Project-Level Billing

This article discusses the project Billing section. For instructions on getting started with billing for your Org, read Billing Setup.

Once the Org-level Billing settings have been set up for your Org, you can use Billing on a project level. Project-level Billing contains three tabs: Summary, Billing Entries, and Project Funds. Project Admins also see a fourth tab: Settings.

• Summary Tab
• Billing Entries Tab
• Project Funds 
• Settings Tab

Summary Tab

The Summary tab in a project’s Billing section provides an overview of information about the project’s Billing, including a total of what has been invoiced, the total payments, and the current balance. 

Summary and Payments

Under the Summary header, you will see overview information: the total for finalized invoice, the total of all payments, and the current balance (the total payments subtracted from the total invoiced). The current balance will appear in parentheses when the payments exceed the invoiced amount. 

The Payments & Transactions section shows a list of all payments that have been made for this project. For Payments by Filevine users, payments made via an invoice-specific link to an operating account will be listed here. 

Unbilled and Invoices

If you have rate-viewing permissions, you will see the Unbilled and Invoices sections.

The Unbilled section provides the total for any line items—expenses, flat fees, and time entries—that have not yet been added to an invoice. Time entries with “Draft” status will not be included in these totals. 

In the Invoices section, you can view a list of all invoices for this project as well as create and handle invoices. For information on creating, editing, finalizing, and voiding invoices, read the article on handling invoices.

Billing Entries Tab

The Billing Entries tab displays all billing items for the project that are not on a finalized invoice. Once they are added to a finalized invoice, items will no longer appear in the Billing Entries tab.

Billing items are organized by type. There are three types of billing items: time entries, expense entries, and flat fee items. Learn more about the billing items.

Within each type, entries are listed in reverse chronological order by default, meaning that the most recent items are listed first. To sort by any column (for example, to sort alphabetically from A to Z by team member), click on the column header. An arrow appears on the column to indicate the chosen sort order. To reverse the sort order (for example, to sort team members alphabetically from Z to A), click the column header again. 

Creating Billing Entries

To create time, expense, or flat fee billing entries from the project Billing section, follow the steps below. Billing entries will be added to the project’s list in ascending date order within their respective categories.

1. Navigate to the Billing entries tab. Find the project you’ll be working in using the Search for a project search bar in the top right. In that project, select the Billing section from the lefthand side menu. In the Billing section, choose the Billing Entries tab.
2. Open the Add modal. Click on the category where you would like to add the entry: Time Entries, Expense, or Flat Fee. Click on the plus button to the right of the category header to open the modal.
3. For time entries, choose a team member and, if desired, save the entry as a draft. For time entries, search for the name or @username of the team member you would like to add a time entry for. Select the user from the list.
   
   
   
   
4. (Optional) For expenses, choose an expense type. For expense entries, you can search and select the expense type to automatically fill the price per unit and unit fields.
   
   
   
   
5. Fill in the other fields. The date will fill in automatically but can be edited. Fill in the other fields in the form as required. If your Org has set up billing codes, you can enter or choose a code from the dropdown. Lastly, choose whether to make this item billable and chargeable.
   
   
   
   
6. Hit Save. When all fields have been filled to your satisfaction, click Save in the bottom right.

Project Funds

Users can store and track deposits and retainers in the Project Funds tab. The project funds are separate from operating payments and transactions. 

Users can add a deposit or retainer to the project funds, and use project funds for invoice payments. The project funds tab tracks the running balance and current balance of the funds.

The project fund’s current balance is also available in reports, as a merge code in the invoice template, and as a vital. Read more about project funds.

Settings Tab

In the Settings tab, project Admins can view and edit the project's rate schedule, invoice terms, and client matter ID (used to create LEDES-compliant bills). If you have an Org default for either rate schedule or terms, these will be filled in automatically, but they can be overridden in the project.

Payments by Filevine users can also set the project’s default deposit destination for payments made via project-specific payment links, including invoice payment requests and project funds payment requests. The default deposit destination is set at the Org level in the Billing Setup Advanced tool’s Payments tab, but the selected account can be overridden in the project here.

1. Click Billing > Settings. Select your Billing section from the left hand side menu. In the Billing section, select Settings along the top. 
2. Select options from dropdown menus. In the Settings tab, you will see fields for rate schedule, terms, and Client Matter ID. To change either the rate schedule or the terms, click on the dropdown menu and select the option that you would like this project to use. To add a Client Matter ID, enter it in the respective field.
   
   
3. Hit Save. Make sure to save your changes before switching to a different tab or page. Hit the Save button on the bottom right.
4. If changing the rate schedule, confirm. If you are altering the rate schedule, you will be asked to confirm when you hit save. Changing the rate schedule will apply the new rate schedule to any billing items that are not on finalized invoices. Ensure that you are aware of this before continuing. When you are ready, hit Save.
   

Deposit Destination

Payment links generated from a Filevine invoice will use the selected “Invoicing” account as the default destination. Likewise, payment links generated from a Filevine project funds section will use the selected “Project Funds” account as the default destination.

Selecting the accounts here will apply only to this project, which will override the Org-level default. The Org-level default is set in the Billing Setup Advanced tool’s Payments tab.