Dear clients – know that we love you and are proud to serve you. And I need your help. We have to make a few billing changes.
In 2013, we are making a few billing automation changes and adding fees for clients that pay late or require more paperwork so everyone else doesn’t have to pay more to cover that tiny subset. In short:
- If you know what the amount is going to be, like Tendenci Software Fees, or a monthly retainer, we need it set up recurring and automatic like your cell phone, water bill, car payment, etc… This is standard stuff for all of us.
- If it is something you would want to review, like variable charges for graphics, you will need to login to a portal and review your invoices for payment. We recommend putting a reminder on your calendar to simply check the portal once a month just in case Intuit’s monthly reminder emails don’t make it through.
- For the tiny fraction of clients who slow pay, to be fair to our other clients, we are implementing processing and late fees.
We are software developers, marketing consultants, designers, strategists, photographers and many other things. What we are not is accountants. We want to focus on improving your software and service. These minor changes make life more efficient for everyone. And it is the ethical thing to do as only the ones who pay late will see any late fees.
How much do I appreciate y’all? A LOT! Without you there is no Schipul Company and no Tendenci software to support the non-profit (and sometimes for profit) communities. And I’m so proud of the team and grateful to our clients that we were able to publish Tendenci 5.0 fully open-source. Obviously I was inspired by Matt and Dries’ business models at their talk at SchipulCon 2011. They both have great open source products and well run companies with fully automated billing. Schipul and Tendenci need to catch up and do the same thing to continue supporting our now open source product.
The email below is going out to our billing contacts today. It’s the stuff our lawyers make us say to tell you about official changes in our billing and contracts. We want you happy. If you would like to contact me directly my email is eschipul at the domain name “schipul.com”
Sincerely,
Ed Schipul, CEO
LAWYERLY STUFF BELOW
Important Changes Coming to Schipul’s Billing Process in 2013
We’re Going Paperless!
In order to spend more time serving our clients – and less time on paperwork for us and for you – we are upgrading our current accounting system. In 2013, we are moving away from paper invoices and implementing automated billing procedures for all clients. This change will ensure that your account remains current by eliminating the unpredictability of the postal service in delivering mailed invoices and checks in a timely manner. We will be working hard over the next few weeks to get all of our clients converted to the new system.
Visit our blog to read more on these changes from our CEO Ed Schipul:
https://blog.tendenci.com/tendenci-accounting-and-billing-changes-to-help/
Automated Monthly Payments
Monthly software charges will be the first to convert to the new system. Instead of receiving a paper invoice each month, your credit card will be automatically charged for the standard amount of your retainer and software fees. An emailed receipt will be generated each time a payment is made to your account for your records.
Variable Support Charges
At this time, support charges outside of your retainer and software fees will still be invoiced monthly based on usage. You will receive an email with links to review your invoice and make an online payment.
ACH Debit Option
If your organization does not have a valid credit card, you have the option of setting up your monthly payment via ACH automatic debit.
Charges for December and January
Your November invoice covers the standard monthly charges for December. Please pay this invoice as usual to cover your December software charges. When you implement the automatic billing feature, your initial payment will cover your January invoice.
Processing and Late Fees
Starting in 2013, a 10% processing fee will be added to invoices that are not set up for automatic recurring payment. In addition, invoices over 30 days past due will be charged a late fee of 5%.
Getting Set Up with Automatic Billing
Our goal is to have all of our clients set up in the new system by January 1. Contact our accounting team today at accounting@tendenci.com or call us at (281) 497-6567 x 523 to get set up.
Please Read Everything
We recognize changes can be confusing. Please be sure you have read all of the information regarding the new billing procedures carefully. We are here to answer any questions you may have regarding your account. Please contact us at (281) 497-6567 with any questions and to get set up on the new system. We hope this change simplifies your life too!
The Schipul Team, Creators of Tendenci