CMS - Debit Orders & Netcash

Created by Mienette van Heerden, Modified on Mon, 7 Jul at 1:17 PM by Glennise Pretorius

There are two methods available to utilize the Debit Order function on Weconnect. The first method involves exporting Debit Order Batches and submitting them to a third party. Alternatively, users can opt to make use of the Netcash option, which is a third-party service that is seamlessly integrated with the WeconnectU software.

1. Debit Order Mandate Setup

1.1 Per Customer

Navigation: Community Level > Units > Unit Details

Once the relevant owner has been selected, on the unit details page ensure that the owner's Banking Details and Debit Order details are captured. This can be done by clicking on the Pencil Icon.

The following page will open to allow for amendments to any Customer. The first required field is the Payment Type. The payment type should be changed to a Debit Order.

This will allow for the Debit Order details to be captured. Each owner has a mandate which needs to be signed and these details will be listed in that agreement with the owner.

All these fields are required fields to be selected.

Contract Number: As per the mandate, the number filled in here will indicate the number of retries to collect that may be done on the owner's account should there be a failed debit order.
Collection Date: The date on which the debit order will be deducted from the owner's account.
Collection Type: There are multiple collection types to select from:
- Balance: This is the total balance outstanding on the unit as of the date of the debit order.
- Monthly: The monthly levies and any other financial processing done in the previous month for the unit ( includes any interest & arrears fees etc).
- Monthly Plus: Monthly amount plus a fixed fee, this is typically a payment arrangement.
- Fixed: A fixed amount agreed upon regardless of what the monthly fee and outstanding fee are on the unit.

Once these fields have been completed, ensure that the correct banking details as per the Debit Order Mandate have been captured.

The Unit details page should look like the below once the Customer has been updated.

1.2 Per Community

Navigation: Community Level > Finance > Customers > Manage Customer

This option is used when there are multiple owners on a debit order. In the top right corner simply, click on Update Debit Order Mandates.

Click on the template file here to download the template to be completed.

There are eight columns which are all required fields to be completed.

Column A: Customer Code, which can be found under the Unit Details page.
Column B: Bank Name (select from the dropdown list).
Column C: Branch Code - we suggest that you make use of the universal branch codes.
Column D: Account Name of the bank account on the mandate.
Column E: Account Number without any spaces in between.
Column F: Account Type (select from the dropdown list).
Column G: Collection Date as per the agreement on the mandate.
Column H: Mandate type will be one of the four collection types (select from the dropdown list).
Column I: Monthly Plus Amount - this is only applicable when the Monthly Plus collection type was selected.

1.3 Global

Navigation: Global Level > Finance > Customers > Debit Order Batches

This option is used when there are multiple owners in multiple communities on a debit order. In the top right corner simply, click on Update Debit Order Mandates.

The same applies as per the community debit order mandate template, however, Column J is a mandatory column.

There are eight columns which are all required fields to be completed.

Column A: Customer Code, which can be found under the Unit Details page.
Column B: Bank Name (select from the dropdown list).
Column C: Branch Code - we suggest that you make use of the universal branch codes.
Column D: Account Name of the bank account on the mandate.
Column E: Account Number without any spaces in between.
Column F: Account Type (select from the dropdown list).
Column G: Collection Date as per the agreement on the mandate.
Column H: Mandate type will be one of the four collection types (select from the dropdown list).
Column I: Monthly Plus Amount - this is only applicable when the Monthly Plus collection type was selected.
Column J: Community Code

2. Netcash Setup

Before getting started with the Netcash debit order process, there are some setups required on the Community Profile.

2.1 Netcash Profile Setup

2.1.1 Netcash Profile

Due to Netcash being a free integration between the Property Managing Agency and WeconnectU, there will be no charge from WeconnectU, however, the Property Managing Agency will need to open an account with Netcash at a charge.

2.1.2 Netcash Community Bank Accounts

The property Managing Agency will be responsible to create and capture the relevant communities with the bank accounts on the Netcash Profile.

