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How to use the Visit Fees Feature

Easily add an additional cost to your rates by using Visit Fees

Anjelica avatar
Written by Anjelica
Updated over a week ago

Please note: This feature is available for those using Birdie's Core, Advanced and Plus packages, as well as the Essentials, CM + Rostering + Finance, Premium and All-Inclusive packages. If you would like to know more about these features please reach out to your Customer Success manager.

Visit fees will enable you to add an additional cost to your invoice rates. This is a helpful feature if you charge a fee for long-distance travel or for visits that occur outside of your typical area of service. You can also use this feature if, for example, you charge a fee on top of your visits.

Visit fees will also help you save time ahead of invoicing by eliminating the need to add fees as ad-hoc payments or expenses when generating invoices.

How to add a Visit Fee

  1. Go to the Invoice Rates section of the Finance tab. Click on the New Invoice Rate button.

Birdie Finance Invoice Rates page with left sidebar showing "Invoice Rates" highlighted under "Manage Invoicing".  "New invoicing rate" button highlighted in turquoise circle at top right.

2. Here you will see the option to ‘Add fee’. You will also see this when you edit an existing invoice.

Birdie Finance Invoice Rates page with fields to Add Name, Default visit rate and Service type rates with no rates added and corresponding buttons. Fees section shows Add fee button highlighted. Buttons to Cancel, Reset and Save at the bottom of the image.

3. Enter the details of the rates as you normally would. If you need guidance on how to do this, please see this article - How to create invoice rates.

4. Now enter the details of the visit fee, including the fee name and rate. The amount will be applied every time a visit with this invoice rate attached takes place. You can add multiple different visit fees to the same invoice rate card. Click Add when you are done.

Pop up form uptitled "Add new fee" with Type tabs showing "Visit Fee" (selected and highlighted in turquoise circle) and "Subscription". Description states "Repeats every time a visit happens for as long as the client is active". Form contains Fee name field with placeholder "e.g. Visit fee" and Fee rate field showing "£6.95". Cancel and Add buttons at bottom.

5. In order for these fees to be charged, the invoice card must be linked with a contract, and the contract must be linked to the client via the Funding: Payers tab.

For more information on how to do this, please see the articles below:

When this invoice rate is applied to a visit, you will see the total cost of the fee or fees associated with the visit within your Generate Invoices page under Invoices.

Birdie Finance "Generate Invoices" page Table displays visits with columns for care recipient, carer, contract, date, charged time, care delivery, expenses, and fee (highlighted in turquoise circle).

These fees will also be clearly highlighted in the invoice itself once it is generated.

Generated invoice view for "Domestic Rate" showing invoice number no167 to Main Payer ABC for £370.00 balance due. Details two care visits by Bettie Page on 15 Sept 2023, with fees section showing "2 x Long distance fee @ £5.00" totaling £10.00, demonstrating how fees are calculated and displayed on invoices.


How to edit or remove a Visit Fee

To edit a visit fee find the invoice rate card on the Invoice Rate tab under Manage Invoicing. From here, click Edit.

Birdie Finance "ED test invoice" rate card page showing breadcrumb navigation from "Invoicing rates". Left sidebar shows "Invoice Rates" highlighted. Main content displays Default visit rates table with two entries (Monday-Sunday at £30.00 and Saturday-Sunday at £40.00, both "Whole day" Single type) and Fees section showing "Pet care fee" applying to "Every Visit" at £5.00. Top right has action buttons including highlighted "Edit" button.

From here, you can click the notepad icon to edit the fee and adjust the name and the amount charged.

Fees tab showing a Pet care fee which applies every visit, for a total of £4. The notepad icon for making edits is highlighted. Buttons to Cancel, Reset and Save are at the bottom of the image.

At the top of the page, make sure to enter the date from which this edit will apply from. You will not be able to save the page otherwise. When you have made your edits, click Save

If a visit fee is edited, this will automatically update the invoice dashboard and any visits with that invoice rate card applied


Removing a fee

To remove a visit fee:

  • Find the invoice rate card on the Invoice Rate tab

  • Click Edit

  • From here, you can click the X on the fee section to remove it from the invoice rate card

  • If you have multiple fees, you will have to remove them separately

Fees section showing table with single entry "Pet care fee" applying to "Every Visit" at £4.00. Edit and delete icons highlighted in turquoise circle on the right. "Add fee" button in top right corner. Bottom has Cancel, Reset, and Save buttons.

When you are done, click the Save button at the bottom of the page. This will automatically update the invoice dashboard and any visits with that invoice rate card applied.


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