The Business Model — Why This System Exists
The Core Idea: ABC is a national trade association made up of independent local Chapters. Companies (not individuals) become members by joining a Chapter. They pay dues annually to their Chapter, and the Chapter forwards the National portion to ABC National each month. Every screen, every field, every report in this system exists to support this flow of money and membership data.
Who Are the Actors?
Member Companies
The customers — companies that pay dues
- Always a company, never an individual
- Joins ABC through a Chapter
- Has a Primary Chapter (pays National dues through it)
- Can belong to multiple Chapters (pays chapter-only dues to extras)
- Assigned a Dues Category based on work type & revenue
- Membership runs Jan 1 – Dec 31 (after first year)
Chapter Staff
The primary users of this system
- Sets up the annual dues year (schedules, categories, memos)
- Runs batch invoicing for renewal season
- Creates one-off invoices (new, adjusted, renewal)
- Records payments (online & offline)
- Submits monthly dues data to National
- Runs audits and reports
ABC National Staff
Oversees all chapters, receives dues remittances
- Defines National dues amounts & categories
- Reviews & approves monthly Chapter submissions
- Manages the Monthly Dues Processing Queue
- Publishes invoices to Wells Fargo
- Runs reconciliation & out-of-balance reports
- Can unlock closed months for Chapter corrections
Member Portal Users
Company contacts who pay invoices online
- Can pay via "no-login" link from email
- Can pay via the authenticated portal
- Views open invoices, invoice history
- Chooses voluntary contributions (opt-in / opt-out)
- Pays via Credit Card or ACH
How Money Flows
Member Company
→
Chapter
(Chapter Dues + State Dues + National Dues + Voluntary Contributions)
Chapter
→
State Org
(State Dues — if applicable)
Chapter
→
ABC National
(National Dues + FEA + TCEF + Cloud Fees — monthly remittance via Wells Fargo)
Key rule: A member pays National Dues through only one Chapter (their Primary Chapter). Additional chapters receive chapter-only dues.
What's On an Invoice?
Every dues invoice breaks down into these distinct dollar buckets. Understanding this is critical for testing calculation logic.
Chapter Dues State Dues National Dues Other Dues FEA TCEF / Trimmer PAC Additional Line Items Early-Pay DiscountsEach bucket has its own rules
- Chapter Dues — Set by Chapter, varies by category. Chapters can increase by % or flat $ amount.
- National Dues — Set by National, locked at Chapter level. Chapters cannot change these amounts.
- State Dues — Not always applicable. Depends on state.
- FEA & TCEF — Collected by Chapter, remitted to National. Voluntary contributions.
- Discounts — Early-pay discounts have date windows. Can be flat $ or % based.
- Every amount is tracked as: Original → Credit → Discount → Total
QA Mindset
- Always verify that National amounts are truly locked and cannot be edited by Chapter staff
- Verify discount calculations respect date windows
- Credits should reduce correctly and Total should equal Original - Credit - Discount
- Voluntary contributions must respect opt-in/opt-out configuration
Invoice Types & Numbering
Every invoice has a type and a structured ID. Get this wrong and the whole reporting chain breaks.
New (N) Renewal (R) Adjusted (A)Invoice Number Format
- Format: YY-COMPANYID + TYPE — e.g., 25-12345R
- Adjusted invoices append a sequence number: 25-12345A1, 25-12345A2
- The original invoice # (N or R) is stored on adjusted invoice records
Invoice Statuses
- Open — created, not yet paid
- Paid — payment received and recorded
- Dropped — member dropped, invoice cancelled
QA Mindset
- Can you create a duplicate New or Renewal invoice for the same member in the same year? (You shouldn't be able to.)
- Does an Adjusted invoice correctly link back to its original?
- Can only Open invoices be deleted?
- Does the invoice # format hold across all creation paths (batch, one-off, portal)?
Special Membership Scenarios
These are the edge cases that generate the most bugs. Every tester should understand these deeply.
Prorated 2nd Year 15-for-12 Start-Up Contractor Chapter-Only MemberProrated Second Year
- A member joins mid-year (e.g., September). Year 1 = full 12 months from join month.
- Year 2 = prorated for remaining months in calendar year. Formula: (dues/12) × (12 - joinMonth + 1)
- Year 3+ = normal Jan–Dec cycle
15-for-12 Program
- Members joining in Oct/Nov/Dec may qualify — they get 15 months for the price of 12
- System creates a $0 invoice for the following year (full original amounts, fully credited)
- The $0 invoice is flagged as "15-for-12"
- Chapter setting controls whether this program is active
Start-Up Contractor
- 24-month eligibility window from join date
- Company has both a contractor category and a start-up category
- Year 1 & 2: Invoice shows contractor amounts as Original, start-up amounts as Total, difference as Credit
- Year 3: Hybrid calculation — partial start-up + partial contractor based on months remaining
Chapter-Only Member
- Pays another Chapter's National dues — this chapter only gets chapter dues
- Cannot pay invoice if chapter-only XREF is missing or invalid
- Exception: partial pay invoices
QA Mindset
- Test proration math with multiple join months (especially boundary: Jan, Jun, Dec)
- Verify 15-for-12 creates the $0 renewal automatically and flags it
- Start-up contractor Year 3 hybrid is the hardest calculation — test with Feb and Dec join dates
- Chapter-only members should be blocked from payment if their XREF is broken
The Annual Dues Cycle
Why this matters for QA: Everything in this system operates on an annual cycle. If you don't understand the timing, you'll test features out of context. Here's how the year flows — and what's happening in the system at each stage.
