AR Account Search Screen

The Accounts Receivables feature is available when the Cashiering>Accounts Receivables application function is set to Y.

Select AR>Account Maintenance to access the AR Account Search screen. The AR Account Search screen is the starting point for most account maintenance activities. Use the search criteria to locate a specific AR account or group of accounts.

Note: The Cashiering>Bypass Cashier Login application parameter may be used to speed access to Cashiering functions for users having a cashier ID associated with their user ID. If the Cashiering>Bypass Cashier Login application parameter is set to Y, and if you have previously logged in to Cashiering and the Cashier is still open, the Cashier Login screen does not appear when subsequently accessing Cashiering functions. If Bypass Cashier Login is set to N (the default), you are prompted for a Cashier Login each time a Cashiering function is accessed.

Note: There are other ways to access AR features in Opera. For example, the AR Account No. screen appears when you select the down arrow for the AR Number field on the Profile screen Stats & Info tab. Selecting the New or Edit button from the AR Account No. screen takes you to the Setup Account screen described below.

Many AR features are accessed directly from the AR Account Search screen, while others are available from the AR Account Maintenance screen, which appears when you select one or more accounts and choose the Select button.

From the AR Account Search screen you can access these features:

Delete an Account. Highlight an account in the search results grid and select the Delete button to delete the account. You may delete an account only if the account has a zero balance and the Permanent flag is not selected on the Setup Account screen. When you delete an account, account data is not actually deleted from database tables.
Create a New AR Account / Edit an Existing AR Account. To create a new AR account, select the New button. To edit an existing account, highlight the account in the search results grid and select the Edit button.
Select an Account. Choose one or more accounts in the search results grid and select the Select button to display the Account Maintenance screen(s) for the account(s) you chose. The Account Maintenance screen allows you to:
Display account activity (invoices and/or payments). You may search for account activity by folio number, date, and/or invoice number. You may display payments only or both invoices and payments. When searching for invoices, you may display all invoices or only those that are open.
Compress invoices. Combine two or more invoices into a single invoice.
View invoice details. Display detailed invoice information; add new posting's, adjust transactions, and edit transaction details.
Edit posting's. View posting details and edit reference and supplemental information.
Add new invoices. Create a new invoice and post charges to it.
Apply or unapply credit. Apply or unapply credit to the account at large, to one or more specific invoices, or to the oldest invoices.
Post payments. Post payments to an account.
AR options. Select the Options button to display the AR Posting Options menu.
When the General> Enhanced Options Management application parameter is set to Y you have another way of quickly accessing options. You can press Ctrl+T to display the blue Option field.

To view all the available options in alphabetical order, scroll through the options list by selecting the Up and Down arrow keys. Press Enter to select the displayed option and open the corresponding option screen.

Or, instead of scrolling through the options list, type the first three letters of the desired option. The corresponding options screen appears. (For example, type c-a-n for Cancel.)

You may also enter the first letter of the desired option and all options beginning with that letter will appear in alphabetical order as you scroll. To scroll, use the arrow keys or repeatedly press the beginning letter key. For example, if you typed a-a-a-a you might scroll through the options of Accompanying, Add on, Agent/Company, Alerts. Press Enter to open the desired option.
If a Fixed Rate applies to the account, then a Fixed Rate indicator lamp is displayed in the bottom left portion of the screen and this lamp can be clicked on to display the Fixed Rate screen.

AR Account Search Criteria

By default, all accounts are displayed on this screen initially. To filter search results, enter your search criteria in the following fields.

Account Name. Enter all or the first part of the profile name to which the account is attached.

From Account Number/To Account Number. If you are searching for a specific AR account and you know its number, enter the account number in the From Account Number field. If you are searching for a range of AR account numbers, enter the first account number in the From Account Number field and the last account number in the To Account Number field. The following rules will apply if a partial account number is entered:

If only From Account No - will return accounts with partial matches.
If only From Account No and To Account No - will return accounts in between this range.
If only To Account No - returns all accounts less than this.
If From Account No is greater than To Account No, the message "From Account No. cannot be greater than To Account No." appears and the search will not be performed.

