In this article
This guide is designed to assist you with configuring the Billing module in your Penelope database. The steps in this guide should be completed prior to configuring other sector-specific billing components such as EDI submissions, NDIS, DSS, AUS Med or General Ledger.
General settings
In this section
Enable the Billing Module
Prior to configuring the Billing Module, you must first ensure that the module has been enabled from the System Administration side of Penelope. If the Billing Module has not been enabled, many configuration settings will be hidden.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Agency.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. In the Settings section, ensure the Use Billing option is selected.
4. Click Save.
Configure your agency identifying information
Your agency name, identification numbers, and address pull through to various Billing Documents including invoices, receipts, etc. that you generate from Penelope. In most cases, this information will have likely been configured as part of your agency’s initial implementation of Penelope.
The fields referenced below are specifically used by the Billing Module, so you can use this topic as a reference point to ensure billing-related information is complete.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Agency.
2. On the Profile tab, click Edit.
3. In the General section, complete the following fields as needed or required by your Funders:
a. Agency Name
b. Social Security Number (SSN/SIN/AUS Med/PPS/Other)
c. Employer Identification Number (EIN)
d. National Provider ID (NPI)
e. Provider Taxonomy Code (TAX)
4. In the Contact Information section, complete the following fields:
a. Addr. 1
b. Addr. 2
c. City
d. State/Province
e. Country
f. Zip/Postal Code
g. Telephone
h. Fax
i. Email
j. URL
5. Click Save.
Configure your Sites
A Site in Penelope is a physical location where service is provided. This could include different offices at your organization, residential care facilities, shelters (i.e. anywhere you provide service). Both workers and clients are assigned a Site in Penelope, and Sites are referenced in many Billing Documents. The Site Setup page allows you to configure information for each location where services are administered. You must configure at least one Site.
Note: This topic includes configuration information for Sites that is specifically related to the Billing Module. For more information about configuring other aspects of Sites such as Hours of Operation, please see the following help topic
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Site.
2. On the Site Setup page, in the Agency Site section, complete on of the following actions:
a. To add a new Site, click Add.
b. To modify an existing Site, select the Site name you want to configure. Click Edit.
3. In the General section, complete the following fields:
4. In the Contact Information section, complete the following fields:
a. Addr. 1
b. Addr. 2
c. City
d. State/Province
e. Country
f. Zip/Postal Code
g. Telephone
h. Fax
i. Email
j. URL
5. Click Save.
Configure general Billing module settings
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. In the General section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
4. In the Quick Pay Defaults section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs
5. In the Policy section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
6. In the Currency Formats section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
7. In the EDI Settings section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
8. In the CMS 1500 section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
9. Click Save.
Billing Module Fields
In this section
About Billing module fields
The Field Setup section, Adjustment Reason tab, and Receipt Reasons section in the Billing Setup allow you to customize the drop-down menu options that appear for a variety of items like policy categories, payment types/methods, etc.
In the table below, you’ll find a description of what each field is used for as well as some common examples for your consideration.
Configure Billing fields
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Setting tab, in the Field Setup section, click the field you want to configure. 3. In the Active Values section, complete one (or more) of the following actions:
a. To create a new value, click Add. In the Value field, type the name, and click Save.
b. To modify an existing value, click the value. In the Value field, type a new name, and click Save.
c. To remove an existing value, next to the value, click the icon.
4. Repeat Steps 2-3 for all remaining fields you want to add.
Configure adjustment reasons
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Adjustment Reason tab, in the Active Values section, complete one (or more) of the following actions:
a. To create a new value, click Add. In the Value field, type the name, and click Save.
b. To modify an existing value, click the value. In the Value field, type a new name, and click Save.
c. To remove an existing value, next to the value, click the icon.
3. Repeat Step 2 for all remaining Adjustment Reasons you want to add.
Configure receipt reasons
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Setting tab, in the Receipt Reasons section complete one (or more) of the following actions.
a. To create a new value, click Add.
i. In the Name field, type the name.
ii. From the Receipt Type drop-down, choose Payment or Credit.
iii. Click Save.
b. To modify an existing value, click the value.
i. In the Name field, type a new name.
ii. From the Receipt Type drop-down, choose Payment or Credit.
iii. Click Save.
c. To remove an existing value, next to the value, click the icon.
3. Repeat Step 2 for all remaining Receipt Reasons.
Configure Billing Documents
A Billing Document is considered any printable document that you generate in Penelope; for example, an invoice, payment receipt, claim, credit, debit, etc. In the Billing Setup > Document tab, you can customize aspects of how you want these types of documents to appear such as specific text you want to include, logos, etc.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Document tab, click Edit.
