Master rates and exception rates can now be specified in Neos using the Billing Settings tab. This tab allows you to set a billing client rate for all cases where the contact can be designated as the billing client. Designating the contact as the billing client will override any tasks or staff-specific rate for billable time. The Billing Client rate can be enabled or disabled as needed for individual clients. The Billing Client and Exception rates allow your firm to set specific hourly billing rates for any contact in your Address Book and automatically override billing rates for all new cases associated with the client. Billing Client rates allow your firm to set contractually agreed-upon rates for your clients.
NOTE: You must have at least Enabled permissions to Provider to access the Billing Settings tab.
To access Billing Client and Exception Rates, open the Contact (Provider Card). Select the Billing Settings tab. Billing rates can be set for all contacts (Parties and Providers) in the Contact > Billing Rates tab. The Billing Settings tab is enabled regardless if the contact has a Role specified.
Billing Rate Priority
Billing rates can be set automatically when configured for a Contact (described in this article), Staff, or Task. Neos will set the default rate for a time entry in the following order of priority.
Contact Exception Rate
Billing Client Rate
Staff Exception Rate
Staff Default Rate
Task Default Rate
When a rate is overridden by priority, a message will display below the Rate field of a time entry. In the example below, the Analysis/Strategy Task L120 has a default rate of $12.45.
However, because the Contact is a Party in a Case marked as "Our Client" with a Billing Client Rate, the Rate is automatically changed (Billing Client Rate is higher priority than Task Default Rate).
Billing Client Rates
On the Billing Settings tab for a Contact (Party or Provider), select the Enable checkbox under Billing Client. When enabled, the Billing Rate field can be edited. Enter the dollar amount per hour that should be set for this contact. This billing rate will be automatically used for all staff logging time spent in cases where this contact is a Party and designed as "Our Client". This includes a manual time entry, saving an automatic time entry, or creating a time entry (manual or automatic) from a call log in the Communications Center. Every Billing Client Rate for each contact is visible in the Address Book grid. When the Billing Client Rate has been saved, the contact can be selected in the Case Tab > Billing Client field.
When creating a Value item in the Case, the Bill To field will be automatically set to the Billing Client.
Click Save to keep your changes.
When a Billing Rate has been set, a "Billing Client" flag will display in the contact's header.
If a staff has a default hourly rate set, when they log time, the rate will be overridden by the Billing Client Rate set for the Contact.
Exception Rates
In some instances, your firm may need to set a different rate used by a particular group of users at your firm. Exception rates can be created by Staff Groups.
Click the + Add Exception Rate button above the grid.
On the Add Exception Rate window, enter the following details.
Staff Group – Use the dropdown to select the required group of staff that should use this particular rate. Only active staff groups from the Staff Groups Directory will be listed.
Rate – Set the required rate to be used by all staff in the selected Staff Group.
Type – Use the dropdown to set how the time spent is calculated (Per Hour or Per Task).
Click the Save button to insert the exception rate into the grid on the Billing Rates tab.
The Exception Rates grid will refresh when the rate has been added. Exception rates can be modified by clicking the edit icon to change the Staff Group, Rate, or Type. Click the delete icon to remove an exception rate. Click the Save button on the Billing Rates tab to save all changes.
When the signed-in Staff is a member of the selected Staff Group and they are logging time spent in a Case as a manual time entry, saving an automatic time entry, or creating a time entry (manual or automatic) from a call log in the Communications Center for this Contact who is a Party and marked "Our Client", the Rate will automatically be set to the listed Exception Rate. The default rate for the Task that was overridden, based on the priority noted above, by the Contact Exception Rate will be displayed on the Time Entry.
