Composing Batches
A batch is an arbitrary set of receivables intended to be paid by bank accounts of the same type. A batch contains the information to be included in a batch file, which can be submitted in a bank and serves as a request for bank transfers processing.
Documents can be added to or removed from a batch until a batch is open, i.e., a batch file was not generated yet. As soon as batch file is generated, all the documents included in a batch become unavailable for any other processing as well as a batch composition becomes closed for any changes (for example, it is not possible to add or remove documents, apply a different payment method to documents, etc.).
Parallels Business Automation - Standard allows you to control all the stages of bank transfers processing. The documents intended to be paid by bank transfers are grouped under several tabs (depending on a payment processing stage) and the number of documents in each state is shown directly on corresponding tabs:
Documents ready for processing, under processing, or processed:
- To be Batched. Documents intended to be paid by bank transfer and not included in any batch yet. The buttons above the list (Make New Batch) serve for composing batches for different bank account types. If an open batch for one or more bank account types exists, then the documents will be appended to an open batch. When you click the button to create a batch, all the documents that belong to the corresponding bank account type are grabbed and placed into a batch. If you want to exclude one or more documents from a batch, you can go to Batch Processing, select a batch and re-compose it.
Note: If you do not want some documents to be both automatically included in batches and offered for manual inclusion into a batch, you can place such documents on hold. To this effect, click on a document ID or type and as a document details appear on the screen, click the Put on Hold button. A document then will migrate under the Documents on Hold tab and you can find it there in case you will need to activate it back, include it in a batch, etc.
- Waiting for Capture. Documents included in already generated batch files waiting for bank response and further transaction approval. Such documents are considered as already declared for payment using a particular bank account and therefore, cannot be paid using other payment methods or even removed from a batch. However, if you want to release a document from a batch, or add more documents, you can go to Batch Processing, select a batch file and reopen it. After this, you can recompose a batch and then generate a new batch file. If you want to release one or more documents from a batch without reopening a batch file, you can again go to Batch Processing, select a batch file and decline a transaction for a document you want to release from a batch. After a document is declined, you can change payment method for this document (credit card, offline payment, etc) or include it in another batch by selecting the same bank account for payment.
- Captured Documents. Paid documents that have passed all the bank transfer processing phases, bank transfer was approved by a bank and, in accordance with a bank response, transactions were manually approved in Parallels Business Automation - Standard.
Documents that were temporarily put aside:
- Documents On Hold. Documents can be placed into this list only manually, as well as moved from this list. This is the repository for documents that,for example, look somewhat suspicious or there is the need for delaying processing for some reasons. Documents on hold are not automatically included in batches and they are not offered for adding to batches. Only documents that were not included in any batches can be placed on hold. Thus, you can put documents on hold from one of the three lists: To be Batched, Documents for Approval, and All Documents (since documents to be batched and waiting for approval are shown in the All Documents list as well). To put a document on hold, open a document details (click on a document ID or type) and then click the Put on Hold button.
- Documents for Approval. Documents that were put aside in connection with fraud screening warning(s). This filtering can be enabled in Payment Processing settings. You can either manually approve documents placed in this queue and thus move them into the To be Batched queue for further processing or put documents on hold to put them aside for additional verification.
- Declined Documents. Documents, which a bank had declined transactions for. In other words, in this list you can find documents that were included in a batch file that was in its turn submitted to a bank and after all, the corresponding bank transfer was declined by a bank. You place documents into this queue manually, when you open a batch file settings and enter (approve or, in this case, decline) transaction results in accordance with a bank response on a batch file processing. You can cancel a declined document or retry payment by selecting a document (click on its ID or type) and then clicking the Cancel Document or Change Payment Method button respectively.In the latter case, you can apply another payment method from the set available for a customer account a document was issued for (for example, pay by a credit card, or offline) or select payment by a bank account (which brings a document back to the To be Batched queue and allows retrying payment by a bank transfer).
All documents connected with bank accounts payment:
- All Documents. The full archive of documents connected with bank account payment method (intended to be paid by bank transfer, included in batches, included in batch files, declined, processed, waiting for capture,placed on hold, waiting for approval).
To compose a batch:
- Open the Commerce Director - Bank Transfers submenu.
- Click Documents on the Bank Transfers submenu.
- As the list of documents appears on the screen, click the To be Batched tab.
- If there are no open batches, click the Make New Batch button designated for one or another bank accounts type. If an open batch exists for one or another bank account type, then it is not possible to create a new one, but you can add documents to an open batch, and to this effect, you can click the Append documents to open batch button. After you create a batch or add documents to an open batch, a batch properties appear on the screen.
- You can adjust a batch composition:
- To view documents included in a batch or exclude some of them from a batch, click the Included documents tab. To exclude one or more documents, check the box(es) next to document(s) ID and then click the Remove selected button.
- To add documents to a batch, click the Add documents tab (the number and the total amount of documents that can be added is shown on this tab). To add one or more documents, check the box(es) next to document(s) ID and then click the Add selected documents to batch button.
Note: You can change a batch composition till a batch file is not generated. Such batches have the New status. If a batch file was already generated, it is not possible to simply add or remove a document. To change a batch composition, you will first need to reopen a batch, then make changes and finally, re-generate a batch file, even if a batch composition have remained the same as before reopening.
To adjust a batch composition:
- Click Batches on the Commerce Director - Bank Transfers submenu. The list of all batches (both open and waiting for bank response appears).
- Open a batch by clicking on its ID or creation date. If a batch is in the Waiting for bank response state (i.e., it is closed), select the Summary tab and then click the Reopen button.
- Adjust a batch composition as this described above (step 5).
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