3. In the General section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
4. In the Invoice and Claim Setup section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
5. In the Credit and Debit Notes section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
6. In the Account Statement As Of Setup section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs.
7. In the Account Statement For Setup section, complete the following fields depending on your agency’s needs
8. Click Save.
Security settings for the Billing module
In this section
About Security settings for the Billing Module
To complete additional configuration settings in the front end of Penelope, you need to ensure that the worker who will be performing these tasks has access to the required features (for example, adding a Funder, setting up policies, viewing account balance information, etc.). In the table below, you’ll find a list of the most common Security Class settings that affect what type of billing information a worker can see and some considerations for whether you may want to give or restrict access to those settings. Using this information, you can create or modify your agency’s Security Classes to give or take away access to specific aspects of the Billing Module for those responsible for configuring the Billing Module and/or those who will be responsible for ongoing billing-related tasks.
Configure a Security Class
To customize access to Billing Module features, you must modify an existing custom Security Class or create a new custom Security Class.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the User Setup section, click Security.
2. Click Class Setup.
3. Complete one of the following actions:
a. To modify an existing Security Class, in the Security Class section, click the name of a class.
b. To create a new Security Class, in the Security Class section, click Add.
4. As applicable, select the options you want the workers belonging to this class to have access to.
5. Click Save.
Fees (Service Units)
In this section
About Service Units
Service Units are the units of service provided by your agency that you wish to track and/or bill for. They are the core statistical and billing unit (fees) in Penelope.
Service Units are added to a client’s cart by the worker(s) involved in delivering a given service. A client’s cart can contain zero, one, or many Service Units. If there are charges that apply to the Service Unit (as per the setup of the unit), once the Event Status is changed to “Show,” the unit can be billed. Charges (including co-pays) that would be paid for by the client (as opposed to charges being billed to third parties) can be invoiced directly at this step.
Note: If you are running v4.7.1.0 and higher of Penelope, you can create $0 Service Units that bill to a Funder.
Customize your Service Unit configuration - Retain Service Units in the cart if an event is cancelled (Optional)
If enabled, the Keep Cart Items when Canceling Event option means that any Service Units added to a client’s cart will remain in the cart even if their Event is canceled. These items could be removed manually later but, if left in the cart, the client will eventually be charged for them.
If disabled, this means that all Service Units added to a client’s cart for a particular appointment will be automatically removed if an Event is canceled.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Service Unit.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. Click the Keep Cart Items When Cancelling Event option.
4. Click Save.
Enable the Site-specific pricing feature (Optional)
The Site-specific pricing feature can be used if your agency has multiple Sites (locations) and does not have uniform pricing across all Sites. If enabled, you can set a different Service Unit fee for any combination of your Sites.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Service Unit.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. Click the Use Site-Specific Pricing option.
4. Click Save.
After you finish: See the “Set up your Service Units topic below for more information about configuring Site-specific pricing.
Customize the type of list used when working with Service Units
You can choose between two types of lists when working with Service Units: Drop Down or Suggest Lookup. The Drop Down option will show all applicable Service Units (determined by where in Penelope you are; for example, the Service Units available for a Case Service) while the Suggest Lookup option requires that a worker type several characters (either the Service Unit name or Procedure Code) in the Service Unit field and then choose an option from the list.
This configuration option can be made entirely based on your agency’s preferences, but you may want to consider the Suggest Lookup option if your agency has a significant number of Service Units/fees
The setting you choose is applicable globally in Penelope meaning that wherever Service Units are available for selection (for example, the cart, reports, policy wizards, etc.), the chosen list type will be used.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Service Unit.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. For the Use Site-Specific Pricing item, choose one of the following options:
• Suggest Lookup
• Drop Down
4. Click Save.
Create groupings/classes for Service Units
A Service Unit Class is a way of grouping or classifying similar Service Units. The Service Unit Classes can then be used for reporting purposes (i.e. running a report for a specific Class). This is a required field when setting up a Service Unit, but you can be as general or as specific as required for your agency when creating your Classes.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Service Unit.
2. On the Setting tab, in the Field Setup section, click Service Unit Class.
3. In the Active Values section, click Add.
4. In the Value field, type the name of your Class.
5. Click Save.
Configure custom drop-downs for Service Units (optional)
You can configure up to two custom drop-downs for your Service Units. These drop-downs can be used for any additional ways you want to classify your Service Units for informational purposes.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Service Unit.
2. On the User Defined tab, click Edit.
3. In the Item/Service User-Def. 1 field, type a label for your drop-down menu.
4. To enable the drop-down menu(s), click In Use? option.
5. If desired, to make the selection of a value from the drop-down list required, click the Required? option.
6. If desired, repeat Steps 3-5 for the Item/Service User-Def. 2 drop-down menu.
7. Click Save.
8. For each custom drop-down that you’ve configured, complete the following actions to customize the drop-down menu options:
a) In the Active User Defined Fields section, in the Type column, click Drop Down.
b) In the Active Values section, click Add.
c) In the Value field, type a menu item.
d) Click Save.
e) Repeat sub-steps B-D for any additional values.
