ITERAS invoices all subscribers fully automatically, regardless of how the invoice is to be sent. The following invoicing methods are available:
Paper invoice (sent separately): Printed and sent fully automatically by Betalingsservice based on files received from Iteras once a day (automatically, with no action required from the publisher). A printed paper invoice is the default invoicing method when invoicing via BS. This means that everyone who is not signed up for electronic invoicing to online banking or automatic withdrawal via Betalingsservice will receive a paper invoice.
Paper invoice (delivered with the magazine): Printed by the publisher based on a file with addressing and payment slip information, which is exported from Iteras.
Electronic invoice to online banking: Delivered via BS to the subscriber's online bank. In theory, this is a smart solution, but in practice it doesn't work very well, as banks are not always good at notifying Nets when a subscriber changes banks. This can result in the payment slip ending up in the subscriber’s old bank account, where it goes unnoticed.
Automatic withdrawal via Betalingsservice: If the subscriber is signed up for Betalingsservice, the amount is withdrawn without requiring approval from the subscriber. The withdrawal is then listed on the BS collection overview. No separate invoice is sent.
Email invoice: The invoice is sent via email. A PDF copy of the invoice is attached for those who prefer it.
NemHandel (EAN): The invoice is delivered via the NemHandel system, which Iteras integrates with. Payment slip lines are included, since the NemHandel system does not support payment notifications, so the payment is notified via BS.
Card payment (e.g. Dankort, VISA, MasterCard) and other payment methods: The invoice is sent via email with a link to the offered payment methods. If the subscriber has agreed to it, the amount can be withdrawn automatically instead, and the invoice/receipt is then sent either in connection with the withdrawal or a number of days before, depending on system setup. Note that card payments require an acquiring agreement. Iteras’ card payments and other payment methods are handled via Quickpay or Adyen (global). See which payment methods we support via Quickpay and via Adyen.
How is the invoicing method selected?
How a subscriber is invoiced depends partly on the publisher's choice of preferred invoicing method and partly on which payment methods are offered in the sign-up form or selected when the subscription is created (note that it is the subscription — not the subscriber — that has the invoicing method attached, meaning a subscriber with two subscriptions can be invoiced in two different ways).
In the business unit settings (Account > Business Unit), under “Invoicing and Payment,” you select a preferred invoicing method. You can choose between Email, BS Payment Slip, Print-Your-Own Payment Slip, Preliminary Postponed, and Manual. This is the invoicing method the system defaults to if no other method is chosen during signup/creation of the subscription.
How to select the different invoicing methods:
Paper invoice (sent separately): Select BS Payment Slip, and subscribers will receive a paper invoice – unless they are signed up for automatic withdrawal via Betalingsservice, electronic invoice to online banking, or have entered an EAN number.
Paper invoice (delivered with the magazine): Select Self-printed Payment Slip and use the addressing format “General with payment slip.”
Electronic invoice to online banking: Select BS Payment Slip. This method requires the subscriber to enable electronic invoice reception in their online bank, so this method cannot be selected by you – it is selected by the subscriber. If not enabled, the subscriber receives a paper invoice.
Automatic withdrawal via Betalingsservice: Select BS Payment Slip. This method requires the subscriber to sign up for Betalingsservice, so this is primarily a choice made by the subscriber. Contact support if you want a setup where this method is mandatory.
Email invoice: Select Email.
NemHandel (EAN): Enter an EAN number on the individual subscriber. This overrides all other invoicing methods but cannot be selected as a general invoicing method, as an EAN number is required.
Card payment and MobilePay: Select Email. The invoice is sent via email with a link for payment using card/MobilePay. If there is an agreement for recurring card payments, only a receipt (marked as paid) is sent to the customer after the charge. Card details only need to be entered during signup. The invoice can also be sent before the payment is charged.
Regardless of the preferred invoicing method selected, a different invoicing method can be chosen for each individual subscription during manual entry or data import. As a publisher, you can also allow subscribers to select their own invoicing/payment method in the sign-up form. These choices override the preferred method.
When is the subscriber invoiced?
Since invoicing is fully automated and requires no action from the publisher, Iteras determines when the invoice or reminder is to be sent. In short, an invoice is sent when a subscription period ends. New subscribers receive their invoice either immediately or delayed to coincide roughly with the arrival of their first issue – depending on the publisher's settings. These are the basic principles, but there are details and deviations described below.
First, one must distinguish between campaigns based on issue count and those based on time. This matters for defining when a campaign ends, since that triggers invoicing – or rather: the end date is the reference point for determining continuation, which controls invoicing. For issue-count campaigns, the campaign ends unambiguously when the last issue is pulled – i.e., when the remaining issue count drops from 1 to 0. For time-based campaigns, the end occurs on the final campaign day. On the expiry date, the campaign’s continuation instruction is executed. This can mean the campaign stops, but invoicing only happens if it is continued to a new period, whether it’s the same campaign or another. In general, renewal invoices will be sent during the run that processes the final issue in an issue-based period (typically 10–15 days before the last issue is received by the subscriber), and on the expiry date for time-based campaigns.
These principles can be adjusted as follows:
If invoicing via Betalingsservice, it’s often desirable to have the continuation of the campaign take place by the 18th of the month, so that the automatic BS collections can be included, which we submit about 6 banking days before the end of the month. Therefore, for issue-based campaigns, it’s common to ensure allocation occurs by the 18th, especially since many magazines are issued around the 1st and the runs happen 10–15 days prior. For example, it’s unwise to run invoicing on the 20th if using BS. For time-based campaigns, for the same reason, you might set continuation 15 days before expiry. Note: December has earlier deadlines due to the holidays – varies yearly. Also, BS collections ignore any delay in the invoicing date, since there’s a “natural” delay in the process. These are sent at the continuation point to make the 19th deadline. Final note: campaign continuation is not the same as the start of the next campaign; a campaign may be continued to allow BS invoicing while still awaiting its actual start date. In that case, the previous campaign remains active. Both will be visible under the subscriber.
It is possible to delay invoicing for both the first and subsequent periods. Delaying issue-based campaigns causes invoicing/collection to happen on the issue date instead of the run date. For time-based campaigns, the delay means invoicing on the period’s start date instead of the earlier continuation date. For new subscribers, this determines whether invoicing happens at signup or at the start of the subscription – relevant only if the start date is later than signup. This may occur due to synchronization, described next.
You can synchronize collections so that all subscribers are invoiced at the start of each year, quarter, or month. In such cases, you must decide what to do with the initial period when someone signs up at another time: Should the start be postponed to the next invoicing point, or should there be a proportional charge for the interim period? Note that you can also trigger early continuation of synchronized campaigns for BS invoicing purposes (as described earlier), since BS collections in that case also ignore any delay to the 1st and are instead sent at the continuation point.
Betalingsservice may take up to seven days to deliver FI payment slips after we send them. Iteras does not account for this delay.
Read about automated jobs in Iteras here. The jobs control when during the day the actual dispatch happens.
One final note about invoicing time: it’s generally smart to re-invoice subscribers well before the start of a new period, so they have time to cancel before receiving issues they may not want to pay for. This potentially saves both publisher and subscriber some hassle.