Create a Service

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Overview

A service refers to any billable or non-billable component of a plan or non-subscription offering. Service types include:

Activation
Recurring
Recurring Arrears
Usage-based
Order-based
Cancellation
Minimum fee

There are generic services that are included by default in your Aria implementation. If you do not want these generic services to appear on your list of services, or when you create a plan, navigate to Configuration > Client Settings > Miscellaneous Settings > Show Generic Services and select False.

Note: Do not adjust this setting from True to False if there are plans with generic services assigned.

Creating a Service

Getting Here: Click Products > Services

Services Screen - New.jpg

Click New.

The Create New Service screen displays.

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Select one of the following service types from the Service Type dropdown:

Activation: Consists of an activation fee that a customer is typically charged for only once, on the first invoice.
Recurring: A service that your customers are billed for regularly, in advance. A fee for a recurring service can be a single/flat fee or can have a tiered pricing structure. If a recurring service has a tiered pricing structure, customers are charged based on the number of units of the plan that they purchased. The recurring fee is included on every invoice generated when recurring fees are due. Customers are charged for recurring services included in a plan based on the recurring billing interval specified when the plan was created.
Recurring Arrears: Recurring Arrears services are billed at the end of customers' billing periods. Learn more about Recurring Arrears Services.
Usage-Based: Measured, variable units consumed by a customer. A usage-based service usually has a tiered pricing structure and must be associated with a usage type. Customers are charged for usage-based services included in a plan based on the usage billing interval specified when the plan was created. Usage is always billed in arrears and is not included on the first invoice, since customers typically do not accrue usage before subscribing to a plan. However, there is an Include Usage Charges on First Invoice parameter that you can set to have charges display on the first invoice. If you do not set this parameter, and usage records are loaded into Aria before the first invoice for a customer is generated, the customer is billed for that usage on the second invoice.
Order-Based: An item that is always included in a non-subscription offering that your customers can purchase in a one-time order. Order-based services cannot be included in a plan. However, non-subscription offerings (inventory items) can be included as part of a plan offering.
Cancellation: A fee that you can charge your customers for canceling a plan within a specific number of months. To add a cancellation fee to a Master Plan, the Apply Cancellation fields within the Billing and Invoicing tab must be set to Yes and a Minimum Number of Months specified. Once you have selected the cancellation fee service, you must define a Rate under the Rates tab.

Note: Cancellation Services cannot be assigned to a Supplemental Plan.

Minimum Fee: Allows you to charge a customer a minimum amount per billing period, unless the customer's charges exceed the minimum fee. Customers are charged the minimum fee whenever they are billed for recurring or usage charges. The minimum fee is charged for any plan to which a minimum fee is assigned.To add a minimum service fee to a plan (Master or Supplemental Plan), the Apply Minimum Charge field within the Billing and Invoice tab must be completed. The default system setting for this field is "do not apply minimum charge". Use the fields' drop down arrow to select either a.) After first invoice, or b.) All Invoices.
- After First Invoice - By selecting after first invoice, Aria will NOT apply a minimum fee charge on the customer’s first invoice, even if the customer’s combined charges are less than the minimum fee service charge. Minimum fee services are generally associated to plans also having a usage based service component. By default, Aria bills usage in arrears, and therefore, usage charges do not appear on the customer’s first invoice, at time of plan purchase. This option supports a use case wherein, you want to evaluate all of a customer’s plan charges in a billing period, including usage charges, before charging a customer a minimum fee. After first invoice supports this use case.
- All Invoices - By selecting “All Invoices”, Aria will apply a minimum fee service, if the customer’s combined charges are less than the minimum fee service starting with the customer’s first invoice. This option supports a use case wherein unbilled usage is loaded and rated by Aria prior to a customer’s first invoice.
  Include Usage Charges on First Invoice is a client level setting found via the > Configuration > Billing > Invoice Settings tabs.

Enter a meaningful, descriptive name in the Service Name field.

Note: Be sure to name your services carefully, as these names may appear on your customers' statements.

Enter an identifier in the Client Defined Identifier field.
A Client Defined Identifier auto-generates based on the inputted Service Name. However, you can change Aria's auto-generated client-defined identifier as needed to support your own business rules.

Select Yes or No from the Taxable drop-down to specify whether the service is taxable.

Note: The Taxable field displays only if taxes are configured in your Aria implementation.

If you specified that the service is taxable, select the applicable tax group to which the service belongs from the Tax Group drop-down.
Select the usage type that applies to the service from the Usage Type drop-down (only applicable for usage-based services).
Select the GL Code to associate with the service from the Revenue Account GL Code drop-down.
The list of GL codes is based on the Chart of Account (COA)codes that you added in your Chart of Accounts. If you need to create a new revenue account GL code, click the New hyperlink to create a chart of accounts code.

Note: If your organization purchased SmartRec Revenue Recognition, additional options for selecting Accounts Receivable and Deferred GL codes display.

Select the Service Location from the drop-down.
Select Yes or No for Allow Service Credits (not applicable to order-based services).

Yes: A service credit can be generated from the line item charge for the service.
No: The line item charge for the service is not eligible for service credits.

Enter a commodity code to be submitted to your Payment Gateway with every transaction associated with this plan in the Commodity Code field, if applicable.
Enter any additional information that you want to associate with the service in the Product Fields section, if applicable.
Click Save.