Configure Service Units of Measure
In this section
About Units of Measure and the Unit of Measure Schedule
The Unit of Measure Schedule contains the increments or base units so that Units of Measure can be grouped and quantitatively assessed together. Each option in the Unit of Measure Schedule list are based on one of the following Classes:
• Time – Day
• Time – Hour
• Time – Minute
• Unit
• Weight
The default Unit of Measure Schedule is based entirely on the “Unit” class. In most cases, this schedule set up is sufficient, but you can adjust your schedule depending on the Individual needs of your agency.
The Unit of Measure contains the specific measurements in which Service Units are calculated. When configuring your Units of Measure, you want to ensure that you have an option for each method you use to calculate your rates. For example, if a 30 minute counseling session is $60, but a 60 minute counseling session is $100, you want to ensure you have both 30m and 60m units available.
For clients using CPT/Procedure codes, you will also want to ensure you have an option for each code. For example, 15 minute and 1 hour counseling sessions have unique CPT codes. Therefore, you would want to ensure you have both 15m and 1h units available.
Customize the Units of Measure Schedule
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using an account with access to the Setup sidebar.
1. On the homepage, in the Setup sidebar, click Service Unit of Measure.
2. In the Unit of Measure Schedule section, complete one of the following actions:
a. To create a new schedule, click Add.
b. To modify an existing schedule, click the name of the schedule you want to modify.
3. In the Name field, type a name for the schedule.
4. From the Class drop-down, choose the appropriate base unit.
5. Click Save.
Customize Units of Measure
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using an account with access to the Setup sidebar.
1. On the homepage, in the Setup sidebar, click Service Unit of Measure.
2. In the Unit of Measure section, Complete one of the following actions:
a. To create a new unit, click Add.
b. To modify an existing unit, click the name of the schedule you want to modify
3. In the Name field, type a name for the schedule.
4. From the Class drop-down, choose the appropriate schedule.
5. In the Equivalent field, type
6. Click Save.
Add a Service Unit
Step 1: Add a new Service Unit
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using an account with access to the Setup sidebar.
1. On the homepage, in the Setup sidebar, click Service Unit List.
2. In the Service Unit List, click Add.
3. Complete the following fields:
4. Click Save.
After you finish: After you click Save, you will be taken to the Service Unit page. Here, you can edit any of the options you have just configured by clicking the Edit option in the top right of the page. Continue with the remaining steps depending on your agency needs.
Step 2: Assign the Service Unit to applicable case service(s)
The Case Services section in the Service Unit page shows the Case Services (programs) in which this Service Unit is available. This means that, for the Case Services in the list, the Service Unit can be added to the cart for any booked Service Events.
1. On the Service Unit page, in the Case Services section, click Add.
2. From the Case Services list,
a. To add the Service Unit to all Case Services, click Select All.
b. To select the specific Case Service(s) you want to add to the Service Unit to, click the adjacent checkbox.
3. Click Save.
Step 3: Set up Site fees (Optional)
If your agency has multiple Sites and these Sites charge different fees for the same service, you can configure Site-specific pricing.
Before you begin: You must first enable Site-specific pricing using a System Administrator account.
Please see the “Enable the Site-specific pricing feature” topic above for more information.
1. On the Service Unit page, in the Site Fee section, click Add.
2. From the Site drop-down, choose the Site the fee is applicable to.
3. In the Fee field, type the dollar amount charged by the Site.
4. Click Save.
5. Repeat Steps 1-4 for any additional Sites you want to configure.
After you finish: To remove a Service Unit from a particular Site, click the icon beside the appropriate Site. To edit the fee for a given Site, click the name of the Site, make the necessary fee change, and save.
Step 4: Set an alias code for a Service Unit (Optional)
You can set aliases for Service Units if you have Funders who use different codes.
Prerequisite: To set an alias for a Service Unit, you must have at least one Funder configured in your Penelope database.
1. On the Service Unit page, in the Aliases sidebar, click Add.
2. In the Funder field, begin to type the name of the Funder you want to make an alias for and choose an option from the Suggest Lookup list.
3. In the Name field, type the desired alias for the Funder.
4. Click Save.
5. Repeat Steps 1-4 for any additional aliases you want to add for the Service Unit.
After you finish: To remove an alias, click the icon beside the appropriate alias. To edit an alias, click the name of the alias, make the necessary fee change, and save.
Modify a Service Unit
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using an account with access to the Setup sidebar.
1. On the homepage, in the Setup sidebar, click Service Unit List.
2. In the Service Unit List, click the name of the Service Unit you want to modify.
3. Click Edit.
4. Modify the information as required.
5. Click Save.
6. If you changed the fee for the Service Unit and you want to update Events to reflect the new price, click the Update Billing Amounts to Appointments option.
a. In the Effect Date field, select the date you want the change to become effective.
b. Complete one of the following actions:
i. To apply the fee change only to events where attendance has not been recorded, click the Nonresolved Events Only option.
ii. To apply the fee change to all events (including those with attendance recorded), leave the Nonresolved Events Only option unchecked.
c. Click Save.
