Once a royalty period has been sent, HQ can build a file that your bank uses to debit franchisee accounts. It's a CSV in Chase NACHA format with three batches. SalesThumb builds the file. Your bank runs it. It's part of the +HQ add-on. For the wider collection picture, see How royalty calculation and collection work in HQ tier.
Before you start
- Set up your destination accounts and each franchisee's bank account. See Setting up ACH bank accounts for royalty collection.
- The period must be Sent, Collecting or Closed. The button isn't offered while the period is still Generated, so a shop can't be debited for a bill it hasn't been sent.
- Only statements collected by ACH go in the file.
- You need the Manage ACH accounts permission. Org owners and admins have it by default.
Opening the dialog
On the period page, click ACH File. The Generate ACH File dialog shows the period name and "Chase NACHA CSV". It says the file has three batches, royalty fees, national marketing fund and local marketing fund, which you download and drag into Chase Business Online.
People without the permission see ACH status instead. It opens the same dialog read-only, so they can check what's collectable and whether a file already exists before collecting another way.
What the file will contain
The File will contain box lists the three batches and a total:
- Batch 1: Royalty + Tech fees
- Batch 2: National Marketing Fund
- Batch 3: Local Marketing
- Total ACH debits
The amounts come from the current statements and bank accounts. Two warnings can appear under it.
- Statements that already have a partial payment, credit or adjustment are left out of the file. Collect the remaining balance for those manually.
- Shops with no bank account on file are left out of the file and the total. The warning lists each shop and what it owes. Add their details under ACH Setup or collect manually.
Building and downloading the file
- Set the Settlement / Delivery Date. It's the date the funds should settle. The dialog notes that Chase typically processes the next business day after upload.
- Click Download CSV. The button reads Building… while it works.
- Upload the file in Chase Business Online.
After the download, the dialog closes. A message lists any statements or shops that were left out. Configure ACH accounts in the dialog opens ACH Setup.
If a file was already generated
The dialog warns you in red with the date and time of the earlier file. Generating again makes a second valid file. If both are uploaded, every included franchisee is debited twice.
If you're sure the first file was never uploaded, click Regenerate anyway, then Download CSV.
After the bank runs it
Record each payment on the statement. The payment date starts as the file's settlement date. Until it's paid, a statement included in a file shows "In bank file" with the date and amount. See Working a royalty period: send, collect and close.
When SalesThumb refuses
- No destination account. It asks you to set one up under Royalty, ACH Setup.
- No statements. The period has no ACH statements to include.
- Billed elsewhere. The file isn't built when royalties are billed through another system.
- A debit in progress. While an ACH auto-draft is running for a statement in the period, no file is built, so the same shop can't be debited twice.
- Too many files. Try again later.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why don't I see the ACH File button?
A: It appears only once the period has been sent. Until then the period is still Generated and the button isn't offered.
Q: Does SalesThumb pull the money?
A: No. It builds the file. You upload it to your bank, which runs the debits.
Q: Why is a shop missing from the file?
A: Either it has no bank account on file, or its statement already has a partial payment, credit or adjustment. The dialog warns you about both and lists the shops.
Q: Can I generate the file twice?
A: You can, but a second file is a second valid file. If both are uploaded, every included franchisee is debited twice, so use Regenerate anyway only when the first was never uploaded.