3PL Billing Overview

3PL Billing is a complete billing system designed for third-party logistics service providers (3PL). It allows you to manage OMS client accounts, establish customized price plans, track all transactions, generate account statements, and handle payments for warehouse services.

This module is essential if you operate as a warehouse that provides storage, handling, and shipping services to multiple clients. It helps you bill accurately and professionally for all services you provide, from daily storage to premium services and shipments.

What is 3PL Billing?

3PL Billing is an administrative module that allows warehouse administrators (WMS Admin) to manage billing for services provided to OMS clients. Unlike the standard warehouse billing system, 3PL Billing is specifically designed for multi-client operations where you need to:

Set different prices for each client
Create customized price plans
Generate detailed account statements per client
Track all transactions and payments
Manage billing adjustments and disputes

Why use 3PL Billing?

Multi-Client Management

Manage multiple OMS client accounts from a single place, each with its own prices and customized configurations.

Flexible Price Plans

Create customized price plans for different clients, allowing you to set specific rates for storage, handling, shipping, and premium services.

Automatic Billing

The system automatically generates charges for services like daily storage, order handling, and shipments, reducing manual billing work.

Detailed Account Statements

Generate professional account statements for each client showing all services provided, transactions, and applied payments.

Complete Transaction Tracking

Track all transactions from all OMS clients in one place, including charges, adjustments, and payments.

Payment Management

Record and track client payments, maintaining a complete history of all financial transactions.

Adjustments and Disputes

Make billing adjustments when necessary and manage client disputes in an organized manner.

Premium Services

Define and bill additional premium services such as kitting, custom labeling, or special packaging services.

Accessing 3PL Billing

You can access 3PL Billing from:

Main Menu: Navigate to 3PL Billing in the navigation menu
Requirements:
- You must be a warehouse administrator (UserLevel = 2 and UserWH = 1)
- The module must be enabled in system preferences (3pl_billing = 'Y')

3PL Billing Components

The 3PL Billing module is organized into several main sections:

Account Management

OMS Accounts (/acountslist.php)

View and manage all OMS client accounts
Activate or deactivate accounts
Configure preferences per account

Services and Pricing

Premium Services (/premium_services.php)

Define additional premium services
Set prices for special services
Activate or deactivate services per account

Price Plans (/Pricingplanlist.php)

Create customized price plans
Assign plans to different clients
Configure rates for storage, handling, and other services

OMS Client Prices (/PriceListlist__.php)

View and edit prices specific to each client
Customize individual rates when necessary

Shipping Methods (/method_shippinglist.php)

Configure available shipping methods
Set prices per shipping method
Manage discounts and surcharges

Shipping Discounts (/SurchargesCarrierlist.php)

Configure shipping discounts and surcharges
Apply special shipping price rules

Account Statements and Summaries

Service Summary (/InvoiceViewAdmlist.php)

View summaries of services provided
Review automatically generated invoices
Export billing information

OMS Client Statements (/InvoicesAlist.php)

Generate account statements for OMS clients
View account statement history
Send account statements to clients

Transactions and Payments

All OMS Transactions (/all_transactions.php)

View all transactions from all OMS clients
Filter by client, date, transaction type
Export transaction data

Billing Adjustments (/adjustment_admin.php)

Make billing adjustments
Correct errors in charges
Add manual credits or debits

Payments (/gateway_Account_History_list.php)

Record client payments
View payment history
Track pending balances

Daily Storage (/dailyStorage.php)

View and manage daily storage charges
Review storage calculations
Adjust storage rates when necessary

4PL Billing (Optional)

If the 4PL Billing module is enabled, you’ll also see additional options:

All Transactions: View all warehouse transactions
Statements: Generate warehouse statements
Dispute Verdicts: Manage dispute verdicts
3PL Costs to 4PL: View 3PL costs passed to 4PL

Typical Workflow

A typical workflow in 3PL Billing includes:

Configure Client Accounts

Start by managing your clients’ OMS accounts in OMS Accounts. Activate accounts and configure their basic preferences.
Establish Price Plans

Create price plans in Price Plans and assign them to appropriate clients. This defines base rates for storage, handling, and other services.
Customize Prices Per Client

If necessary, adjust specific prices in OMS Client Prices for clients that require customized rates.
Configure Premium Services

Define additional premium services in Premium Services and activate appropriate services for each client.
Monitor Transactions

Regularly review All OMS Transactions to see all charges automatically generated by the system.
Make Adjustments

If necessary, make billing adjustments in Billing Adjustments to correct errors or add manual charges.
Generate Account Statements

Generate account statements in OMS Client Statements to send to your clients showing all services and charges for the period.
Record Payments

When you receive payments, record them in Payments to maintain an accurate record of client balances.

Differences with Standard Warehouse Billing

3PL Billing differs from the standard warehouse billing system in several important aspects:

Feature	Warehouse Billing	3PL Billing
Focus	Internal warehouse billing	Multi-client billing
Prices	Fixed warehouse rates	Customized prices per client
Price Plans	Not available	Multiple customizable plans
Account Statements	Per warehouse	Per individual OMS client
Client Management	Not included	Complete OMS account management
Premium Services	Limited	Complete premium service management

Requirements and Permissions

To use 3PL Billing you need:

Administrator Permissions: You must be a warehouse administrator (UserLevel = 2 and UserWH = 1)
Module Enabled: The 3pl_billing module must be enabled in system preferences
OMS Account Access: You need access to manage OMS client accounts

💡 Best Practices

Configure Prices Before Activating Accounts

Set your price plans and configurations before activating client accounts to avoid incorrect charges.

Review Transactions Regularly

Review automatically generated transactions frequently to detect errors or discrepancies early.

Document Adjustments

Always document the reason for billing adjustments to maintain clear records and facilitate dispute resolution.

Generate Statements Consistently

Establish a regular schedule for generating account statements (monthly, bi-weekly) to maintain predictable cash flow.

Communicate Price Changes

Inform clients in advance about changes in price plans or rates to maintain professional relationships.

Use Premium Services Strategically

Clearly define premium services and communicate their value to clients to maximize additional revenue.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the 3PL Billing Overview, explore specific functionalities:

Premium Services - Define additional premium services
Price Plans - Create and manage price plans
OMS Client Prices - Customize prices per client
OMS Client Statements - Generate account statements
All OMS Transactions - Track all transactions
Billing Adjustments - Make billing adjustments
Payments - Record and manage payments

To compare with the standard warehouse billing system:

Warehouse Billing Dashboard - Warehouse billing overview
Generated Costs - Automatically generated costs