Discounting or changing client-paid fees
In this section
About discounting or changing fees
There are three ways to change client-paid fees (FFS or fee-for-service) in Penelope:
Sliding Scale
In this sub-section
About the Sliding Scale feature
When configured, the Sliding Scale feature automatically reduces fees for clients based on their income and family size/number of dependents.
The Sliding Scale applies to all clients who have a billable Service Unit added to the cart for a service event and where the billable Service Unit is FFS (fee-for-service).
The Sliding Scale rate is determined for each client by the data entered in the Annual Income and Family Size/Number of Dependent fields on the Case page. The data entered in these fields applies to all Case members. If these fields are left at the default amounts (i.e. “0” for Annual Income and “1” for Family Size), Penelope assumes this is a one-person family with no income and the appropriate Sliding Scale rate will apply.
Please note that the Sliding Scale rate will not apply if any or all of the following situations apply:
• Sliding Scale rates have been disabled on the Service Unit(s) that are in the cart. You can configure this as part of the Service Unit set up where you determine which Service Units the Sliding Scale should apply to. For more information about configuring Service Units, see the following help topic
• The client has insurance coverage sufficient to cover the item (Note: If the client has a co-pay fee as part of their policy, they will still be responsible for that amount as the Sliding Scale has no impact on the co-pay fee).
• The “Disable SS” option has been enabled in a Public or Group Policy. If checked, the client will be charged the full fee. If unchecked, the client will be charged the Sliding Scale rate.
Configure the Sliding Scale
There are two main components to configuring your Sliding Scale:
1. Determining whether your Sliding Scale is based on family size or number of dependents and setting how fees should be rounded (up, down, by half, no rounding) and by what amount (to the nearest $0.50, $1, $5, or $10)
2. Building each of your Sliding Scale values (i.e the size, income, and percentage paid for each data point)
Step 1: Configure basic Sliding Scale settings
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Sliding Scale tab, click Edit.
3. To determine how the size is calculated, in the Calculate Size Based section, choose either the Number of Dependents or Family Size options.
4. To determine how the Sliding Scale fee should be rounded, in the Rounding Type section, choose your preferred option.
5. If you choose round half, up, or down, in the Round to Nearest section, choose your preferred option.
6. Click Save.
Step 2: Build your Sliding Scale
7. In the Sliding Scale section, click Add.
8. In the Family Size/Number of Dependents field, type your first size value.
9. In the Income From $ field, type your first dollar value.
10. In the Percentage field, type the percentage of the original fee clients with this size/income should pay.
11. Click Save.
12. Repeat Steps 8-11 for all of your remaining Sliding Scale values.
Example: Building a Sliding Scale
Values entered Family Size: 1 Income From: $15000 Percentage: 60%
Now you have a Sliding Scale where:
• A single client with an income of $0-$15,000 means they will pay 50% of the total fee(s)
• A single client with an income of $15,000 or more means they will pay 60% of total fee(s)
Now you have a Sliding Scale where:
• A single client with an income of $0-$15,000 means they will pay 50% of the total fee(s)
• A single client with an income of $15,000-$40,000 means they will pay 60% of total fee(s)
• A single client with an income of $40,000 or more means they will pay 70% of total fee(s)
Example: Sliding Scale with multiple family/dependent values
Modify or delete a Sliding Scale entry
1. In the Sliding Scale section, click the value you want to modify or delete.
You will now see “delete” and “edit” links appear in the top right of the Sliding Scale box.
2. Complete one of the following actions:
a. To remove the entry, click Delete. Click Okay to confirm.
b. To modify the entry, click Edit. Make the desired changes and click Save.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 for any additional entries you want to modify or delete.
Make family size/number of dependent input mandatory
The Family Size/Number of Dependent field can be made mandatory. If the field is made mandatory, workers will be required to enter a value if the Case page is part of the Intake Wizard and/or when modifying the Case > Profile page.
1. In the System Setup section, click Case.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. In the General section, click the Require Family Size/Number of Dependents option. 4. Click Save.
Service Unit Fee Overrides
In this sub-section
About Service Unit Fee Overrides
A Service Unit Fee Override can be used in two ways:
1. To change the monetary fee charged for specific Service Unit(s) in a Service File.
2. To change the person responsible for paying the fee (the FFS Individual) for specific Service Unit(s) in a Service File.
Scenario 1: Changing the monetary fee charged for specific Service Unit(s) in a Service File
You can opt to disregard the standard amount charged for a Service Unit at the Service File level by adding a Service Unit Fee Override. The Service Unit Fee Override then charges the same adjusted rate for the specified Service Unit going forward (or until the override is modified or removed from the Service File). Note that the override amount is also applicable to all matching non-invoiced cart items as well as newly added cart items.
You can add an override for any combination of Service Units available for a specific Service File type depending on your agency’s policies and client needs (i.e. you may want to discount only a specific fee the client pays or you may want to discount all fees the client pays).
