job #3548 with Maintenance Operation
Is a CMB the same thing as a client statement?
No, CMBs differ from standard client statements because they include invoices for multiple Jobs over one range of time, while client statements usually include all jobs' invoices for one Client over multiple billing periods. Statements cannot be created in SingleOps.
I put a job on the wrong CMB, can I change it?
Yes, assigning a Different CMB to a Job is a two step process:
Edit the Job and remove the CMB by setting it to Customer Billing Schedule (blank). Update to Save.
Edit the Job again and assign the Job to the proper CMB. Update to Save.
Can a CMB have jobs with different sales reps?
Sales Reps are assigned at the CMB level. A Job with an assigned Sales Reps which differs from a CMB's Sales Rep will be overridden if the CMB is applied to that Job.
Example: Job #3847 has assigned Sales Rep: Keith and CMB #35 has assigned Sales Rep: Craig. If Job #3847 is edited, and the billing section is updated to apply CMB#35 to this Job, the Sales Rep field on Job #3847 will automatically change to Craig because he is the assigned Sales Rep on CMB #35
How do I deactivate a CMB I no longer want to use?
If you no longer want to use a combined billing schedule (CMB) for a customer, you can deactivate it from the Client page and remove it from any jobs currently using it.
On the Client page, open the Billing Schedules tab.
Fine the CMB you no longer want to use.
Select Deactivate under the Action column.
⚠️ In some instances, CMBs will continue to generate if associated with an active job. The CMB must also be removed from any linked jobs, since deactivating it does not automatically update those records.
Combined Billing Schedules Video
Note: Some of the content in this video may reflect a previous version of SingleOps. For a more accurate guide, please refer to the steps listed above.