Recurring storage billing charges a client for the pallets and boxes they store in your warehouse. ShipHero tracks each pallet and box with a license plate number (LPN) and creates a storage charge on each scheduled charge day.
Before You Begin
- Account access: 3PL Billing Alpha is available to a limited group of accounts. Contact ShipHero Support to ask about joining the alpha group.
- LPN-based storage only: Recurring storage billing counts Pallet LPNs and Box LPNs. The Billing units list offers no other option, so you can't charge for storage by cubic volume, SKU, or location yet.
- Client rate: A storage template doesn't charge anyone until you assign it to a client. See How to Create and Assign Billing Templates in 3PL Billing Alpha.
New to 3PL Billing Alpha? Start with Overview: 3PL Billing Alpha in ShipHero. To charge a fixed amount on a schedule instead of billing for stored inventory, see Recurring Transaction Type in 3PL Billing Alpha.
Table of Contents
- How Recurring Storage Billing Works in 3PL Billing Alpha
- Recurring Storage Billing Types and Frequencies in 3PL Billing Alpha
- How to Create a Recurring Storage Template in 3PL Billing Alpha
- Where Recurring Storage Charges Appear in 3PL Billing Alpha
How Recurring Storage Billing Works in 3PL Billing Alpha
Recurring storage billing in 3PL Billing Alpha charges a client for each Pallet LPN and Box LPN they have in storage. An LPN (license plate number) is a barcoded pallet or box that ShipHero tracks. Many 3PLs call these storage fees. For Snapshot billing, ShipHero takes a snapshot of which LPNs each client has in storage at 12 a.m. (the first second of the scheduled charge day) in the warehouse's time zone. ShipHero creates the charge on that same day.
- Which LPNs count: ShipHero counts Pallet LPNs and Box LPNs that are in use. It doesn't count LPNs that are unused or used up. ShipHero counts each LPN once, at the location it is in at the 12 a.m. snapshot.
- Receiving cutoff: An inbound shipment marked complete before the 12 a.m. snapshot has its LPNs included in that snapshot. An inbound shipment marked complete at or after 12 a.m. has its LPNs included in the next snapshot.
- Pallets and boxes are separate: ShipHero prices Pallet LPNs and Box LPNs with their own rates, so a client with both needs one rate for each.
- Shared LPNs: When an LPN holds inventory for more than one client, ShipHero counts it for each of those clients.
- Status: A new storage charge has the status Ready to invoice.
- Empty clients: When a client has no LPNs in storage on a charge day, ShipHero doesn't create a charge.
Recurring Storage Billing Types and Frequencies in 3PL Billing Alpha
The Billing and scheduling step of a storage template has two choices: the Billing type and the Frequency. The Billing type sets how ShipHero decides which LPNs to charge for. The Frequency sets how often it charges.
| Billing type | How ShipHero charges | Frequencies available |
|---|---|---|
| Snapshot | On each charge day, ShipHero charges for the LPNs in storage at the 12 a.m. snapshot. | Daily, Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, Bimonthly |
| Item anniversary | ShipHero charges each LPN on its own anniversary: the date it was scanned in during receiving or, for a new LPN created by transfer, the date it was created. Daily charges an LPN every day. Weekly charges it on the same day of the week it arrived. Monthly charges it on the same day of the month it arrived. | Daily, Weekly, Monthly (no charge day) |
The Charge day setting applies to the Snapshot billing type only. Item anniversary billing offers Daily, Weekly, or Monthly with no charge day.
| Frequency | Charge day (Snapshot only) |
|---|---|
| Daily | No charge day. ShipHero charges every day. |
| Weekly | Select a day of the week. |
| Biweekly | Select a day of the week. ShipHero charges every other week. |
| Monthly | Select a day from 1 to 28, or Last day of month. |
| Bimonthly | Fixed at the 1st and 15th of the month. You can't change it. |
How to Create a Recurring Storage Template in 3PL Billing Alpha
- Go to Billing (Alpha) > Templates and select Create Template.
- In the Details step, enter a Rate name and a Charge label (Customer facing description). Select Recurring as the Transaction type and a Charge category, such as Storage. Optional: Enter a GL code. Select Continue.
- In the Rate type step, select Storage. ShipHero describes it as charges based on the quantity of inventory held in the warehouse. Select Continue.
| Details step | Rate type step |
|---|---|
- In the Billing and scheduling step, select the Billing type (Snapshot or Item anniversary) and the Frequency. When you select Snapshot and the step shows a Charge day, select it. Select Continue.
- In the Pricing step, fill in the fields in the table below, then select Create template.
| Field | What to select or enter |
|---|---|
| Billing units | Select Pallet LPNs to charge for pallets or Box LPNs to charge for boxes. |
| Nesting configuration | Appears when Billing units is Box LPNs. Select Nested to charge only for boxes stored inside another LPN, Unnested to charge only for boxes that aren't inside another LPN, or Combined to charge for both. |
| Rate amount | The price per LPN, in dollars. |
| Billing metrics | Shows Unique LPN Count, the number of different LPNs counted. You can't change it. |
The Pricing step shows "No conditions available". Conditional pricing, such as tiers based on how long an LPN has been in storage, isn't available for storage rates yet.
| Billing and scheduling step | Pricing step |
|---|---|
Where Recurring Storage Charges Appear in 3PL Billing Alpha
Storage charges appear on the Charges page. Go to Billing (Alpha) > Charges. Each storage charge shows the Transaction Type Recurring, the Charge Label, the Category Storage, the Quantity (the number of LPNs), the Rate, the Amount, and the status Ready to invoice.
To review and invoice charges, see How to Manage Charges and Invoicing in 3PL Billing Alpha.