The General section of your Billing Settings area is where you’ll set up your billing template categories, tax groups, and default fees, among other things.
Before You Start
Here are a few things to know before you continue:
- We recommend that only the Account Owner(s) or main Office Admins(s) set up or change the settings covered in this article.
- Depending on how your permissions are set up you may not be able to access some or all of these settings. Please reach out to your Account Owner if additional access is needed.
- As you make changes to your default settings, don’t forget to click the “Save Settings” button in the top right corner!
Navigate to Billing Settings
To access the General section of your Billing Settings area, just follow the instructions below:
- Click on “Account” in the bottom left corner.
- Click on “Settings” at the top.
- Click on “Company” right below.
- Click on “View” on the Billing Settings card.
You’ll automatically land on the General section of your Billing Settings.
Billing Settings: General Directory
You’ll see 5 expandable lists of settings organized by function:
- Client Dashboard
- Notifications
- Pricing Tools
- Settings
- Taxes
As you make changes to your default settings, don’t forget to click the “Save Settings” button in the top right corner!
Client Dashboard
Show Estimate and Invoice Notes & Attachments
This setting is OFF by default.
Turning this setting on means that any notes and attachments you add to a client’s estimates and invoices will appear on that client’s Client Dashboard.
Notifications
Include Employee Name When Sharing
This setting is ON by default.
Turning this setting off means that you and your teams’ first names will no longer appear in any email notifications sent to your clients.
Pricing Tools
Default Apply Convenience Fees
This setting is turned OFF by default.
This setting allows you to automatically apply a convenience fee to every estimate and invoice you create.
Some of Docket’s users set this up as an easy way to apply a credit card processing fee to invoices. However, this fee will appear on every invoice or estimate that’s created regardless of how it's going to be paid.
We recommend using the Charge Card Processing Fees to Client setting in the Invoice section of your Billing Settings.
Tax Convenience Fee:
If your local/state government requires you to collect tax on any fees you charge your clients, we recommend turning this on.
Default Apply Fuel Surcharge
This setting is turned OFF by default.
Please Note: This is the third fuel surcharge option available in Docket. The first two options exist under Dumpster Management > Billing. If you decide to use this Fuel Surcharge setting, make sure to turn off the Fuel Surcharge setting under Dumpster Management > Billing.
This setting will take the total amount shown on an invoice or estimate and calculate a percentage to base the Fuel Surcharge on.
For example, let’s say you create an invoice with a $100 total. If you have a 5% Fuel Surcharge like in the screenshot above, then Docket will add 5% of $100 as the Fuel Surcharge to the invoice. Your client will end up owing you $105.
Tax Fuel Surcharge:
If your local/state government requires you to collect tax on any fees you charge your clients, we recommend turning this on.
Deposit
This setting is turned OFF by default.
This setting is usually used by junk removal businesses. It allows you to set up a dollar amount or percentage that’ll automatically appear as a required deposit on any invoices or estimates you create.
If your business requires a partial up-front payment from clients, we recommend turning this setting on.
Settings
Billing Template Categories
This setting is BLANK by default.
Docket has 3 default billing template categories that you’ll see when creating a billing template: Additional Charge, General, and Dumpster.
If you want to organize your billing templates into more categories than just Docket’s 3 defaults, this setting is where you’ll create your custom categories.
Just type the category name into the “Add Template Category” field and click the + button to the right. You’ll then be able to select from your categories list in your billing templates.
Client Balance Hold Threshold Amount
This setting defaults to $1 with Warning Indicators OFF.
This setting provides an easy way to determine when a client’s account should be put on hold because of late or no payments.
Simply add the maximum amount you allow a customer to not pay to this setting. Now whenever a customer’s total unpaid balance meets or exceeds this amount, you’ll see a “Place Hold on Account” button in their profile.
Placing an account (client profile) on hold means that no tasks can be created for this client. If you or your team tries to create a task for this client, a message will appear with the account hold reason that was previously entered when placing the account on hold initially.
If you or your team tries to send an invoice to this client, Docket will also remind you that the account is on hold and show you their overdue balance.
Show Client Balance Hold Threshold Overage Warning Indicators:
Turning this setting on means that you and your team will see two different messages saying that a client has exceeded your unpaid balance maximum when you’re scheduling a Dumpster or Rental task for them.
Greeting
This setting includes “Thank you for your business!” by default.
If you have a specific message you want to appear at the bottom of each invoice and estimate you create, add it to this setting.
Please Note: Some Docket users add their terms and conditions/rental agreement to this setting so it appears on every invoice and estimate. However, Docket has a specific Terms & Conditions setting under Dumpster Management > Billing for this that we strongly recommend you use instead.
License #
This setting is BLANK by default.
If your business is required to have and display a license number in your communications with clients, add it here so it automatically appears on your invoices and estimates.
Show Client Contact Information on Estimates & Invoices
This setting is turned ON by default.
Turning this setting off means that a client’s contact information (email/number) will no longer appear on invoices and estimates created for them.
Show Client Payment Terms Alongside Client Name
This setting is turned ON by default.
Turning this setting off means that the payment term you’ve assigned to a client will no longer appear under their name in your Clients list.
Show Sales Rep on Estimates & Invoices
This setting is turned OFF by default.
If you have sales reps working for your business, we recommend turning this setting on so that the sales rep working with a particular lead or client has their name appear on any estimates or invoices created for that lead/client. This makes reporting on your sales reps’ deals a lot easier.
Show ACH Payment Method
If you’re connected to our online payment processor, this setting is turned ON by default.
If you’re not connected to our online payment processor, this setting won’t appear for you.
Turning this setting off means that you won’t see the “Add ACH Payment Method” or the “Manage ACH On File” options in your clients’ profiles.
We strongly recommend leaving this setting on if your business offers ACH payments as a payment option to clients.
Taxes
Tax ID
This setting is BLANK by default.
If your business is required to have and display a tax ID in your communications with clients, add it here so it automatically appears on your invoices and estimates.
Default Apply Taxes
This setting is turned OFF by default.
If you’ve set up your tax rates in the Tax Group setting (covered below), we recommend turning this setting on. Doing so will automatically apply the appropriate tax rate (group) to new invoices and estimate you create.
Default Show Tax Group Name
This setting is turned OFF by default.
If you’ve set up your tax rates in the Tax Group setting (covered below), turning this setting on will automatically display the name of the tax rate (group) included in an invoice or estimate.
Tax Group
This setting is BLANK by default.
This is where you’ll set up each of your tax rates (groups) so you can add them to invoices and estimates as needed.
There are two related reports that you can use as well: Sales Tax by Tax Group and Dumpster Sales Tax by Tax Group.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Support team through the chat widget on the bottom of this page or by sending an email to support@yourdocket.com!