19. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I switch between Per-Service and Monthly Statement billing? A: Yes, but this is a company-wide setting that affects all customers. We recommend choosing one method at setup and sticking with it. Contact support if you need to change.
Q: What happens to a customer's data when I cancel their subscription? A: All historical data (services, payments, invoices, readings) is preserved permanently. The subscription is marked as canceled, but nothing is deleted. You can view the full history at any time.
Q: Can a customer have multiple subscriptions? A: Yes. A customer can have separate subscriptions for different locations or different service types. Each subscription has its own billing schedule.
Q: How do technicians get their schedule updates? A: Once you click Apply Draft to LIVE, the change reaches their phones straight away. Technicians see updates immediately without needing to refresh or re-login.
Q: Can I import my existing customers from another system? A: Yes. EZ Pool Biller can bring your data across from other pool care software. Contact support and they'll handle the import for you — typically completed within 1-2 business days at no charge.
Q: What if my technician's phone dies mid-route? A: Any data captured before the phone died is saved locally. When the phone powers back on and reconnects, it syncs automatically. No data is lost.
Q: Can customers pay with cash or check? A: Yes. You can record manual payments for cash, check, Venmo, wire transfer, or any other offline method. The payment is posted to their ledger and reduces their balance.
Q: A customer paid by bank transfer, but their balance hasn't changed. Is something broken? A: Almost certainly not — bank transfers take 3–5 business days to clear. Until the money actually arrives we leave the balance as it is, because posting it early would be wrong if the transfer fails. The customer sees "payment on its way" in the portal meanwhile, and no late fee is charged on a balance their pending payment covers. When it clears, the payment is dated to the day they paid, not the day it landed. See 10.11.
Q: Should I offer bank transfers (ACH) instead of cards? A: For large bills, it is worth it — roughly 0.8% capped at $5, against about 2.9% + 30¢ on a card. On a $600 invoice that is around $4.80 instead of $17.70. The trade-off is speed: cards confirm in seconds, bank transfers take 3–5 business days. Many companies offer both and let the customer choose. Automatic payments still run on cards and PayPal only.
Q: How do I handle a customer who overpaid? A: The overpayment creates a negative balance (credit) on their account. This credit is automatically applied toward their next invoice. You can also issue a refund if the customer prefers.
Q: Can I use the system in Test Mode before going live? A: Absolutely. Keep your payment gateways in Test Mode while learning the system. Test everything — create customers, subscriptions, generate invoices, process test payments. Switch to Live Mode when you're confident.
Q: How do I handle seasonal customers who only want service part of the year? A: Use the Pause feature with a scheduled resume date. For example, pause the subscription on November 1 and set it to resume on March 1. The customer won't be charged during the paused period, and service automatically resumes in the spring.
Q: A customer has disappeared from my list. Did I delete them? A: Almost certainly not. The list shows Active and On-demand customers by default. If you canceled or paused them, change the status filter to see them again — see Section 4.
Q: Can two people get the same customer's emails? A: Yes, two ways. Give the customer a second email address if both addresses belong to them, or add a CC email if it's someone else like a property manager. Both are in Section 4.
Q: A charge says "Scheduled". Is the customer late paying it? A: No. Scheduled means the charge is agreed but not due yet. It isn't in their balance and isn't on their statement, so there's nothing to chase — see Section 10.
Q: I sold a one-off job to someone who now wants regular service. Start again? A: No — open them and click Convert to subscriber. See Section 8.
Q: Why can't a customer log in with their second email address? A: Because that address may be shared between several customers, so we can't tell which account they mean. They should sign in with their Account # and password — it's on their statement.