Agent. Available when the AR>AR Account Agent application function is set to Y. Select the down arrow to choose the account agent whose account(s) you wish to search for.

Scope of Search. Select a radio button to indicate how broad you wish the search to be.

All. Show accounts having an open balance and accounts having a zero balance. This is the default.
Open Balance. Show accounts having an outstanding balance only.
No Balance. Show accounts having a zero balance only.

AR Account Search Screen Fields

X. An X in this column indicates that the record is selected for an AR account maintenance function. Click in the X column to select the record. Or you may select the record by highlighting it and selecting the spacebar. If you are choosing only one record for a function, you may simply highlight the record without placing an X in this column.

Account Name. The profile name attached to this AR account.

Alt. Name. If the General>Extended Byte application parameter is set to Y, multiple-byte character sets may be used to enter names in languages that require extended-byte (for example, Chinese). If the profile includes a double-byte name, it appears in this field.

Account No. The accounts receivable number, if one has been assigned to this profile for the property. If the AR>Account Number Mandatory application parameter is set to N, and the profile has an AR account, this field is blank.

Balance. The current balance for the AR account, in local currency.

Contact. The name of the account contact specified on the Setup Account screen.

Type. The AR account type. Account types are defined in Configuration>AR>Account Types. Some examples of AR account types are: CORP = Corporate, LOCAL = Local Business, CATER = Catering, TRAV = Travel Agents, and BNQT = Banquets.

City. The city portion of the AR account address specified on the Setup Account screen.

Red Indicator lamps can be displayed at the bottom of the screen, if the AR account meets certain criteria. For example, if a Fixed Charge applies to the selected account, then a Fixed Charge lamp is displayed. See Indicator Lamps for details.

Flagging an AR Account

To flag an AR account (e.g., because of late payment), highlight the account on the AR Search screen and select the Options button, or select the Options button on the Account Maintenance screen. From the Account Posting Options menu, choose the Account Setup option. On the Setup Account screen, select the Flagged check box in the Status frame.

When you select this check box, a Description field becomes available. In this field you may enter the reason for flagging this account. If an AR account is flagged, you are notified when an invoice is created for the account, when an existing invoice is edited for the account, or when the bill is settled to the account. The following message appears: "Account <name> has been flagged <description>. Do you want to continue?"

Respond Yes to continue. Respond No if you do not wish to proceed with the invoice. How flagged accounts are handled is determined by your property.

Create or Edit an AR Account

Note: You may also select the Stats & Info tab from the account-holder's Profile screen and click the down arrow on the AR Number field to create accounts at other properties and edit accounts for that profile. See Profile Stats & Info for details.

Note: For information about automatic creation of AR accounts at checkout, see Check Out to Direct Bill.

Starting from the AR Account Search screen, you may either create a new AR account, or edit an existing AR account.

To create a new AR account, select the New button. If you currently have an AR Account highlighted in the AR Account Search Grid, then selecting the New button will automatically populate this Profile Name in th Profile Search Screen. The Profile Search screen appears. Use the Profile Search screen to find the existing profile or to create a new profile, as necessary. If the profile selected does not have an AR Address attached to it, then the profile address will be copied over into the Select AR Address screen and a new AR address with an AR ADDRESS Type will be created and has to be selected before advancing to the Setup Account screen. But if the profile that the account is being created for has multiple AR addresses attached to it that have not yet been assigned to another AR Account, the Addresses screen is displayed and an address has to be selected from the list to use. After selecting or creating the profile for the new account, the Setup Account screen appears. See Addresses for details.
To edit an existing AR account, use the search criteria to find the AR account you wish to edit. Highlight the account in the search results grid and select the Options button. Select the Account Setup option from the Account Posting Options screen. The Setup Account screen appears.
Note: While you are working in the Account Maintenance screen, you may set up additional accounts for the company, travel agent, source, group, or individual whose account you are currently working with. To do so, select the Account Setup button from the Account Maintenance screen Options menu. See Account Maintenance Screen for details.

The following fields are available. (If you are creating a new AR account, all fields from the associated profile will be auto-filled, as appropriate; changes can be made to this information.)