Scenario 2: Change the FFS Individual for specific Service Unit(s) in a Service File
When you add a Service File for a client or client(s), you specify who the FFS Individual will be for that Service File. The person designated as the FFS Individual will then be considered the “bill-to” person for all fees charged in that service. You can opt to change who the standard FFS Individual is for Service Unit(s) in the Service File. For example, if one Individual will be paying all fees for units of X type and a second Individual will be paying all fees for units of Y type, you can override the Service Unit to automatically charge to another designated Individual. Note that the designated Individual can be any person with an Individual Profile in Penelope.
Add a Service Unit Fee Override
1. Navigate to the client’s Service File page.
2. In the Service Unit Fee Override sidebar, click Add.
3. In the Unit Name field, choose which Service Unit the override will be applicable to. 4. From the Adjust Reason drop-down, choose a reason why the override is being made.
5. In the Billed To section, complete one of the following options:
a. To adjust the fee without changing the FFS Individual(s), select FFS Individual(s).
b. To adjust the fee and/or change the FFS Individual(s), select Designated Individual(s).
6. In the Override Amount field, type the fee the Individual(s) should pay and click the icon.
7. If necessary, repeat step 5b and 6 to add additional Designated Individual(s).
8. Click Save. If you add an override, you will need to recalculate the charge for existing non-invoiced cart items in the client’s Service Events (i.e. if the client has pre-scheduled appointments).
9. Browse to one of the client’s Service Events.
10. On the Cart tab, click Recalculate. The new fee will now apply to all subsequent Service Units to which the Fee Override has been applied.
Delete a Service Unit Fee Override
1. Navigate to the client’s Service File page.
2. In the Service Unit Fee Override sidebar, locate the override you want to remove and click the icon.
3. To confirm you want to remove the fee override, click Okay. If you delete an override, you will need to recalculate the charge for existing non-invoiced cart items in the client’s Service Events (i.e. if the client has pre-scheduled appointments).
4. Browse to one of the client’s Service Events.
5. On the Cart tab, click Recalculate. The new fee will now apply to all subsequent Service Units to which the Fee Override has been removed.
Adjustments
In this sub-section
About adjustments
Adjustments are changes made to the billable charge on a specific line item (Service Unit). Adjustments are categorized according to reasons and occur at the Event level for a one-time fee adjustment.
Add an adjustment
1. Navigate to the client’s Service Event with the fee you want to adjust.
2. On the Cart tab, mouse-over the client’s name in the cart item you want to adjust.
3. In the Line Details pop-up box, click Edit
4. From the Adjustment Reason drop-down, select a reason for the adjustment.
5. In the adjacent box, enter the amount by which you are adjusting the fee in the box beside it. Note: If you are discounting the fee by $35, for example, enter -35.00 (the “minus” sign must be included). If you are increasing the fee by $35, then enter 35.00. 6. Click Save.
Modify or delete an adjustment
1. Navigate to the client’s Service Event with the fee you want to adjust.
2. On the Cart tab, mouse-over the client’s name in the cart item you want to adjust.
3. In the Line Details pop-up box, click Edit.
4. Complete one of the following tasks:
a. To remove the adjustment, from the Adjustment Reason drop-down, select -No adjustment-.
b. To change the adjustment amount, in the adjustment amount field, enter the new amount.
5. Click Save.
Bank deposits
In this section
About the Bank Deposit feature
The Bank Deposit feature allows you to generate a deposit report (similar to a deposit slip) from Penelope with an itemized list of the payments received by your agency. To create the deposit report, you to assign payments to a specific Bank Deposit; workers can either assign existing payments to the deposit or specify the deposit the payment should be assigned to at the time it’s recorded. You can then run a report to show the list of payments included.
The report groups payment types together, automatically calculates a subtotal by payment type (based on the options configured in the Receipt Reasons, Type = Payment section of the Billing Setup page), and provides a deposit total.
To use the Bank Deposit feature, you must add your bank account(s) as well as configure a list of deposit types.
Add a bank account
To add a bank account to Penelope, you need to provide an account name and number as well as specify which Site(s) the account is applicable for. Once you’ve configured your bank account(s), they appear as options when creating a deposit and the account name and number appear on the Bank Deposit Report.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Setting tab, in the Bank Accounts section, click Add.
3. In the Account Name filed, type a name for the account.
4. In the Account No. field, type the bank account number.
5. Click Save.
6. On the Account page, in the Sites section, click Edit.
7. In the first column, select which Sites the bank account is applicable to.
8. In the Default column, select if the bank account should be the default account for the adjacent Site.
9. Click Save.
After you finish: To edit an existing bank account, click on the name of the Bank Account, make any necessary changes and save. To delete a bank account from the list, click the icon to the far right of the bank account entry.
Configure the deposit types
The values that you configure for the Deposit Type drop-down list are available as an option you can choose when adding a deposit to Penelope.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Setting tab, in the Field Setup section, click Deposit Type.
3. In the Active Values section, complete one (or more) of the following actions:
a. To create a new value, click Add. In the Value field, type the name, and click Save.
b. To modify an existing value, click the value. In the Value field, type a new name, and click Save.
c. To remove an existing value, next to the value, click the icon.
