Create a Service Credit

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Overview

Aria's service credits feature allows you to apply credits to a selection of plans and services, and configure credits to expire after a specific period of time to limit their liability. If applied to multiple plans (both master plans and supplemental plans) and services, the credit may be allocated proportionately. When the credit is allocated proportionally, it is applied based on the percentage that each applicable line item total contributes to the total of all eligible charges.

The Proportional allocation of service credits parameter governs whether to proportionally allocate credits across all eligible service charges (including surcharges). This parameter is set to False by default, which means that credits apply to invoice line items First In First Out (FIFO), and not proportionately across all eligible service charges. The Proportional allocation of service credits parameter can be set by navigating to Configuration > Billing > Invoice Settings.

You may choose to create a recurring service credit with an expiration date by specifying your desired combination of Expiration month/date and Frequency as described below.

You can also assign multiple plans and services to a service credit and set an expiration date via the create_advanced_service_credit_m API.

Prerequisites

In order to access the service credits feature, you must have access to it in the Aria application.
The default minimum CSR (Customer Service Representative) Level required to access the service credits feature is Power CSR.
To change the minimum CSR Level access for the service credits feature, an authorized Aria application user can:
1. Go to Configuration > Security > Account Access > Payments & Credits > Pages.
2. Next to Create a New Service Credit or Cancel a Cash Credit, choose a different Minimum CSR Level.
3. Click Save.

Creating a Service Credit

Getting Here: Click Accounts > Search for and select an account > Payments & Credits > Service Credits > New

Select one of the following options from the MPI Stack drop-down:

Any Stack: This will apply the credit only to the plans to which the customer is currently subscribed and to any other specified category of future subscriptions as described under Application Scope below.
Specific stack: This will apply the credit to:
- The master plan instance (MPI) that you selected and its associated supplemental plans that the customer is currently subscribed to and will subscribe to in the future; and
- To any other specified category of plans as described under Application Scope below.

Examples:

If you want the credit to apply to a future plan or service type subscription without having to create a new credit, select Any stack, then choose the desired plan and/or service type as described under Application Scope below.
If you want the credit to apply to a future supplemental plan subscription, associated with a current MPI, without having to create a new credit, select the Specific stack for that MPI.

Note: The MPI Stack drop-down does not apply if you select Specific Plan Instances & Services under Application Scope.

Enter the Credit Amount that you want to issue to the customer.
Select the reason why you are issuing the credit to the customer from the Credit Reason drop-down.
Click the calendar icon next to the Initial Credit Date field to select the first date to issue the first credit to the customer.

If you select Once for the Frequency field, this is the only date the credit is issued to the customer.

Select one of the following options from the Expiration date drop-down:

Notes:

This field displays only if you have selected a service credit that allows time-based restrictions.
The expiration date must be after the application date of the last service credit applied based on your specified Frequency. Example: If you create a service credit to be applied in the next 2 months, the expiration date must be more than 2 months away.

Days, Weeks, or Months: A Maximum applicable input field displays. Specify the number of days, weeks, or months from the initial credit date after which the service credit automatically expires. For example, if a service credit has an initial credit date of 12/15/2015, and you input a value of 2 (months), the service credit automatically expires at the conclusion of the two-month period, and any unconsumed service credits are cancelled at 12AM on 2/15/2014. If 2/15/2016 is the account's billing anniversary date, the service credit is applied to the invoice line items and then expires.
Specific Date: A Credit Expiration Date input field displays. Provide an exact date after which the service credit automatically expires (any unconsumed service credits are cancelled).

A message under Recent Comments on the Account Overview page displays upon expiration of the service credits, notifying you of the expired credit amount, credit ID, and date of expiration.

Aria automatically cancels any unconsumed service credits when an account reaches an expiration setting. Cancelled service credits display in the UI and API responses with a cancelled status. A nightly batch process automatically expires any unconsumed service credits on an account once their expiration dates pass.

Select one of the following options from the Service Code options.

Standard: Selecting Standard will force the use of the default credit service code (code 0) on any credit line items attached to invoices on this account when this credit is consumed.
Alternative: When Alternative is selected, the Alternative Code drop-down displays. Select the alternative value from the drop-down.
Same as the Charge Line Item: Selecting Same as the charge line item will force the credit line to use the same service code as in charge line for which the credit is applied to.

Select one of the following options from the Frequency field.

Note: This field displays only if you have selected a service credit that allows time-based restrictions.

Once: This option generates a single credit for the customer. This single credit remains in effect until it is fully consumed by future charges.
Multiple: This option generates multiple credits for the customer. When selecting this option, you can specify the number of credits and a time interval between credits.

Total Number of credits: Enter the number of times the credit is applied to the customer's invoices.
Apply each credit every: Enter how often the credit will be applied to the customer's invoices. You can specify a daily, weekly, or monthly frequency.

Select the Application Scope.

Note: This field displays only if you have selected a Credit Reason that allows plan or service scope restrictions.

Specific Plan Instances and Services: Allows you to select a specific plan instance and service code combination for plans to which the customer is currently subscribed. The resulting credit will only be permitted to offset charges generated by the system with that particular plan instance and service code.

Note: The MPI Stack drop-down does not apply if you select Specific Plan Instances & Services under Application Scope.

The table below identifies the types of plans and services to which a credit applies based on your selected MPI Stack option and Application Scope.

	Application Scope selected:	All Plan Instances & Services	Specific Catalog Plan & Services	Service Types
MPI Stack option selected:		Credit applies?
Any Stack	All of the customer’s current plans	Yes	Yes	Yes (only to services matching the selected service type, applies to current and future service type subscriptions)
a Specific stack	Selected MPI stack (selected MPI and associated supplemental plans) currently subscribed to; and Customer’s supplemental plan instances added to the selected MPI stack in the future	Yes	Yes
a Specific stack		Yes	Yes
	After you selected Any Stack or a Specific stack, you may have the option to choose additional plans and services that fit this description: You selected them under Application Scope; and The customer may subscribe to them in the future.	Not applicable	Yes	Not applicable

Enter comments in the CSR comments field.
Click Create Credit. A confirmation screen displays.
Confirm your entry, then click Create Credit.

The service credit will be applied to the customer's future invoices.