Forguard: Billing automation options

Billing Automation is a feature for service providers that helps manage paid access periods for their clients (Forguard users).

Previously, in GPS-Trace Console a service provider had to assign a client plan in order to create a Forguard account for themselves or for a client. A client plan defines the main account configuration (available modules, storage, units and geofences limits)
Now, every client plan also includes optional Billing Automation settings—you can enable and configure them, or leave Billing Automation disabled for the plan.

Billing Automation is not a payment gateway and does not process or collect payments automatically. Its purpose is to manage billing cycle logic for an account.

This feature allows a service provider to:

• define how often payment is expected from the client;
• notify the client before the payment deadline;
• optionally block the account if payment is overdue;
• manually extend the active billing period after receiving payment.

Let's cover three primary scenarios for configuring and managing client payment collection workflows.

Scenario 1. How to create a plan with periodic payment settings.

The first step in account creation in Forguard is the client plan.

To create a new plan:

1. Go to your GPS-Trace Console - Forguard - Client plans.
2. Select + Create client plan.
3. Configure the name of the plan, its description, partner plan on which your new plan will be based, and unit number, storage, geofences quantity and a set of modules.
4. Push the Save button.

On the second step of the process you can set up the billing automation itself:

1. Turn on the toggle Payment period. It determines how frequently payments should be made. Upon account activation, the expected payment date is automatically assigned based on the activation date.
2. You can select 1, 3, or 12 months pre-configured or set up your own period (8 months, for instance).
3. Notifications. Turn on the toggle Notify before payment. In this field you can set up a custom number of days as well.
4. Auto-blocking. If you'd like to block the account after the payment due date, turn on the next toggle and determine a number of days. If you want your customer to be blocked on the deadline immediately, just put 0 in this field.
5. Save your settings.

After you assign users to this plan, on this page you will see all client accounts based on this plan. Note that you can change the personal account periodic payment settings in the user account directly even if this user has this client plan.

Scenario 2. We have a new plan with periodic payment settings. How to create a user account on it or change user's current plan and what happens with an already activated account?

The account creation process is the standard one and you can check the process in documentation here.

That's why let's go to the case when we change the client plan from one without periodic payment settings to a new one with them.

To avoid losing client data or functionality, assign accounts to a plan based on the same partner plan level or higher (for example, from Lite+ to Lite+ or Advanced).

Then, complete the following steps:

• Go to your GPS-Trace Console - Forguard - list of accounts.
• Find the client account needed and go to its page.
• Check once again the current client plan in order not to delete some essential details.
• Check if the auto-blocking date already exists. If you set it up before this new release, it may require recalculating the date and terms of periodic payment.
• Assign a new plan with billing automation options and update the page to see the changes and new dates.

What you can see: there are 3 milestones in your payment collection process:

• Next deadline date
• Deadline reminder date
• Auto-blocking date

If you have a client with an auto-blocking date from before this release, this auto-blocking date will be saved.

How it works: You set up all 3 dates and notifications. What will your customer see?

After assigning a plan with billing automation, customers can view their Account expiration date in the Forguard app under User settings. The interface displays a message to contact their service provider for questions about the payment deadline.

When the first date arrives, a customer will see a banner: "Payment due on {Deadline date}. For any questions contact your provider." If the user taps on this line they will see the Service provider card with contact details.

When the deadline date passes and you give users an N-day grace period after the payment deadline before their account is blocked, they will see the same format notification: "Payment is overdue. Your account will be blocked on {Auto-blocking date}. For any questions contact your provider."

After the auto-blocking date comes, the sign-in will be blocked although the application itself continues running as usual. It's the easiest way to restore all functionality after the payment has been received.

Scenario 3. You have received the payment and need to extend the periodic payment for the next term.

Now it's time to think about the future. Once you confirm payment from your client, follow these steps to extend deadline:

• Go to your GPS-Trace Console - Forguard - list of accounts.
• Find the client account needed and go to its page or tap the sign Billing automation to prologue it immediately.
  
• On the account page select Billing information - settings.
• Tap the button Extend period (it works if you preconfigured it in client plan settings - toggle "Payment period" should be on).
• Check the date is updated.
• Save if everything is correct or edit the dates if you need different ones.

At any moment on the account page in the tab with periodic payment collection, you can turn off all billing automation options or reset them to the common ones of this tariff assigned.

The billing automation feature handles payment deadline calculation, customer notifications in the Forguard app, and automatic account blocking based on configured payment periods (1, 3, 12 months, or custom intervals). This removes the need to manually track payment deadlines or send individual reminders for each client account.

When a payment is received, use the Extend period button in the account's billing settings to start the next payment cycle. The Console will recalculate all dates (payment deadline, reminder date, auto-blocking date) based on the configured period.

This billing automation saves you time by reducing manual payment tracking and reminders while ensuring more predictable payments. In case of any questions – feel free to reach out in our chat.