How to submit a billing adjustment?

Objective

Ensure all client billing changes are accurate, documented, and aligned with the Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Definition: What is a Billing Adjustment?

A Billing Adjustment is any update to a client’s billing plan.

This includes:

• Adding services
• Updating pricing
• Removing services
• Issuing credits or refunds

It is critical that all billing reflects the agreed-upon service level. Any change to billing must be submitted through the Internal Billing Adjustments pipeline.

When to Submit a Billing Adjustment

Submit a billing adjustment any time:

• A client adds or removes a service
• Pricing is updated for any reason
• A credit or refund is issued
• Billing is paused or resumed
• A client cancels services
• A retention offer impacts billing

Pipeline

Pipeline Name: Internal Billing Adjustments

All billing updates must be submitted through this pipeline using a ticket.

Required Ticket Properties

Complete all fields accurately before submission.

1. Adjustment Type

Select the appropriate type:

• New Launch
  For clients starting services with no existing recurring billing
• Add Recurring Service
  Adding a new service to an existing client
• Remove Service
  Removing a service and reducing billing
• Credit Memo
  Applying a credit for retention or billing error
• Refund
  Issuing a refund for a billing error
• Pause Billing
  Temporarily pausing billing for retention purposes
• Resume Billing
  Restarting previously paused billing
• Canceled Account
  Removing all subscriptions for a lost client
• Retention Adjustment
  Updating pricing as part of a retention effort
• Mail Piece Increase
  Increasing quantity of mailers or print volume

2. Services

Clearly define:

• What service(s) are being adjusted
• What is being added, removed, or changed

Example:
“Google Ads Management – Increase budget tier”
“Remove SEO service”

3. Final Billing Amount

Enter:

• The new total recurring amount
  or
• The value of the credit or refund

4. Difference in Billing

Enter:

• The exact dollar difference compared to the current billing amount

Example:

• $300 (increase)

• $200 (decrease)

5. Recurring

Indicate whether the adjustment is:

• One-time
• Recurring

6. Process Timing

Specify when the billing adjustment should take effect:

• Immediately
• 1st of the month
• 15th of the month
• 25th of the month

Important Notes:

• Check the client’s billing cycle before selecting a date
• All clients are subject to a 30-day cancellation clause

7. Ticket Status

• Leave the ticket in “New” when submitting

8. Attach Records

You must attach:

• Company record
• Contact record

Examples of Success

• Correct adjustment type selected
• Services clearly defined
• Accurate final billing amount entered
• Difference in billing calculated correctly
• Proper effective date selected based on billing cycle
• Company and contact records attached

Examples That Need Improvement

• Missing or incorrect adjustment type
• Vague service descriptions
  • “Update plan” instead of specifying service
• Incorrect billing totals or math errors
• No effective date selected
• Ticket submitted without attached records

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting without checking the billing cycle
• Forgetting the 30-day cancellation policy
• Not clearly explaining what is changing
• Selecting the wrong adjustment type
• Leaving required fields incomplete

Final Checklist Before Submission

• Adjustment type selected correctly
• Services clearly defined
• Final billing amount entered
• Billing difference calculated
• Recurring vs one-time selected
• Effective date confirmed
• Company and contact records attached
• Ticket left in “New” status