Overview
Clients, Properties, and Billing Contracts are the foundational data structures in Uptick. They represent the "who, where, and how" of your business: who the customer is (Client), where the work is done (Property), and how you get paid (Billing Contract). A correct and logical setup of these modules is critical, as nearly all operational workflows—from scheduling tasks to generating invoices and reporting on profitability—depend on this core information. Misconfiguration can lead to invoicing errors, inaccurate reports, and an inability to perform work.
SETUP TIME ESTIMATE: Varies based on the volume of client, property, and contract data to be imported or created. Typically done on a case-by-case basis (10 minutes)
COMPLEXITY LEVEL: Medium
DEPENDENCIES: Accounting Integration (Xero, MYOB, etc.), Billing Module enabled.
Related modules
High impact:
Invoicing & Billing Cards
Tasks (including Routine, Repair, and Callout)
Routine Servicing & Programme Maintenance
Customer Portal
Reporting (Client Profitability, PM Forecast)
Medium impact:
Quoting (Defect and Service)
Projects
Scheduling
Assets & Asset-Based Servicing
Low impact/Optional enhancers:
Inventory & Purchase Orders
Service Groups
Recommended configuration sequence
Clients — Rationale: The Client is the legal entity you are servicing and must be created before any associated locations or billing agreements can be added. All work and billing is ultimately tied back to a client account.
Properties — Rationale: A Property is the physical location where work is performed. Each property must be linked to a Client. Tasks, assets, and routines are all created against a property, making it the central hub for all service-related activities.
Billing Contracts — Rationale: A Billing Contract defines the invoicing rules for work performed at a property. Each property must have its own contract, which is created on the property's Billing tab. This step is essential for automating recurring invoices and ensuring correct charges for different service types (e.g., routine maintenance vs. callouts).
This module depends on
Client
Placement:
People > ClientsImpact: High
If missing: You cannot create Properties, Billing Contracts, or any work (Tasks, Quotes, Projects) as there is no customer to associate them with.
Prerequisites: None. This is the starting point.
Property
Placement:
Customer Data > Propertiesor via the Client'sPropertiestab.Impact: High
If missing: You cannot create tasks, add assets, set up routine servicing schedules, or create property-specific billing contracts. All fieldwork is blocked.
Prerequisites: A Client must exist to assign the property to.
Billing Card
Placement:
Billing > Billing cardsImpact: High
If missing: Invoices cannot be generated or synced with your accounting partner. This is a critical requirement for any invoicing.
Prerequisites: The Billing module must be enabled, and the user needs "Can create and update billing cards" permission. The card must be connected to your accounting partner (e.g., Xero, MYOB).
Billing Contract
Placement: On a Property's
Billingtab.Impact: High
If missing: Recurring (Fixed) invoicing cannot be automated, and pricing for "Do & Charge" work is not applied automatically. This can lead to missed revenue. Routines will still generate tasks, but they will not be billable through a contract.
Prerequisites: A Property must exist. The Billing module must be enabled. Key fields like
Contract Start DateandFirst Invoice Datemust be correctly filled to ensure processing.
Modules that depend on this module
Tasks (All categories: Routine, Repair, Callout)
Impact: High
If misconfigured: If a Property is not assigned, a task cannot be created. If Billing Contracts are incorrect or routines have different service groups, tasks may split unexpectedly, complicating scheduling and invoicing.
Recovery: Ensure every task is linked to the correct property. Review Service Group and Billing Contract settings on property routines to manage how tasks are generated.
Invoicing
Impact: High
If misconfigured: If a Billing Contract is missing, has the wrong type (Fixed vs. Do & Charge), or is not linked to a valid/synced Billing Card, invoices will fail to generate. This is a primary cause of lost revenue.
Recovery: Use the
Billing > Billing Contractspage with the "Due for invoicing (this month)" filter to find contracts that need processing. Ensure a valid Billing Card is assigned to the Client, Property, or Contract and is synced with your accounting partner.
Routine Servicing (Programme Maintenance)
Impact: High
If misconfigured: Routines without a property cannot exist. If Billing Contracts are set up differently for various routines on the same property, it will cause tasks to split. While routines will renew without a contract, the resulting work will not be billable automatically.
Recovery: Use the
Manage routine servicestool on the property'sRoutinestab to bulk-edit and align Billing Contract and Service Group settings.
Customer Portal
Impact: High
If misconfigured: Portal access is granted at the Client or Client Group level. Without a correctly configured Client, you cannot invite users to the portal to view their properties, tasks, and reports.
Recovery: Navigate to the Client or Client Group profile and add the appropriate contacts to the
Accountsfield to grant portal access.