4. Repeat Steps 2-3 for all remaining deposit types you want to add.
Prepare a Bank Deposit
Step 1: Add a deposit
Adding a deposit populates the Add to Deposit drop-down on the Add Payment screen with the deposit value. Depending on your agency’s processes, you can choose to create a deposit in advance (allowing workers to assign a payment to that deposit at the time it’s recorded in Penelope) or you can create a deposit, assign payments, and print the Bank Deposit report as part of one fluid process.
1. On your homepage, in the Links sidebar, click Add Deposit.
2. In the Deposit Date field, select the date of the deposit.
3. From the Deposit Type drop-down, choose the type of deposit you’ll be making.
4. From the Site drop-down, choose which Site the deposit is being made for.
5. From the Bank Account drop-down, choose which bank account the deposit will be made into.
6. If desired, in the Notes section, type any additional information for the deposit.
7. Click Save.
After you finish: You will see an “Outstanding Deposit” page where you can assign existing payments to the newly created deposit. If you’re not ready to assign payments to the deposit at this time or you plan to assign payments to the deposit as the payments are recorded, you can search for the deposit later to continue preparing the deposit.
Step 2: Assign a payment to a deposit at the time payment is recorded
Payments can be assigned to a specific Site and added to any outstanding deposits at the time the payment is recorded. The “Received by Site” drop-down allows you to choose a Site (including a Site other than your own if payment was made an office or Site other than the one where service took place).
The “Add to Deposit” drop-down includes a list of Outstanding deposits in Penelope. A deposit is considered outstanding until you indicate that the deposit has been made (for more information, see Step 6: Complete the deposit). Each of the options available for logging a payment (Quick Pay and Add Payment)
For more information about using Quick Pay, see the following tutorial: https://intercom.help/ssgpenelope/en/articles/5183664-invoice-and-record-payment-using-quick-pay.
Step 3: Search for a deposit
If you were not previously ready to assign payments to the deposit, search for the deposit to continue assigning payments.
1. Click Search.
2. Click the Billing tab.
3. In the Search Criteria section, click the Deposit tab.
4. Complete any search criteria that you want to narrow your search results (for example, Status = Outstanding) and click Search.
5. In the Search Results section, in the Deposit No. column, select the desired deposit.
Step 4: Assign existing payments to a deposit
1. On the Outstanding Deposits page, in the Receipts section, click Assign.
2. In the Search Criteria section, complete any search criteria that you want to narrow your search results. Note: The Site drop-down defaults to the Site of the worker logging the deposit.
3. Click Search.
4. In the Search Results section, locate any payments you want to add to the deposit and click the icon. Repeat for any additional payments.
5. Click Save.
Step 5: Complete the deposit
Your deposit is considered outstanding until you click the “Make Deposit” on the Outstanding Deposit page. Once clicked, this option will change to “Revert to Outstanding” which allows you to go back and edit the deposit. When you mark a deposit as complete, the deposit no longer appears as an option in the “Add to Deposit” drop-down on the Quick Pay and Add Payment features.
1. On the Outstanding Deposits page, click Make Deposit.
Step 6: Print the Bank Deposit report
1. On the Outstanding Deposits page, in the Reports sidebar, click Bank Deposit Report.
2. To print the report, click your agency logo or CTRL + P.
Cancellation Policy
In this section
About the Cancellation Policy feature
The Cancellation Policy feature allows you to automate procedures for client cancellations allowing you to charge a portion of the fee in the event of a cancellation or a pre-set cancellation fee. A Cancellation Policy is triggered when the event attendance is recorded as being “Cancelled” or “Rescheduled” within a timeframe that you specify in the policy.
Note: You can configure up to one cancellation and one reschedule policy for each Site.
Configure a Cancellation Policy
Step 1: Enable the Cancellation Policy feature
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Event.
2. On the Setting tab, click Edit.
3. In the Optional and Other Settings section, click the Use Cancellation Policy option. 4. To show Cancellation Policy text on the Event page, click the Use Cancellation Policy Text option. Note: Cancellation Policy Text appears on the Service Event page in a Cancellation Policy tab. An example of Cancellation Policy Text could be “A $25 charge will apply if clients cancel with less than 48 hours notice.” A worker can accept or decline this policy for each Individual event.
5. Click Save.
Step 2: Configure an adjustment category and Adjustment reasons for the Cancellation Policy
When applying a Cancellation Policy to an event, you’re asked to specify an adjustment reason for why the event fees are changing. Prior to setting up the Cancellation Policy, we recommend creating one or more Adjustment Categories and one or more Adjustment Reasons for your Cancellation Policy.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Setting tab, in the Field Setup section, click Adjustment Category.
3. In the Active Values section, complete one (or more) of the following actions:
a. To create a new value, click Add. In the Value field, type the name, and click Save.
b. To modify an existing value, click the value. In the Value field, type a new name, and click Save.
c. To remove an existing value, next to the value, click the icon.
