Deposits

14 Deposits

You can set up and collect customer deposits in Oracle Communications Billing Care for devices, services, packages, or accounts. To use this feature, you create deposit specification profiles and deposit specifications and use them to create deposits for individual customers.

To work with deposits, see the following topics:

Working with Deposit Configurations

Deposit configurations determine the rules used to create individual deposits for customers. A configuration includes:

Deposit specification profile: Contains the business rules for associated deposit specifications and deposits. It defines the deposit validity period and release type, and rules governing whether deposits can be refunded, transferred, exempted, overridden, or accrue interest.
Deposit specification: Defines the behavior of associated deposits. It specifies the permitted type (account, device, package, or service), charge offer, validity period, and the billing preference for deposits, and includes an associated deposit specification profile.

Deposits require charge offers that have a specific deposit event mapped to the charge. Include such a charge offer in the package, bundle, or device that customers purchase.

Deposit specification profiles and deposit specifications can have these status types:

Draft (deposit specifications only)
Active
Expired

Note:

Expired status means that the validity period has expired.

To work with deposit configurations, see the following topics:

Creating a Deposit Specification Profile

To create a deposit specification profile:

On the Billing Care landing page, click Deposit Configuration.

A page listing existing deposit specifications appears.
From the View list at the top of the page, select Deposit Specification Profiles.

The page now lists existing deposit specification profile names.
Click Create.

The Create Deposit Specification Profile page appears.
Select one of the following options:
- Copy Existing: Select to use data from an existing profile as a starting point for the new profile. If you select this option, click Search and select a profile.
- Create New: Select to start with no data defined.
Enter a unique name and a description.

Enter the following:

Field	Description
End Date	Specify the end date of the profile's validity period. Note: If you don't specify an end date, the deposit specification profile never expires. If the end date is less than or equal to the current date, the deposit specification profile is considered to be expired.
Deposit Validity Value	Enter a number and select Days, Weeks, Months, or Years from the Unit list to specify how long a deposit associated with this specification profile is valid. Note: After the validity period ends, the deposit can be released as a prepayment or refund.
Deposit Release Type	Select one of the following as the default release type for this profile: Prepayment: Customers use the deposit to pay other billed charges. Refund: Customers get a refund of the deposit.
Refund Approval is needed	(Optional) If you selected Refund for Deposit Release Type, select to require approval for refunding deposits using this profile specification.
Refund handling fee is needed	(Optional) If you selected Refund for Deposit Release Type, select to require a handling fee when refunding deposits using this profile specification.
Refund Handling Fee Value	If you selected Refund handling fee is needed, enter a value for the fee and select Percentage or Amount (in Account currency) for the type of value.
GLID for the Refund Handling Fee	(Optional) If you selected Refund handling fee is needed, select a deposit refund G/L ID.

(Optional) Select one or more of the following options in the Configure Business Attributes section:

Option	Description
Deposit will be transferable	Select if deposits can be transferred to another account or service.
Deposit can be overridden	Select if CSRs can override the deposit amount.
Deposit will be exemptible	Select if CSRs can waive the deposit for a customer.
Deposit attracts interest	Select if you want deposits to accrue interest. Note: If selected, the system calculates interest using the type and rate you specify.
Interest Type	If you selected Deposit attracts interest, select the interest type: Simple Compound Absolute
Rate of Interest	If you selected Deposit attracts interest, enter the rate. For simple or compound interest, enter a percentage. For absolute interest, enter an amount.
Interest Frequency Value	If you selected Deposit attracts interest, specify the time interval for calculating interest. Enter a number and select Days, Weeks, Months, or Years from the Unit list.
Start Interest Calculation On	If you selected Deposit attracts interest, select the basis for calculating interest for the deposit, Partial payment or Full payment.
GLID for interest	(Optional) If you selected Deposit attracts interest, select a deposit interest G/L ID.

Click Finish.

Creating a Deposit Specification

To create a deposit specification:

On the Billing Care landing page, click Deposit Configuration.

A page listing existing deposit specifications appears.
Make sure Deposit Specifications is selected in the View list.
Click Create.

The Create Deposit Specification wizard appears, on the Select Profile page.
Select one of the following options to specify a profile for the design specification:
- Use existing Deposit Specification Profile: Select an existing profile from the list. Billing Care displays details of the selected profile on the right side of the page.
- Create new Deposit Specification Profile: If you select this, profile creation fields appear. See "Creating a Deposit Specification Profile" for more information.
  
  Note:
  Billing Care displays profile details on the Configure Details page.
Click Configure Details or Continue.

The Configure Details page appears.
Enter a unique name and a description.

