For operators within this industry, complexity in terms of billing and, invoice management & processing arises in multiple areas:

• Customer categories – e.g. private passengers, different vehicle types, accompanied and unaccompanied freight. Service offerings for different customer groups will involve a wide range of pricing options, payment terms and invoicing procedures.
• Tiered pricing. Examples include volume-based pricing arrangements for frequent commercial users – or group discounts for private passengers. Some of these may be standard arrangements. Others may need to be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. All will need to be accounted for accurately in the relevant invoices.
• Add-ons. Parameters to be factored into invoices may include cargo handling for unaccompanied loads, short or long-term ambient or refrigerated storage, and in-crossing cabin/catering packages for drivers.
• Partnerships. With the type of add-ons listed above, elements of the service offering may be delivered by third parties. Accuracy of recording is essential for the purposes of recoupment and internal reporting.
• Multiple touchpoints. When an initial arrangement needs to be varied for private passengers and commercial customers, terms of passage may be determined by a combination of touchpoints (e.g., a passenger books via your website and then telephones to secure an add-on or discount). When bills are generated, such variations need to be recorded in an accurate and consistent manner. Siloes existing between those touchpoints may impede this.
• Cross-border and regulatory considerations. For each crossing booking, the application of levies, duties and taxes, the language used, and the layout and content of the bill may be determined by passenger type, onward-passage intentions, freight load category and volume. An incorrectly entered data point may lead to needless delays / additional outlay for the passenger – and reputational damage for the carrier.

Our billing solution is flexible enough to be tailored specifically to your preferred pricing and billing model. What’s more, it is powerful enough to streamline and automate that model – even in the case of multiple billing parameters and high volumes of transactions.

Thanks to this combination of flexibility and powerful processing capabilities, MBilling is already being put to work by a ferry operator to address the types of challenges detailed above.

With MBilling, you set the rules, and our solution ensures they are followed – while eliminating the time-consuming workflows and risk of data-entry errors that arise with traditional billing processes.

MBilling automatically identifies and lifts all relevant billing data and applies it to your system. It calculates the pricing considering all relevant variables underpinned by the rules set by you – and taking into account any exceptions or validation steps you need to apply. The same system generates and distributes those invoices according to your preferences. And when a bill is issued, the transaction is fed through immediately to your Unit4 Financials by Coda system.

Accurate, consistent, and easy to deploy, MBilling ensures invoicing processes support business growth – rather than being a barrier to it.