Setting Up an Electronic Batch (AUS, NZ)

The batch payment functionality gives you the ability to prepare a batch which will create a file to import into your banking software. This can save you time entering transactions into the bank. These files can be used to pay creditors, direct debits for client payments, and for payroll payments.

There are three parts for allowing electronic batches to work in your system:

• Part 1: Creating an Electronic Payments Account
• Part 2: Setting Which Bank Accounts Will Use Electronic Batches
• Part 3: Entering Bank Accounts and Payment Details for Your Contacts

You need only one electronic payments account in your chart of accounts.

Before you begin:

• Ensure you have a contact record set up for your bank. See Adding a Contact for help. 
• If your bank is Australian, find out your bank's ABN number and assign it in the ABN field of the bank's contact record.

Part 1: Creating an Electronic Payments Account

To get started, you will need to set up the general ledger account for electronic payments. 

To do this:

1. In Actionstep, go to Accounting > Accounts > Accounts List. The Accounts List page appears.
2. Click the Display drop-down list and choose Master Accounts.
3. In the Cash on Hand section, click the plus icon. The Add Account window appears.
4. Complete the information on the window, as described in Adding a General Ledger Account.
5. Use a descriptive name for the account, like Electronic Payments or Electronic Batch Payments.
6. When you're finished, click Save. You are returned to the Accounts List page. 
7. Proceed to Part 2: Setting Which Bank Accounts Will Use Electronic Batches.

Part 2: Setting Which Bank Accounts Will Use Electronic Batches

Once you've set up the GL account, you can link it to the bank account as well as specify which other bank accounts can make use of electronic batches.

To do this:

1. Complete the steps in Part 1: Creating an Electronic Payments Account.
2. On the Accounts List page, click the Display drop-down list and choose the division account.
3. Find the ledger account you just created. 
4. In the Additional Info column for that account, click Link Bank Account. The Create Bank Account window appears.
5. In the General section, enter the requested information. (See Linking Bank Accounts in the Accounts List for more details.)
6. In the Holding account section, toggle Enable to on.
7. Click Save to save your changes. You are returned to the Accounts List page.
   
   For every bank account you have in your Accounts List, you can then choose whether it will use electronic batches.
   
   
8. In the Accounts List, find a bank account you want to use electronic batches and click its link in the Additional Info column. The Edit Bank Account window appears.
9. In the Electronic Banking section, toggle Enable to on. 
10. Click the File format drop-down list and choose the format / bank specific to your country. 
11. Click Save to save your changes. 
12. Proceed to Part 3: Entering Bank Accounts and Payment Details for Your Contacts.

Part 3: Entering Bank Accounts and Payment Details for Your Contacts

In this last set of steps, you will set up the banking details for the contacts who will be paying using electronic batches. You will do this in the contact record. 

To do this:

1. Make sure you've completed the steps outlined in Part 1: Creating an Electronic Payments Account and Part 2: Setting Which Bank Accounts Will Use Electronic Batches.
2. Edit the contact record for the contact you want to set this up for. To do this, you can use the global search box or you can click Contacts in the main Actionstep menu and choose Contacts List.
3. If you're setting up bank account details for an Australian contact, add the ABN number by going to the Overview tab of the contact record, clicking Edit in the top-right corner, and then enter the ABN number in the ABN field under Miscellaneous information. Then click Save. 
4. Click the Accounting tab. The Customer Billing Options page appears.
5. Enter the account information in the Debtor (sales) preferences and Creditor (purchases) preferences sections. 
6. Click Save when you are finished.