Enter the following:

Field	Description
Permitted	Select the permitted category value for the deposit: Account Service. If you select this, select a service from the Category list. Package. If you select this, select a package from the Category list. Device. If you select this, enter a category.
Charge Offer Name	Select a charge offer that determines the deposit charge. Note: The list displays charge offers with purchase deposit events.
End Date	Specify the end date of the specification's validity period. Note: If you don't specify an end date, the deposit specification never expires. If the end date is less than or equal to the current date, the deposit specification profile is considered to be expired.
Billing Preference	Select one of the following: Bill Immediately: Select to bill the deposit amount immediately. Bill with next billing cycle: Select to include the deposit amount in the next bill.
Increase credit limit based on deposit	Select to enable increasing the credit limit by the deposit amount. For example, a subscriber purchases any available international roaming plan and pays the deposit amount for that. While on international roaming, the subscriber’s usage is more, and it requires more credit limit. Selecting this option enables the service provider to bump up the credit limit by the deposit amount. Note: Don't select this if the credit limit won't need to be increased. For example, the credit limit on the deposit for a device such as a phone need not be increased.

If you want to make more changes to the specification later, click Save as Draft. You do need to enter something for each required field before doing this.

Note:
Use this option to save, revisit, and change any deposit specification details later.
Click Finish to complete the specification.

Finding Deposit Specification Profiles or Deposit Specifications

You can search existing deposit specification profiles or deposit specifications by wildcard (*), or by their name, or by the permitted category, or by their status.

To find deposit specifications or deposit specification profiles:

On the Deposit Specifications page, select either Deposit Specifications or Deposit Specification Profiles from the View list.

The page lists existing deposit specifications or deposit specification profiles.
Click Search.

The Search dialog box appears.
Enter search criteria.
For deposit specifications, you can search for any combination of:
- Deposit specification name
- Deposit specification profile name
- Permitted category: Account, Service, Package, or Device
- Status: Draft, Active, or Expired
If you search for a deposit specification profile name, you'll get results for deposit specifications associated with that profile.
For deposit specification profiles, you can search for any combination of:
- Deposit specification profile name
- Status: Active or Expired
Note:
Use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard to match one or more characters at the start or end of names.
Click Search.

Billing Care displays the search results.

Editing a Deposit Specification Profile or Deposit Specification

You can change the end date of a deposit specification in Draft state or a deposit specification profile.

To edit a deposit specification profile or deposit specification:

Click the name of a deposit specification or deposit specification profile.

The Edit Deposit Specification or Edit Deposit Specification Profile page appears.
Add or change the end date.
Click Finish.

Working with Deposits

You can create and manage customer deposits for accounts, packages, devices, or services in Billing Care.

To work with deposits, see the following topics:

Creating Deposits

To create a deposit:

From the Actions menu, select Deposits, then select Create.

Note:
You can also use the Create button on the Deposits page for the account.

The Create Deposit wizard appears.
On the Details page, select Account, Package, Device, or Service at the top of the page.
Depending on the deposit type, do the following:
- For Package, select a package.
- For Device, select a device category.
- For Service, select a service type and log in.
Select a deposit specification from the Deposit Specification Name list.

Billing Care displays the deposit amount next to the deposit specification.
Select the start date from which the deposit is applicable.
For device deposits, select a bill unit from the Bill Unit list, and optionally select a service.
Select Override if you want to override the deposit amount. This is available if you selected a design specification that includes the override option.

If you select Override, select one of the following:
- Override deposit: Enter an amount.
  
  Specify discount: Enter a value as an amount or percentage.
For overrides, you can optionally change the Deposit Validity Value and Deposit Release Type.
Click Continue.

The Payment page appears.
Do one of the following:
- Select Yes for Charge payment method on file immediately. Then click Continue.
- Select No for Charge payment method on file immediately, then select one of the following as the way to pay:
  - Convert prepayment to deposit: If you select this, click Show Payments to select the prepayment.
  - Collect payment: If you select this, enter an amount and a payment method.
  Click Continue
- Select Skip at the bottom of the page to add the charge to the regular billing cycle.
The Deposit Details page appears.
Review the details, then click Finish.

Field	Description
Create Deposit for	Select Account, Package, Device, or Service.
Package	For package deposits, select a package.
Device Category	For device deposits, select a device category.
Service Type And Login	For service deposits, select a service and login.
Deposit Specification Name	Select a deposit specification. The list displays the deposit specifications valid for the deposit type you selected.
Start Date	Enter a date.
Deposit applies to	For device deposits, select a bill unit from the Bill Unit list.
Select Service	For device deposits, optionally select this, then select a service from the list.
Override	For deposit specifications that have an override option, select if you want to override the deposit amount.
Override deposit	For overrides, select this to specify an override amount.
Override Amount	Enter the amount of the override.
Specify discount	For overrides, select this to discount the deposit by a specified amount or percentage.
Discount Value	Enter a value and select Amount or Percentage.
Deposit Validity Value	For overrides, enter the number of days, weeks, months, or years for which the deposit is valid.
Deposit Release Type	For overrides, select how the deposit is released after its validity period ends: Prepayment: Customers use the deposit to pay other billed charges. Refund: You refund the deposit to the customer.

