Create a Charge from the Patron Account View

A charge is associated typically with a predefined reason such as item damage or a special service. The library sets the reasons in Polaris Administration. See Defining Fee Descriptions.

To manually create a charge on a patron’s record:

Note:
As you work with the patron record, you can refresh the header information in the workform by selecting View > Refresh.

  1. Display the patron’s record in the Patron Status workform Account view (see Access the account data for a patron record).
  2. Click pChargeIcon.gif above the Account list view, or press CTRL+C. The Charge dialog box appears.

  3. Type the charge amount in the Amount box (maximum $2,000,000.00).

     

    4. Note:
    If the amount exceeds the charge alert threshold value, the system displays a warning message and prompts you to confirm the amount before continuing. For information about configuring the Patron Account: Charge Alert Threshold setting see Patron Services Parameters Reference.

  4. Select a reason for the charge in the Reason box.
    Polaris automatically calculates the tax amount associated with the Reason you select. The tax is calculated into the total, but doesn’t display as a separate tax amount.

  5. If the charge is associated with an item, scan the item barcode in the Associated item box.

    6. Note:
    You can click Find to search for an item record.

  6. If you want to add a note, type it in the Notes box.
  7. To send a bill to the patron, select the Send a bill checkbox, and follow the instructions for Bill a charge manually to a patron account.
  8. Click OK on the dialog box. The Patron Status workform - Account view appears.

    9. A charge appears in the Account Transaction list, and the total account charge appears in the Charges box at the bottom of the view. If the charge is a replacement charge for a lost item, the count in the Lost item counter (General view and Claims view) increases.