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Deactivate, reactivate or copy a fee item

Updated
The Goal: Retire a fee item you no longer use, bring one back, or (in BP Mode) copy one to make changes, all without losing billing history.
Before You Begin:
  • All three tasks start at Finance, Administrative section, Billing Settings, Fee Items (the page opens as Saleable Items).
  • Never delete a fee item; deactivate it. Deleting breaks historical reporting.
  • Jump to: Deactivate | Reactivate | Copy (BP Mode). To create one from scratch, see Set up fee items.

Deactivate a fee item

Before You Begin:

  • You need staff access to billing settings to edit fee items.
  • Deactivate — do not delete — fee items. Deleting a fee item negatively impacts your reporting; deactivating preserves its history while removing it from active use.
  • Review any associations tied to the fee item (membership types, and — if you use the Realtor edition — NAR Ecommerce Splits or Financial records) so you can update them as needed.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Go to Finance, Administrative section, click Billing Settings and select Fee Items. The page opens as Saleable Items.
  2. Click the link for the fee item that you wish to deactivate.
    Fee Items page with the name link of one fee item boxed

  3. On the Edit Fee Item screen, click Deactivate Fee Item. This stages the change only — the fee item stays active until you save.

    NOTE: Be certain to review any associations that exist for this fee item. You will be able to see if the fee item is tied to any of your membership types and, if you are using the Realtor edition of the software, whether the fee item is tied to your NAR Ecommerce Splits or Financial record. You will need to make the changes to these as necessary.
    Edit Fee Item screen with the DEACTIVATE FEE ITEM button boxed

  4. Click Done to save. Closing the screen with Cancel discards the deactivation.

Common Pitfalls

  • Deleting instead of deactivating: Deleting a fee item removes it from historical records and skews your reporting. Always use Deactivate Fee Item instead of deleting.
  • Skipping linked associations: A deactivated fee item may still be tied to membership types or (Realtor edition) NAR Ecommerce Splits and Financial records. Review and update those associations before relying on the deactivation.

Reactivate a fee item

Before You Begin:

  • You need staff permission to access billing settings.
  • Know the name of the fee item you want to reactivate — deactivated items are hidden by the default Show Active filter.

Step-by-Step Instructions

There may be occasions when you need to reactivate a fee item. To reactivate a fee item:

  1. Go to Finance, Administrative section, click Billing Settings and select Fee Items. The page opens as Saleable Items.

    Click the X on the Show Active filter above the list to allow all of your fee items to display.
    Close crop of the Show Active filter and its X above the fee item list
    Fee Items page with the Show Active filter cleared, showing an inactive fee item in the list

  2. Click the link for the fee item that you wish to reactivate.

    On the Edit Fee Item screen, click Activate Fee Item, then click Done. Activate Fee Item stages the change only; closing the screen with Cancel discards it.
    Edit Fee Item screen for a deactivated fee item with the ACTIVATE FEE ITEM button boxed

Common Pitfalls

  • Can’t find the fee item: Deactivated fee items are hidden by the default Show Active filter. If you don’t see the item you want, clear that filter so all fee items display before searching.

Copy a fee item (BP Mode)

Before You Begin:

  • Your database must be using Best Practice (BP) mode. Learn more in Best Practice Mode (BP Mode).
  • You need permission to manage billing settings, and you should know which existing fee item you want to copy.
  • IMPORTANT: A copy is a brand-new fee item and it will NOT automatically be tied back to locations you may be using the original fee item. For example, if the original fee item is tied to a membership type you will need to change the fee item associated to those membership types.

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you are using Best Practice (BP) mode, you may not make changes to an existing fee item. You will need to create a new fee item. To make this easier, you have the ability to make a copy of a fee item.

  1. Go to Finance, Administrative section, click Billing Settings, then select Fee Items. The page opens as Saleable Items.
  2. Click the copy icon for the Fee Item you wish to copy.
    Close crop of the copy icon as it appears in a fee item row
    Fee Items page with the copy icon on one fee item row boxed
  3. On the Add a Copy of a Fee Item screen:

    • Rename the fee item.

      Make any changes that you wish. Refer to Set up fee items for more details of the fee item settings.
      Add a Copy of a Fee Item screen with the Name field boxed and the copied settings visible below it

  4. Click Done to finalize your changes.

If you no longer wish to use the original fee item, you can deactivate it. This is a good time for you to verify whether the original is tied to any of your membership types, NAR ecommerce splits, or M1 financial record. See Deactivate a Fee Item for more information.

Common Pitfalls

  • Assuming the copy inherits the original’s associations: A copied fee item is brand new and is NOT automatically tied to the membership types, NAR ecommerce splits, or other locations that used the original. Re-associate the new fee item wherever it is needed.

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