4. Repeat Step 3 for all remaining Adjustment Categories you want to add.
5. On the Adjustment Reason tab, in the Active Values section, complete one (or more) of the following actions:
a. To create a new value, click Add. In the Value field, type the name, and click Save.
b. To modify an existing value, click the value. In the Value field, type a new name, and click Save.
c. To remove an existing value, next to the value, click the icon.
6. Repeat Step 5 for all remaining Adjustment Reasons you want to add.
Step 3: Create Service Unit(s) for a cancellation fee (optional)
If your agency charges a set cancellation fee (or fees) in the event of a late cancel/reschedule, we recommend that you create one or more Service Units depending on your own policies and procedures.
As part of the Cancellation Policy, you can choose to replace the original Service Unit with a new Service Unit of your choice. For example, if your agency typically charges a cancellation fee of $25, you can create a Service Unit called “Late Cancellation (48h)” with a fee of $25. For more information about creating Service Units, see the “Add a Service Unit” topic above.
Step 4a: Set the Cancellation Policy(ies) for a Site
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Site.
2. On the Site Setup page, in the Agency Site section, click the name of Site you want to add a Cancellation Policy for.
3. On the Site page, click the Cancellation Policy tab.
4. In the Cancellation Policy Details section, click Add.
5. From the Event Status drop-down, choose the attendance status that you want to set the policy for (i.e. whether the policy applies to events marked as Cancelled or Rescheduled).
6. In the Cut Off field, specify the number of days prior to the Event date that a cancellation/reschedule should trigger the Cancellation Policy.
7. Select whether the policy applies to cancellations/reschedules made “Before Cutoff” or “After Cutoff”.
8. Complete one of the following actions:
a. To replace the original Service Unit in the event with another Service Unit (for example, a $25 late cancellation fee), click the Replace with option and specify the new Service Unit.
b. To charge a percentage of the original Service Unit’s cost (for example, 50% of the original service cost), click the Apply option and specify the percentage of the original fee.
9. Click Save.
Step 4b: Create Cancellation Policy Text
If you enabled the Use Cancellation Policy Text option in Step 1, complete the following task to specify the text that you want to appear to workers where the Cancellation Policy applies.
1. On the Cancellation Policy tab, click Edit.
2. In the Cancellation Policy Text field, type the text that you want to appear (for example, “A $25 charge will apply if clients cancel with less than 48 hours notice.”
3. Click Save.
After you finish: Repeat Steps 4A and 4B for any additional cancellation policies for this or other Sites.
Case Study: Cancellations made within less than 24 hours
Scenario:
You want to create a Cancellation Policy that would take effect if an event was cancelled less than 24 hours before the date of the event where the client should be charged 50% of the service fee. What does this configuration of this Cancellation Policy look like?
• Select “Cancelled” from the Event Status drop-down
• Enter “1” in the Cutoff Days box
• Choose the “After Cutoff” option (because the cancellation happened “after” the 1 day cutoff)
In this example, if the attendance for an event is marked as Cancelled less than 24 hours before the actual time of the appointment, a Cancellation Policy Action section will appear in the Attendance box with two options:
1. Make no changes to the existing charges, or
2. Select the Cancellation Policy that will replace the existing charges with our 50% cancellation fee
Taxes
In this section
About the tax feature
If your agency is required to charge tax on top of service fees, you can configure applicable Tax Schedules and rates in Penelope. Prior to configuring the tax feature, you must first request that the tax feature be enabled by contacting our Technical Support team. To submit a ticket as a community user for your agency, please use the following URL to log in to the Penelope Support Community. If you are not a community user, you can still submit a support ticket penelope@bonterratech.com
Once the tax feature is enabled, you will configure two items: Tax Rates and Tax Schedules. A Tax Rate is a specific rate/percentage that is charged on top of a service fee. For example, in the province of Manitoba, most goods and services are taxed at two rates: 5% (GST) and 8% (PST). A Tax Rate can be used by multiple Tax Schedules.
Note: GST is a federal tax that is shared by provinces and territories in Canada)
A Tax Schedule contains one or more Tax Rates. Tax Schedules are assigned to Service Units, Individuals and Funders. The included Tax Rate(s) in the Tax Schedule are then used to calculate fees based on the included Tax Rates. For example, a Tax Schedule for Manitoba would be made up of two Tax Rates (5% GST and 8% PST).
You can further configure Service Units, Individuals, and Funders to automatically apply a Tax Schedule when an applicable Service Unit is added to the cart. A Tax Schedule drop-down is available in the Service Unit setup as well as Individual and Funder Profiles that allows you to specify which Tax Schedule should be employed automatically. If you do not assign a Tax Schedule to a Funder and/or Individual Profile, you can manually charge the tax by making an adjustment in the cart. If taxes are charged for a cart item, an additional line with the Tax Rate and associated fees will appear in the invoice:
Configure the Tax feature
Step 1: Request that the tax feature be enabled
Prior to configuring the tax feature, you must first request that the tax feature be enabled by contacting our Technical Support team. To submit a ticket as a community user for your agency, please use the following URL to log in to the Penelope Support Community. If you are not a community user, you can still submit a support ticket penelope@bonterratech.com.