Property. This field is displayed when the OPP_MHOT Multi-property license is active. You may select the properties to which you wish to propagate the account at the time you create the account.

Account Type. Each AR account is assigned an account type. Account types are defined in Configuration>AR>Account Types. Some examples of AR account types are: CORP = Corporate, LOCAL = Local Business, CATER = Catering, TRAV = Travel Agents, and BNQT = Banquets. Selecting an account type helps you to categorize your accounts receivable accounts for searching and reporting. Account types are also used to determine which statement format is to be used when printing statements for each account and the reminder cycle for that account. Select the down arrow to display the AR Account Types list of values. When you select an account type, its description appears to the right of the Account Type field.

Note: Default account types can be specified for each type of profile using the following AR application parameter settings: Default Travel Agent Account Type (for Travel Agent accounts), Default Group Account Type (for Group accounts), Default Company Account Type (for Company accounts), and Default Individual Account Type (for individual guest accounts). For example, when creating a new account for a Company profile type, the account type defaults to the type defined by Default Company Account Type.

Account Number. If this is a mandatory requirement in your organization (AR > AR Number Mandatory application parameter is set to Y), you will not be able to continue without entering an account number. If your property uses AR account number templates, and you enter a number in the incorrect format (the required format is defined in the AR> Account Picture application setting), a message prompts you with the correct format for account numbers. The account number must be unique at the property where it is created, and — if the OPP_MHOT Multi-property add-on license is active and the AR>Prompt Account Copy application parameter is set to Y — unique across any other property where the number may be propagated.

Note: Account numbers are required if the AR>AR Number Mandatory application parameter is set to Y. Uniformity of AR account numbers can be enforced by specifying an account number format, or template. Templates may be set up using the AR> Account Picture application setting.

Note: If the AR>Automatically Assign AR Number application parameter is set to Y, an account number will be automatically assigned and this field will be read-only. When this parameter is active, the AR>Account Picture application setting is set to null and is not displayed; similarly, the AR Number Mandatory application parameter is set top Y and is not displayed.

Note: When the Cashiering>Allow Duplicate AR Numbers application parameter is set to Y, the same AR number can be entered on multiple AR accounts. This parameter is only displayed when the AR>Automatically Assign AR Number application parameter is set to N.

Credit Limit/LOC. The maximum amount of credit available to this account, or the amount of the letter of credit provided by the account holder. The credit limit for the account type associated with this account or, in the absence of a credit limit for the account type, the AR>Global Credit Limit application setting, may be used to set a default for this field. You may change this amount if necessary.

If you attempt to settle to direct bill or to directly add a new invoice to the AR account and the transaction would exceed the credit limit for the account, a warning message prompts you to indicate whether you wish to proceed with the action. When settling to AR, the credit limit set for the AR account is compared to (1) the current outstanding balance on the AR account + any accruals awaiting Transfer FO Data + the amount being settled.

Other Opera areas where validation takes place to verify the credit limit are:

When editing an invoice in the Transfer FO Data area and attaching it to a different account.
When using Transfer from the AR Options menu to move an existing invoice to a different AR account.
When using AR batch posting to make postings to multiple AR accounts at one time.

Agent. Available when the AR>AR Account Agent application function is set to Y. Select the down arrow to choose the account agent who will be responsible for this account. The account agent can be used as a filter when running AR Aging reports.

Status. Set the AR account status if you wish to be notified of any special conditions whenever an invoice is created for this account.

Flagged - Select the Flagged check box. When you select this check box, a Description field becomes available. In this field you may enter the reason for flagging this account. See Flagging an AR Account, above, for details.

Contact. Enter the name of the AR account contact. If you enter a contact here, the contact is used for AR purposes only (for example, for statements and reminder letters).

Phone / Fax. Enter the phone number and/or fax number used to contact this account or select the ellipsis button to display the Communication Information screen to select the Phone/Fax or enter a new one. If you enter phone and/or fax numbers here, the phone number and/or fax number is used for AR purposes only (for example, for statements and reminder letters).

Email. Enter the email address for the account or select the ellipsis button to display the Communication Information screen to select the email or enter a new one.

