The IDI platform solution for selling retail products on an installment basis is implemented through Enhanced Retail Installment Plans. This solution is not provided as standard. To use it, you must arrange to have it enabled in your system via a service order. If you do not already have this functionality enabled in your system, contact your account manager to learn how to arrange for this.
Retail installment plans can be set up, sold and managed using IDI Desktop Client or web-based Orders and Customer Care. You can also use Order web APIs to sell retail installment plans. This article is a starting point for learning more about how to use this functionality. It provides:
A brief overview of the functionality available when enhanced installment plans functionality is enabled in your system.
Links find more detail om how to use the functionality, based on where you are using it (IDI Desktop Client, web applications, or web APIs).
A quick note to IDI associates who may be responsible for enabling this functionality on your behalf.
How Enhanced Retail Installment Plans Work
Installment Plan Profiles
The rules that govern retail installment plans are set up in Installment Plan Profiles. These profiles are configured in IDI Desktop Client Product Management, regardless of where you sell and manage the installment plans. Profiles are assigned to retail products in the client Product Catalog to establish the rules that apply for each product. For a given profile, you can set up any number of rules based on a selected credit class and/or account type. These rules specify:
Whether or not to allow installment plans.
Whether or not to require an installment plan at time of sale.
Number of payments range.
Whether or not to require a down payment.
Down payment range.
Down payment as currency or as a percentage of retail price.
Whether or not the first payment is required at the time of sale.
You can rank the rules to establish precedence in the event that more than one rule, based on account type and/or credit class, applies to a customer.
The ability to add, edit, and delete profiles is restricted by permission profiles.
Any retail product that may be sold with an installment plan must be assigned an installment plan profile. This is done via a new drop-down menu on the Add/Edit Retail Product form. A retail product can only have one profile assigned at a time. If a profile is not assigned, the product cannot be sold with an installment plan.
Note:
Retail installment plans can only be sold on serialized retail products; therefore, the corresponding drop-down will not be enabled unless the product is marked as Serialized.
Allow/Disallow Installment Plans by Credit Class
Credit classes are defined and managed via the Credit Class table in Admin Console Data Management. The Add/Edit form provides a control to allow or disallow installment plans on a credit class basis. When further granularity is needed, you may choose to allow/disallow installment plans by credit class on a profile rule basis.
Note:
Both settings (global in Data Management or the ruled-based in Product Management) are subject to manager override. At their discretion, users having manager override authority can allow an installment plan sale that would otherwise be disallowed due to poor credit.
Pay Off In-Full
The ability to pay off the remaining balance on an installment plan is supported in Customer Care and IDI Desktop Client in both Customer Management and POS Front Office.
Selling Installment Plans
This is supported in Web Sales in the Orders web application, in web APIs, and IDI Desktop Client POS Make Sale. In all cases, sales follow the rules established by the installment plan profile assigned to the retail product being sold.
Returns/Void/Cancel
These processes are automated to minimize manual steps:
The return amount will include any down payment initially collected, plus any installment payments that have been invoiced.
The Billing product is disconnected.
An additional installment tender record for uninvoiced balance is created to offset tender balances.
Voiding or canceling a return will reconnect the billing product.
Managing Installment Plans After sale
Customer Care supports viewing installment plan information on a feature when applicable, and at the account level. On a feature, if the feature has not yet been billed, users with permission to manage catalog Items can choose whether or not to pay in installments, and set the number of installments. At the account level, users can choose to pay in full or view the associated agreement.
In Customer Management, the Retail Installment Plan form available via the Account > Installment Plans menu option on the Customer form facilitates managing installment plans after sale. The form provides pertinent account-level and sales-related information. You can select an installment plan on the account and initiate the pay-in-full process or an exchange, access order information related to the installment plan, or display the receipt for the sale.
OnlineBill
OnlineBill lets subscribers view their installment plans and pay off an installment plan in full.
General ledger
General Ledger functionality has been enhanced to support installment plans.
Enabling Enhanced Retail Installment Plan Functionality
A setting in the ConfigurationValue database table called EnableInstallmentPlanProfiles must be set On (True) to enable the functionality. This setting is only available to authorized IDI personnel using SQL Server Management Studio.
Where to Go From Here
For details on how to use this functionality, refer to the applicable knowledge article depending on where you sell and manage installment plans:
Using Enhanced Retail Installment Plans in IDI Desktop Client
Using Enhanced Retail Installment Plans in IDI Web Applications
If you sell enhanced retail installment plans using web APIs, refer to the applicable web API documentation in the IDI Knowledge Center.