How to Create and Assign Account Terms

Create account terms in DecoNetwork and apply them to a company or customer profile so orders paid on account are invoiced on the payment schedule you agree to. Once applied, DecoNetwork retains these terms and uses them automatically on future invoices, and can hold new webstore orders once an account reaches its balance limit.

In This Article

• Prerequisites
• Why use this feature?
• Step 1: Create an Account Term
• Step 2: Apply Account Terms to a Company
• Step 3: Apply Account Terms to a Customer Profile
• Best Practices
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs
• Additional Resources

Prerequisites

Why use this feature?

Account terms let you offer trade credit on your own conditions instead of negotiating payment schedules order by order. Once a term is created and applied to a company or customer, it's retained and used automatically on every invoice for that account, and the balance limit you set is checked automatically before new webstore orders are accepted, so approval doesn't depend on someone manually checking every order.

• Offer consistent payment terms across companies and customers
• Protect cash flow with an outstanding balance limit
• Reduce manual negotiation and review on repeat orders
• Automate invoicing for accounts paying on credit

Step 1: Create an Account Term

1. Go to Admin → Settings → Customer Settings → Account Terms
2. Click to add a new account term, or select an existing one to edit.
3. Enter a Name for the term, for example "Net 60".
4. Set the Default Deposit, for example 0%.
5. Set the Type to define when payment is due, choosing Days From Invoice or Days From Statement, then enter the number of days, for example 60.
6. Click Save.

Once saved, this term is available to select from any company or customer profile's account details.

Step 2: Apply Account Terms to a Company

1. Go to Business Hub → Companies → [select company] → Edit Account Details
2. Open Companies and select the company you want to update.
3. Select Edit Account Details.
4. Choose the Default Terms you want this company to use.
5. Set the Max. Outstanding Balance Allowed Online to cap how much credit this company can carry on webstore orders.
6. Click Save.

Step 3: Apply Account Terms to a Customer Profile

Business Hub → Customers → [select customer] → Edit Account Details

1. Open Customers and select the customer profile you want to update.
2. Select Edit Account Details.
3. Choose the Default Terms you want this customer to use.
4. Set the Max. Outstanding Balance Allowed Online.
5. Click Save.

Once applied, these terms are used automatically whenever an invoice is generated for this account, and, for webstore orders, new orders are held once the balance limit is reached, until the outstanding amount is brought back within range.

Best Practices

• Check the account terms that already ship with DecoNetwork before creating a new one.
• Apply terms at the company level when multiple customer profiles bill to one shared account, and at the customer level for standalone accounts.
• Remember the balance limit only affects webstore orders. For Business Hub orders, have staff check an account's outstanding balance before manually creating new orders on account.
• Review account terms periodically as your payment policies change.

Troubleshooting

Problem: A customer can't check out on account through the webstore.
Cause: The customer's outstanding balance has reached their Max. Outstanding Balance Allowed Online.
Solution: Review the balance under Edit Account Details, process payment against the account, or raise the limit if appropriate.

Problem: A Business Hub order was created for a customer who is already over their credit limit.
Cause: The balance limit only restricts webstore orders. Business Hub orders rely on the operator to manage the balance manually.
Solution: Have staff check the account's outstanding balance before manually creating an order for accounts near their limit.

Problem: An invoice shows the wrong due date or deposit amount.
Cause: The wrong Default Terms are applied to the account, or the account term itself is configured incorrectly.
Solution: Check the term's configuration under Admin → Settings → Customer Settings → Account Terms, then confirm the correct term is selected under Edit Account Details.

FAQs

What's the difference between applying account terms to a company versus a customer profile?
Company-level terms apply to the shared billing account, which is useful when multiple customer contacts bill under one company. Customer-level terms apply to that individual's own profile. Either way, a Business Hub operator can override the terms on a specific order if needed.

Does the Max. Outstanding Balance Allowed Online stop all new orders once it's reached?
No, it only affects webstore orders placed on account. Orders created manually in Business Hub are not restricted by this limit.

Do account terms apply to webstore orders?
Webstore orders always require full payment at checkout regardless of the account terms set, so account terms mainly come into effect for quotes and orders entered in Business Hub.

Can I edit an account term after it's already applied to accounts?
Yes. Edit it under Admin → Settings → Customer Settings → Account Terms. Changes apply going forward to any account using that term.

Additional Resources

• Create new account terms
• Edit company details - company manager view
• Edit customer account details