AR Address. By default, these fields are populated with the primary address from the profile associated with this account. Change this information if AR information is to be directed to a different address. If you enter an AR address, the address is used for AR purposes only (for example, for statements and reminder letters) and the address recorded in the profile will not be changed. The same also applies if an address is updated for the Profile, the AR Address will not be updated.

City. Enter the city of the AR account address.

Postal Code. Enter the postal code of the AR account address.

Country / State. Select the down arrows to display Countries list of values and the States and Provinces list of values. Select the country and state or province for the AR account address.

Reference Currency. This is the currency used for reminder letters and statements sent to this account. This field is populated with the profile Reference Currency. To change the reference currency, select the down arrow to display the Currency list of values. Choose the reference currency from the list. If you enter reference currency here, it is used for AR purposes only (for example, for statements and reminder letters).

Payment Due Days. Available when the Cashiering>Payment Due Days application parameter is set to Y, enter a positive numeric value between 0-999 to signify the number of days until the payment is due for the AR account. If a down arrow is displayed beside the field, then values are available for selection and have been configured in the Configuration>Setup>Screen Design>List of Values Maintenance>LOV Value Maintenance menu option and in the PAY DAYS LOV Group.

This date can be displayed on the AR Folio by adding the AR_PAYMENT_DUE_DATE merge code when customizing the sample folio and this will appear, as an example, like AR Pay Due Date 05/18/09.

Last Reminder Sent. The date the last reminder was sent to this account. (See Reminders for details.)

Last Reminder Text. The text of the last reminder letter sent.

Last Reminder Sent To. The contact name to whom the last reminder letter was sent.

Last Statement Sent. The date the last statement was sent to this account. (See Statements for details.)

Last Statement Sent To. The contact name to whom the last statement was sent.

Include In Batch Statement. Select this check box if the account is to be included when batch statements are run. You may not want some accounts (such as internal accounts or credit card accounts) to be included in a batch statement run (AR>Mailing>Batch Statements); in these cases, un-select this check box.

Permanent Account. Select this check box if this account is to be a permanent AR account. As long as this check box is selected, the account may not be deleted. This check box is selected by default.

Note: If the OPP_MHOT Multi-property add-on license is active and the AR>Prompt Account Copy application parameter is set to Y, you may propagate new AR accounts to other properties at the time you create the account. When you have provided the information for a new account on the Setup Account screen and you select the OK button, you are prompted whether you want to create the new AR account at other properties in your cluster. Respond Yes to display the Property List from which you may choose one or more properties at which you wish to create the account.

Button Functions

Ok. Saves any changes that have been made to the account and exits out of the Setup Account screen.

Close. Exits out of the Setup Account screen.

Note: Should the Setup AR Account be accessed when the Cashiering>Accounts Receivables application function is set to N, then see AR Account Setup When the AR Function is OFF for details.

Delete an AR Account

To remove an AR account, highlight the account you wish to delete in the AR Account Search screen search results grid (or, to delete multiple accounts, mark the accounts you wish to delete with an X in the X column). Then select the Delete button.

When deleting an account, Opera removes the AR number from the profile to which the account is attached; the profile itself is not deleted from the Opera database. To remove a profile entirely, access the Profile screen features.

AR accounts may be deleted subject to the restrictions outlined below.

Note: When you delete an AR account, financial data related to the account is not deleted from database tables.

You may not delete an AR account if the Permanent Account check box on the Setup Account screen is selected (this is the default). If you need to delete a permanent account, you must first un-select the Permanent Account check box on the Setup Account screen.
You may not delete an AR account if it has a non-zero balance.
Note: Accounts can only be deleted if there are no active transactions for the account. While an account may have a net balance of zero, transactions are considered active if the zero balance is due to equal and offsetting debits and credits. If that is the case, the account is considered to have active transactions and may not be deleted.

If you wish to delete all no-balance accounts of a specific account type, or all no-balance accounts having account numbers in a specific range, use the AR Account Search screen search criteria to filter the accounts.
You may not delete an AR account if there are window routing instructions on the reservation which route charges to that account for the current business date or for a future date. This restriction applies even if there are no charges posted to that AR account.