Note: There are dedicated Key Account Managers for WeconnectU clients @ Netcash.

2.2 WeconnectU Portal Activation

The Property Managing Agency will inform WeconnectU of the choice to activate the Netcash Integration function on the relevant reseller profile. WeconnectU will then activate the integration portal.

2.3 Netcash Integration Activation

Navigation: Global Overview > Communities List > Menu Options > Intergrations

From the Global Dashboard, scroll down to your communities. Navigate to the relevant community and click on Menu Options. From the Menu Options list, select Integrations.

A pop-up message will come up, tick the NetCash Debit Orders box and click on Save.

Select the settings Icon next to Netcash Debit orders. The following pop-up message will appear. The Netcash Account, Account Service Key and Debit Order Key will be provided by Netcash. After these three fields have been completed, click on Save.

IMPORTANT: This is a very important step and there is NO room for error. Ensure that there are no spaces or any other characters before clicking on Save and that the correct community has been selected. This cannot be undone. If you add the incorrect details to a community it cannot be transferred or just simply changed.

Once this step is completed, WeconnectU will automatically create a cashbook. This cashbook will reflect on the trail balance due to the surety amount. There will always be a balance.

Note: When running debit orders, "surety" is required and in this industry, it is tricky to have a trustee/director sign for surety as these are not always constant positions in the community. The Property Managing Agency is not always in the financial position to sign for surety.

Here is where Netcash comes in, Nectachs has a "built-in" surety. In essence, the Property Managing Agency can run debit orders without surety as Netcash withholds 10% of the total debit order amount as surety. The 10% is still the Property Managing Agencies' money, however, it can only be accessed at a later stage in the month.

Important: Trust money may never be kept as surety as this is illegal.

2.4 Netcash Default Billing Setup

Navigation: Community Level > Settings > Default Billing Setup

Scroll down towards the bottom of this page and set up the Debit Order Control Account.

2.5 Debit Order Mandate Setup

Navigation: Community Level > Finance > Customer > Manage Customer

Follow the same steps as mentioned in point 1 of this article, Netcash will validate the bank account this is indicated with a green tick. Should there be an error the reseller must contact the owner.

3. Running Debit Orders

3.1 Debit Order Batch Export

Navigation: Global Level > Finance > Customer > Debit Order Batches

Once this screen is in the right-hand corner there is an orange button. Click here to download the debit order batch.

The following pop-up will appear, all these fields are mandatory before exporting the debit order batch file.

Collection Date: This date will determine which debit order batch will be exported.
Month: This will always default to the upcoming month.
Format: Default, only if the third party requested a TXT file should this be changed.

Example: If the collection date is selected for the 1st all of the owners who have a signed mandate to state that the debit order should be deducted on the 1st will appear on this export file for February.

The debit order export batch will be in the business user download folder, this CSV file can now simply be forwarded/uploaded to the third party to run the debit orders.

On this same page, there is an option to download the Debit Order Summary, this allows for final spot checks before exporting and submitting any Debit Order batches.

3.2 Netcash Debit Order

Navigation: Global Level > Finance > Customer > Netcash Debit Orders

The following screen will appear:

Collection Day: Here is where the collection date is to be selected at least two days prior to the actual debit order date.
Last Collection: This date indicates what was the previous debit order run. Should there be any returned the details will reflect here and the owners can be contacted by the Property Managing Agency.
Netcash Cashbook: By clicking on the amount, it will redirect to the Netcash cashbook on the system.
Total Mandates: This is the amount of debit order mandates per community.
Unpaid (60 days): By clicking on this, it will only list the returned transactions for the last 60 days.

Once the Collection Day has been selected, all the communities that have been billed and there are balances against the owner's accounts will appear on the screen. If all internal checks have been completed and the Property Managing Agent is ready to submit the debit order simply scroll down and click on Submit. Only the communities that have been ticked on the left will be submitted.