Write a detailed billing change Task for Finance

When to raise a billing change Task

Raise a Task whenever a Deal outcome changes what a customer is billed and someone other than you has to make the change. Typical triggers:

A new contract or renewal that sets or changes recurring charges
A price increase, discount, credit or free period agreed on a Deal
Vehicles or Tag iQ units added to, or removed from, billing
A charge being removed, such as a cancelled service or a goodwill waiver
A temporary change that must revert after a set period

A vague Task such as "update billing for Acme" forces Finance to chase the Deal, guess the intent and risk a wrong invoice. A detailed Task takes a few minutes longer to write and prevents the rework, credit notes and customer queries that follow a misread instruction.

If there is no Deal behind the change, still use this structure and say in the Task that no Deal exists and why.

What every Task must include

Cover all six details below, in this order. If one does not apply, write "Not applicable" and say why rather than leaving it out.

1. BC code

What to write: The Business Central account code for the company, exactly as it appears in BC (for example C00123).

Watch out for: Parent and child accounts often have different codes. Confirm you have the one that is actually invoiced.

2. Value

What to write: The amount being applied, with currency, unit and frequency: for example "£4.50 per vehicle per month" or "£1,200 per year". State whether it is ex VAT.

Watch out for: Never write a bare number. Say what the number is per, and how often.

3. Method

What to write: The action, using one of the standard verbs below, then what it acts on.

Add: a new charge is introduced alongside existing ones.
Replace: an existing charge is swapped for a new value. State both.
Reduce: the existing charge is lowered by a stated amount or percentage. State the resulting value too.
Remove: the charge stops entirely from the commencement date.
Credit: a one-off credit is applied against past or future invoices. State the invoice reference where known.
Freeze: the current value is held and a scheduled increase does not apply.

Watch out for: "Update" is not a method. State the before and after where you can: "Replace £6.00 with £5.25 per vehicle per month".

4. Commencement date

What to write: The exact date the change takes effect on the invoice (DD Month YYYY).

Watch out for: Say whether it applies from the invoice date, the service date or the next billing run. Do not use "ASAP" or "next month".

5. Period

What to write: How long the change lasts: a number of months or years, plus the end date, or "Ongoing until further notice". State what happens at the end.

Watch out for: For temporary changes, say whether billing reverts to the previous value or to a new one.

6. Scale

What to write: What is in scope: all vehicles on the account, a stated number of units, specific registrations or serial numbers, or a specific product line (cards, industrial pucks).

Watch out for: "All vehicles" is only clear if you say which account. Attach a list if fewer than all are in scope.

Where to find each detail on the Deal

Open the Deal the Task is associated with and gather the details before you write anything. The Deal is the source of truth for what was agreed; the Task is your instruction to act on it.

BC code: The associated Company record, or the Deal's own BC field if one is held. Check the Company name matches the invoiced entity.
Value: Line items (unit price, quantity, discount) and the Deal amount. Check the agreed price in the notes if the line items were not updated.
Method: The Deal notes and the quote or order form. Compare the new line items against the customer's current billing to see whether it is an add, replace, reduce or remove.
Commencement date: Close date, contract start date or the start date on the signed quote. Use the contractual date, not the close date, if they differ.
Period: Contract term, renewal date and any stated term on the quote.
Scale: Line item quantities, plus any vehicle or serial number list attached to the Deal, Ticket or Company.

If the Deal does not contain something you need, do not guess. Ask the Deal owner and say in the Task who confirmed it and when. Link or attach the signed quote, order form or email confirmation so Finance can verify your figures.

Task layout

Copy this layout into the Task and replace each bracket. Keep the field names so every Task reads the same way. Put the key facts in the subject as well, so Finance can triage from the Tasks list.

Subject: [Company name] - [Method] - [short description] - from [DD Mon YYYY]

BC code: [for example C00123]
Deal: [Deal name and link]
Value: [currency amount] [per unit] [per month or year] [ex VAT]
Method: [Add, Replace, Reduce, Remove, Credit or Freeze], what it acts on, and before and after values where relevant
Commencement: [DD Month YYYY], applies from [invoice date, service date or next billing run]
Period: [X months or years], ends [DD Month YYYY], at the end [reverts to X, continues at X or stops]
Scale: [all vehicles on the account, N units, named list attached, or product line]

Examples

The company names, codes and figures below are invented for illustration.

Example 1: temporary discount

Weak Task: "Please apply the agreed discount to Northgate Logistics from next month." There is no BC code, amount, period or scope, and "next month" moves depending on when it is read.

Detailed Task:

Subject: Northgate Logistics - Reduce - tracking fee discount - from 01 Nov 2026

BC code: C00417
Deal: Northgate Logistics - 2026 Renewal
Value: £1.50 per vehicle per month ex VAT discount
Method: Reduce. Current tracking fee of £7.50 becomes £6.00 per vehicle per month
Commencement: 01 November 2026, applies from the November billing run
Period: 6 months, ends 30 April 2027, at the end reverts to £7.50
Scale: All 84 vehicles on account C00417. The 6 industrial pucks are excluded and stay at the current price

Example 2: removing a charge for part of the fleet

Weak Task: "Stop billing Harbour Fleet for the vehicles they returned."

Detailed Task:

Subject: Harbour Fleet - Remove - monthly service charge for 12 returned units - from 01 Oct 2026

BC code: C00932
Deal: Harbour Fleet - Downsize
Value: £5.25 per unit per month ex VAT (£63.00 per month removed in total)
Method: Remove. The charge stops entirely for the units listed
Commencement: 01 October 2026, applies from the October billing run
Period: Ongoing until further notice
Scale: 12 card trackers, serial numbers in the attached list. The remaining 40 units continue to bill as now

The second example also settles a question Finance would otherwise have to raise: whether September is credited.

Check before you save

Read the Task as if you had never seen the Deal. If Finance would need to open it to act, add what is missing.

The BC code is present and matches the company that is invoiced
The value states currency, unit, frequency and whether it is ex VAT
The method uses a standard verb and, for a replace or reduce, shows before and after
The commencement date is a full calendar date, with the billing run it applies to
The period gives a length, an end date and what happens afterwards
The scale says which units are in scope, with a list attached if not all
The Task is associated with the correct Deal, and the source document is linked
The Task is assigned to Finance, with a due date before the first affected invoice

Common mistakes

Relative dates. "Next month" and "from renewal" mean different things on different days. Always write the date.
Bare numbers. "£5" could be per vehicle, per account, monthly or annual.
Wrong account. Group customers often have several BC codes. Check the code against the invoiced entity.
Ambiguous scale. "All vehicles" changes meaning if units are added or returned later. Give a count and a date.
Missing end. Temporary changes without a stated end date stay in place until someone notices.
Working from memory. If the Deal and your understanding differ, confirm with the Deal owner and record who confirmed it.