Step 2: Configure your Tax Rates
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using a System Administrator account.
1. In the System Setup section, click Billing.
2. On the Tax tab, in the Rates section, click Add.
3. In the Full Name field, type a name for the Tax Rate.
4. In the Short Name field, type an abbreviated name for the Tax Rate.
5. In the Rate field, type the Tax Rate/percentage.
6. If applicable, in the Registration No. field, type your agency’s registration number.
7. Ensure the Active option is selected to make the Tax Rate available for use.
8. If desired, in the Notes field, type any additional information about the Tax Rate.
9. Click Save.
10. Repeat Steps 2-9 for any additional Tax Rates you want to create.
Step 3: Configure your Tax Schedules
1. On the Tax tab, in the Schedules section, click Add.
2. In the Full Name field, type a name for the Tax Rate.
3. In the Short Name field, type an abbreviated name for the Tax Rate.
4. If desired, in the Notes field, type any additional information about the Tax Rate.
5. Click Save.
6. In the Schedules section, click the Tax Schedule you just created.
7. In the Schedule’s Rates section, click Add.
8. Select the Tax Rates that you want to add to this Tax Schedule.
9. Click Save.
10. Repeat Steps 1-9 for any additional Tax Schedules you want to create.
Assign Tax Schedules
Tax Schedules can be added to Service Units so that they are available to be charged automatically whenever that Service Unit is used for an Individual or Funder provided that the Tax Schedule has been set on the Funder Profile and/or Individual Profile as well.
Assign a Tax Schedule to a Service Unit The Tax Schedule is available as a drop-down menu item in the Service Unit set up. If you have already set up your Service Units, you can edit the applicable Service Units to include Tax Schedule information.
Prerequisite: You must be logged in to Penelope using an account with access to the Setup sidebar.
1. On the homepage, in the Setup sidebar, click Service Unit List.
2. In the Service Unit List, click the name of the Service Unit you want to modify.
3. Click Edit.
4. From the Tax Schedule drop-down, choose the Tax Schedule applicable to the Service Unit.
5. Click Save.
Assign a Tax Schedule to an Individual/ Funder
The Tax Schedule must also be set for each Individual and Funder who should be charged tax on services rendered. Once both the Service Unit and Individual/Funder Tax Schedules have been set, the tax charges will be calculated in the cart automatically whenever that Service Unit is used for the Individual/Funder.
1. Navigate to the Individual or Funder Profile that you want to update with Tax Schedule information.
2. On the Profile tab, click Edit.
3. From the Tax Schedule drop-down, choose the Tax Schedule applicable to the Individual or Funder.
4. Click Save.
Manually apply tax to a cart item
If you do not assign a Tax Schedule to a Funder and/or Individual Profile, you can manually charge the tax by making an adjustment in the cart.
1. Navigate to the client’s Service Event you want to apply tax to.
2. On the Cart tab, mouse-over the client’s name in the cart item you want to adjust.
3. In the Line Details pop-up box, click Edit.
4. Select the Tax Rates you want to apply to the cart item.
5. Click Save.
Case study: Configuring Tax Schedules and rates for British Columbia. British Columbia has three Tax Rates
Generally, most taxable items are calculated at the HST rate of 12%; however, you may also come across some of the following scenarios:
• You may only be obligated to collect GST for a service
• You may only be obligated to collect PST for a service
• You may want to see the breakdown of HST into separate line items for both PST and GST How do you configure this in Penelope? First, you want to create three Tax Rates:
1. HST BC at 12%
2. PST BC at 7%
3. GST at 5%
Next, you want to create four Tax Schedules:
1. HST (assign the Tax Rate “HST at 12%”)
2. PST Only (assign the Tax Rate “PST at 8%”)
3. GST (assign the Tax Rate “GST at 5%”)
4. Both PST and GST Shown (assign the Tax Rates “PST at 8%” and “GST at 5%”)
Credit Card module
In this section
About the Credit Card module
The Credit Card Integration Module is an optional module within Penelope that supports credit card payment processing using either World Pay, SecurePay, or Barclaycard.
Both World Pay and SecurePay are providers of secure payment processing services to businesses around the world (if you are considering using this module, please make sure to check first with World Pay and/or SecurePay to ensure that they provide services in your country) while Barclaycard is specific to the UK.
You can set up an integration between Penelope and one of these providers to process credit card payments securely online from within the application. For information about configuring the Credit Card module in Penelope, see the Credit Card Module Configuration Guide here: https://intercom.help/ssgpenelope/en/articles/5156736-credit-card-module-setup and the tutorials for processing Credit Card payments here: https://intercom.help/ssgpenelope/en/articles/5183651-processing-a-payment-using-paypal