Batches

The Batches feature streamlines and reorganizes the payment entry and reconciliation processes. In EchoVantage, a Batch is like a check, whether paper or electronic funds transfer, and the new Batches screen lists summary information for each of these "checks." The original Remittances screens remain and retain their existing functionality with one important difference - the 835 import is only via Batches unless the Batches feature is disabled. The following section covers the BATCHES home screen. Use the following links for information on the additional screens accessed from BATCHES and auditing information.

• View Batch
• New/Edit Row
• Auditing Batches

The grid on the Batches screen is populated as batches are created. Not Ready Batches are grouped and listed first, sorted by Transaction Date, newest to oldest. A Not Ready batch is when any of the associated remittances within the Batch have a Not Ready status. The remaining batches are sorted by Transaction Date, newest to oldest. Due to the sort criteria, new batches that do not have a payment associated with them yet are displayed in the second grouping.

Adding and Editing a Batch

Click on the blue plus "+" to manually add a batch. The New Batch screen opens, as shown on the left.  Only Transaction Date and Check Amount are required. When the Default Payer is entered, It displays on the Batches home screen between Batch ID and Remittance Date. It also displays in the header on the View Batch screen and can be used to filter results. When adding a row to a Batch, the Payer field is auto-populated with the Default Payer but can be changed. After saving, the View Batch screen for the new batch is displayed.

Hover the mouse over the blue plus "+" to display the orange Import 835 icon.  The 835 Import process automatically creates a batch using the value from the TRN02 segment as the Batch ID.  The Payer selected during the Import 835 process is used for the Default Payer. RA Number is not populated by the import process but can be added after the import is complete.  Just like the original Remittances screen, the 835 import chip in the upper right-hand corner indicates the import status; selecting this chip displays a list of recent imports.

While the sort order helps keep the Not Ready batches at the top of the grid, filters are provided to make searching and finding a specific batch fast and easy. Use any combination of filters to help drill down the results listed in the grid. If the batch summary information needs updating, use the blue pencil icon on the far-right of a batch row to edit that Batch's summary information. 

Select the blue pencil icon to open the Edit Batch screen. The Edit Batch screen opens with the same required fields as the New Batch screen. Editing a batch is the only way to populate the RA Number field after an 835 Remittance is imported. The Default Payer can be changed when working in the Edit Batch screen. Changing the Default Payer updates the Batches and View Batch screens. BUT it does NOT update the Payer on any existing remittance row. A DELETE option is available if none of the Remittances have been converted into Payments - image on the left.

A warning displays if an associated Remittance HAS been converted into a Payment. DELETE is also disabled - image on the right. Note that Payment is not listed on the Edit Batch screen because the Payment amount is a system-calculated value.

Bulk Marking a Batch as Ready

Once a batch has payment records, whether manually entered or imported via an 835, you can select the blue MARK AS READY button to mark all eligible remittances (The payments that are matched to a Client and Charge, and are currently in Not Ready Status.) in the selected batch as Ready. This action is similar to the Bulk actions in the original Remittances screen. Select CONTINUE when the confirmation box appears. 

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• A confirmation toast displays with a count of the Remittances successfully marked as ready.
• The MARK AS READY button is disabled if all payments in the Batch are in READY, DONE, or BATCHED status.
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Once batches are added, either manually or via the 835-import process, selecting any batch row opens the View Batch screen.