Overview

This article provides relevant information regarding the Payment Processing feature in GoMembers 4Gov. This information is helpful for support agents and administrators to develop an in-depth and concise knowledge on the functionality, as well as being acquainted and familiar with the Quick Entry guideline in 4Gov.

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Information

Payment Processing is one of the most used features in GoMembers 4Gov, and they are accessible in the Cash Receipts function, by navigating to Collections > Cash Receipts. Payments can also be processed using the ePay feature (not in the scope of this article), which is a third-party application integrated into 4Gov, and it allows customers to make online payments.

Below is a quick rundown from the main functionalities of the Cash Receipts module, the ones you are most likely to stumble upon when troubleshooting and working in 4gov.

1. Cash Receipts Entry

• Batch Initiation: The process begins at the Main Menu by selecting "Cash Receipts Entry." Users will find that upon access, their workstation-specific settings are automatically loaded, including the starting cash-on-hand as defined in their workstation table.
• Invoice/Account Entry: Users must first define the receipt type, such as "WAT" for water payments or "TCK" for Ticket violations. This selection activates various controls, including integration with receivable systems (e.g., AR, UB), fields for data entry, and predefined amounts for swift processing. If needed, account or invoice numbers are also entered here.
  
• Receipt Entry: This stage involves entering the Utilities account number, which auto-retrieves the due amount set as the default payment. Users can utilize the Special Functions for detailed account inquiries or balance confirmations. Note that this screen may be different depending on the receipt type selected in the previous step
  
• Accept Payment: After submitting the payment information, a verification screen appears to confirm the details before final submission.
  
• Amount Tendered: Users input the payment method and details (e.g., check number). For multiple payment forms, additional lines are available. If necessary, further entries can be added by selecting "Return/Do More Recpt (PF4)."
  
• Exit From Batch: When the user selects BACK to exit from this batch entry, the following screen appears. This display allows the user to simply close the batch with the ability to continue batch entries at a later time or to close the batch and record a deposit total. If “Y” is selected, the current batch is marked as “C” for closed, and the next time the user enters Cash Receipts Entry, a new  batch will be initiated.
  

2. Batch Balancing

• Review Batches: Designated personnel review closed batches to ensure accuracy, making corrections or voiding erroneous entries as needed before finalizing the batches.
  
• Update Batch Totals (SPF3 option): At this stage, the final cash count is entered, updating the batch totals. This involves highlighting the batch on the workstation screen and entering corrections.
  
• Current Batch Summary: Once balanced, you click on Back, and batches are displayed in their final status, ready for the release and update procedures.
  

3. Reports on Receipts

• Unreleased Receipts Report: This report provides detailed or summary listings of unreleased payment transactions. Users have flexible filtering and formatting options to tailor the report to specific needs, such as detailed transaction logs.
  
• Released Receipts Report: This functions similarly to the Unreleased Receipts Report but for already processed transactions. It provides a detailed or summary view and includes various selection options to suit different user needs.
  

4. Back-Room Processing

• Utility Receipts Entry: Payments by personal check are received in the mail, ideally with an invoice that has a bar-coded version of the account number or invoice number for which it is being submitted. These payments may be  batched for quick entry into the Cash Receipts system. On the Back-Room Processing Menu, there is a “Quick Entry” selection for Water, Motor Vehicle, and Vehicle Sticker payments. These programs are customized front-ends that create standard CR batches for workstation 9900, each containing receipts for a common receipt type.
  
• Batch Creation and Review: Entered payments form a batch for further processing. These batches are then reviewed and released like other entries, with detailed viewing options available for each transaction within a batch, just like detailed in the previous section

More details can be found in the dedicated Back-Room Processing in GoMembers 4Gov article.

5. Lockbox (MVL/WTR) Processing

• Run Options: Manage files of payments received from banks, which are uploaded into the Cash Receipts system through a custom interface. The method by which this file gets transferred to the Cash Receipts system file directory may have changed, but ultimately, you will have this bank file loaded into the directory where your CR master files are stored. At the conclusion of this process, a control report is produced listing all incoming payment transactions.
• Control Report: After payments have been processed from their custom input format into the standard 4Gov lockbox file format, the remaining selections on the Lockbox Processing Menu allow the initial payment batch, now written into either an AR invoice or Utility Billing file, to be maintained by the user, and ultimately, deposited into a CR input batch for workstation 9990. These
  payments will be released and updated like any manually entered CR batch, and then the receipts will post into either the Utilities or Vehicle Licensing systems.

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