Viewing Deposits

To view a customer's deposits:

On the account page, from the Actions menu, select Deposits, then select View All.

The Deposits page lists the account's deposits on the left side.
Click a deposit to see its details.

You can click Create on this page to start creating a new deposit. See "Creating Deposits".

Reversing Deposits

You can reverse a deposit, for example, if it was created by mistake. To do this:

On the customer’s Deposits page, select a deposit, then select Reverse from the Actions menu.

The Reverse dialog box appears.
Enter a reason for the reversal in the Notes box.
Click Reverse.

Transferring Deposits

You can transfer a deposit to another account. For example, a customer might want to transfer a deposit to a friend or family member. Any interest accrued on the deposit is also transferred.

To transfer a deposit:

On the Deposits page of the account that currently owns the deposit, select the deposit.
From the Actions menu, select Transfer.

The Transfer dialog box appears.
Enter the amount to transfer.
Search for and select the destination account.
Select the bill unit for the transferred deposit from the Bill Info list.
If there is a service associated with the deposit, click Select Service and select a service from the list.
Click Transfer.

Updating Deposits

You can update a customer’s deposit details.

To update deposit details:

On the customer’s Deposits page, select a deposit.
From the Actions menu, select Update.

The Update dialog box appears.
You can modify the validity value, the duration, the release type, and the amount. If the amount is updated, then a new deposit object is created.
Enter a reason for the changes in the Notes box.
Click Update.

Update Dialog Box

Use the Update dialog box to modify a customer’s deposit details.

Field	Description
Deposit Specification Name	Displays the deposit specification name.
Deposit Validity Value	Enter a number and select Days, Weeks, Months, or Years from the Select list to specify how long the deposit is valid.
Deposit Release Type	Select how the deposit is released after its validity period ends: Prepayment: Customers use the deposit to pay other billed charges. Refund: Customers get a refund of the deposit.
Deposit Amount	Enter the deposit amount.
Notes	(Optional) Enter a reason for the changes.

Making Deposit Payments

Customers can make a deposit payment in multiple ways. They can pay immediately, pay with the next bill, convert a prepayment to a deposit payment, or pay with a payment received in advance.

For example, a customer purchases a service that has a $500 deposit charge. At the time of purchase, the customer makes a $100 payment and wants to pay the remaining amount after a month. The customer can do any of the following:

Pay the remaining $400 payment with the next bill.
Pay the entire $400 at once by cash/card.
Use any available balance amount or prepayment amount to pay.

To make a payment for a deposit:

On the customer’s Deposits page, select a deposit.
From the Actions menu, select Make Payment.

The Make Payment dialog box appears.
For Charge payment method on file immediately:
- Select Yes to use the account's current payment method to pay the amount immediately.
- Select No to pay the amount with a balance or prepayment amount.
If you select No, select an option for How would you like to pay?:
- Convert prepayment to deposit: Enter a payment number or click Show Payments to select a payment.
- Collect Payment: Enter the amount and the receipt number, and select the payment method.
Note:
You can combine both options to pay the deposit.
Click Submit.

Converting Deposits to Prepayments

You can release and refund a deposit payment of your customer in multiple ways. Your customer can choose to get a complete refund or convert all or part of the deposit amount to an advance payment for another service.

For example, a customer has a $1000 balance in a deposit. The customer can opt to use $200 as a prepayment for another deposit or a bill.

To convert a deposit to prepayment:

On the customer’s Deposits page, select a deposit.
From the Actions menu, select Convert to prepayment.

The Convert to prepayment dialog box appears.
Enter the amount of the prepayment.
Enter any notes about the prepayment.
Click Convert.

Requesting Deposit Refunds

A customer can request a deposit refund. For example, a customer might do this if the service associated with the deposit is terminated.

To request a refund for a deposit:

On the customer’s Deposits page, select a deposit.
From the Actions menu, select Request Refund.

The Request Refund dialog box appears.
Enter the refund amount.

Note:
For a full refund, any interest accrued on the deposit is also transferred.
Enter any notes about the refund.
Click Request.

If the deposit specification used for this refund was configured to require approval, see "Approving Deposit Refund Requests".

Approving Deposit Refund Requests

Deposit specification profiles can be configured to require refund approval. An individual deposit requires refund approval if it's associated with such a deposit specification profile. See "Creating a Deposit Specification Profile" for information.

To approve deposit refund requests:

On the Billing Care landing page, click Deposit Refund Requests.

The Deposit Refund Requests page appears, listing refund requests by account number. The page shows refund requests that are approved, partially approved, pending, or rejected. The list includes only deposits that require refund approval.

You can't change refunds already approved or partially approved.

Note:
You can click an account number to open that account in a new tab.
Select the angle bracket icon for the row you want to update, or double-click inside the row.

Billing Care replaces the row with fields for the refund amount and notes.
Verify or change the amount and enter any notes.
Click Approve or Reject.