Rule Based Auto Pay Instructions

You can define rule based auto pay instructions for an account. If a financial transaction created against a bill satisfies the rules defined in an auto pay instruction, the automatic payment is created using the respective auto pay ID. For example, Bill 1 has three bill segments - BS1, BS2, and BS3. The BS1 and BS3 financial transactions satisfy the rules defined in the auto pay ID 123456. And, the BS2 financial transaction satisfies the rules defined in the auto pay ID 456789. Then, the system will create two automatic payments against a bill - one using the auto pay ID 123456 and another using the auto pay ID 456789. In this way, the system enables you to create multiple automatic payments for a bill using different auto pay ID.

A new screen named Auto Pay Instruction enables you to define rule based auto pay instructions for an account. Note that you can define rule based auto pay instructions for an account when the Rule Based Auto Pay check box in the Auto Pay tab of the Account screen is selected.

If you want to define a rule based auto pay instruction, you must set the auto pay type to Regular. A rule based auto pay instruction is driven through a rule type. While defining rules in an auto pay instruction, you can only use those fields which are selected as the input and output parameters in the specified rule type. Similarly, you can only use characteristics of those entities which are selected as the rule criteria characteristic entities in the specified rule type.

While freezing a financial transaction where the financial transaction type is set to Bill Segment (BS), Bill Cancellation (BX), Adjustment (AD), and Adjustment Cancellation (AX), the system checks whether there are rule based auto pay instructions for the account which are effective on the bill's due date. If there are multiple rule based auto pay instructions effective on the bill's due date, the system will sort and consider the rule based auto pay instructions based on the priority. If the rule based auto pay instruction with the highest priority does not have any rules, the auto pay ID is simply stamped against the financial transaction in the C1_​FT_​EXT table. If the rule based auto pay instruction with the highest priority has rules, then the rule criteria derivation algorithm on the respective rule type is executed to derive the following from the financial transaction:

  • Values of all those fields (such as, policy number, plan number, or price item) which are selected as the input and output parameters in the rule type

  • Characteristics of all those entities which are selected as the rule criteria characteristic entities in the rule type

Note: The characteristics which are effective at the time of FT freeze or bill completion are derived depending on the value defined for the Bill Segment Freeze Option field in the installation options.

The output is then used by the auto pay rules engine to check whether the financial transaction satisfies any rule defined in the auto pay instruction. If the financial transaction satisfies any rule defined in the auto pay instruction, the auto pay ID is stamped against the financial transaction in the C1_​FT_​EXT table. However, if the financial transaction does not satisfy any rule defined in the auto pay instruction, the system considers the rule based auto pay instruction with the next priority and then derives the parameters which are to be used by the auto pay rules engine for evaluation. If the financial transaction does not satisfy any rule based auto pay instruction which is effective on the bill's due date, the auto pay ID is not stamped against the financial transaction in the C1_​FT_​EXT table.

The following table explains how to enable the rule based auto pay feature during various system events:

System Event Then...
FT Freeze You need to define an algorithm using the C1-APRULEEVL algorithm type and attach it to the FT Freeze system event of the required customer class.
Note:

This algorithm is invoked during:

  • Online billing when the Bill Segment Freeze Option field in the installation options is set to Freeze At Bill Completion

  • Batch billing when the Freeze and Complete option in the bill cycle is selected

Bill Completion You need to define an algorithm using the C1-RULEAPPRC algorithm type and attach it to the Rule Based Auto Payment Processing system event of the required customer class.
Note:

This algorithm is invoked during:

  • Online billing when the Bill Segment Freeze Option field in the installation options is set to Freeze At Bill Completion (Note that, in this case, the algorithm only considers the financial transactions of the post-processing bill segments.)

  • Online billing when the Bill Segment Freeze Option field in the installation options is set to Freeze At Will

In addition, you need to do the following to enable the rule based auto pay feature:

  • Define a match type where an algorithm created using the C1-PYBLAPAY algorithm type is attached to the Pay Dist Override Algorithm system event

  • Specify the match type in the Open-Item Account Match Type Code To Be Used For Rule Based Auto Payments parameter of an algorithm which is created using the APAY-CREATE algorithm type

    Note: This match type is then used while creating automatic payments for an account for which rule based auto pay instructions are defined.

  • Set the Allow Caching Of Rule Based Autopay List option type of the C1_​FINTRANOP feature configuration.

Related Topics

For more information on... See...
Auto Pay Instruction screen Auto Pay Instruction (Used for Searching)
Rule Type screen Rule Type (Used for Searching)
Auto Pay Route Type screen Auto Pay Route Type
How to setup the C1_​FINTRANOP feature configuration Setting the C1_​FINTRANOP Feature Configuration