July – August
Dues Year Setup begins. Chapters copy last year's categories, schedules, line items, memos, and discount windows to the new year. National publishes new National dues amounts. Chapters apply National changes (increase total or reduce chapter portion).
Early September – Late November
Batch Invoicing season. This is the big annual event. Chapters run Step 0 audits, select records in Step 1, customize invoices in Step 2, and create invoice records in Step 3. Invoices are emailed and mailed to members for the following year's renewal.
October – December
Members pay renewal invoices. Payments come in via portal, no-login links, checks, and ACH. Early-pay discounts apply during configured windows. Chapter staff records offline payments.
January 1
New dues year begins. Membership cycle resets. Open (unpaid) invoices from prior year may be dropped. New members joining mid-year get first-year invoices.
Every Month (Ongoing)
Monthly Dues Process. Chapters review their paid invoices for the month, run submission audits, and submit data to National. National reviews, approves, and publishes invoices to Wells Fargo. Reconciliation reports are generated. This cycle repeats every single month.
Throughout the Year
Day-to-Day Invoicing. New member invoices, adjusted invoices, partial payments, refunds, invoice emails, prints — all handled one-off outside the batch process. This is the everyday operational use of the system.
The Feature Areas Map to This Cycle
Dues Year Setup
→
Batch Invoicing
→
Day-to-Day Invoicing
→
Portal & Payments
→
Monthly Process
→
Audits & Reports
Each area feeds the next. Data set up in Dues Year Setup drives Batch Invoicing. Invoices created flow to the Portal. Payments recorded feed into the Monthly Process. The Monthly Process generates reports and triggers National reconciliation.
1. Dues Year Setup
Business Purpose: Before a single invoice can be created, the Chapter must configure what dues look like for the year — the categories, dollar amounts, discounts, additional line items, and memo text. This is the foundation that everything else builds on. If setup is wrong, every invoice will be wrong.
Dues Categories & Schedules
FoundationCategories define what a member pays based on their company type and revenue tier. Schedules are groupings of categories created on-the-fly.
Category Schedule # National Category Chapter $ State $ National $Key Business Rules
- Schedules are created on-the-fly — when a user assigns Schedule "1" to a category, that schedule exists
- National $ amounts are locked — Chapters cannot edit them
- If National amounts change, Chapters must "Apply National Dues Change" — either increase total or reduce chapter portion
- Total = Chapter + State + Other + National. If user edits Total, Chapter amount adjusts accordingly.
- Chapters can increase all Chapter amounts by a % or flat $ with rounding ($1, $5, $10) plus an "undo" button
- "Copy from Previous Year" populates empty years from last year's data
QA Considerations
- Verify National $ truly cannot be edited by chapter users
- Test the "Apply National Dues Change" split-button with both options
- Test copy-from-previous-year with an empty target year AND a year that already has data
- Verify the Total ↔ Chapter auto-calculation in both directions
- Test bulk increase with rounding + undo before leaving the screen
- Confirm the red alert message appears when National amounts haven't been applied
Additional Line Items
Per YearExtra charges beyond base dues — FEA, TCEF, PAC, and chapter-defined items. Can be opt-in or opt-out voluntary contributions.
Key Business Rules
- Each line item has a Billing ID, Name, Description, and $ Amount
- Can be flat $ or percentage, by total or by category
- Flagged for inclusion/exclusion on: new invoices, renewal invoices, adjusted invoices
- Some names are nationally controlled (chapter can't rename); others are chapter-defined
- Voluntary = opt-in/opt-out behavior on the invoice
QA Considerations
- Test that nationally-controlled line item names can't be changed by chapter users
- Test the include/exclude flags for each invoice type independently
- Verify % calculations based on category amounts
- Verify copy-from-previous-year for line items
Discount-If-Paid-By Windows
Per YearEarly-pay discount date windows that reduce the invoice total if payment is received within the window.
Key Business Rules
- Defined by actual date ranges (From/To dates), not days from invoice
- Can be flat $ or % amount, by total or by category
- Chapter decides if discount applies to chapter dues (National never discounts)
- Multiple discount windows can exist for the same year (e.g., 10% by Nov 1, 5% by Dec 1)
QA Considerations
- Test payment on the boundary dates (last day of window, day after)
- Verify that National dues are never discounted
- Test with overlapping or sequential discount windows
- Portal payments should auto-apply the correct discount based on current date
Invoice Memos & Preference Sheets
Per YearCustom text added to invoices (with WYSIWYG formatting). Preference Sheets group memos + discounts + additional lines into reusable configurations.
Key Business Rules
- Memos use WYSIWYG with color, bold, italic, underline
- Active/Inactive toggle — inactive memos can't be selected for invoices
- % Not Deductible is a separate calculated field with national-provided text
- Preference Sheets = named groups of (memos + discounts + additional lines) for quick selection during batch invoicing
QA Considerations
- Test that inactive memos can't be selected during invoice creation
- Verify WYSIWYG formatting renders correctly on printed/emailed invoices
- Test the % Not Deductible calculator and verify the auto-generated footer text on invoices
- Verify Preference Sheet save/load/delete and that they correctly pre-populate Step 2 of batch invoicing
2. Batch Invoicing Process
Business Purpose: Once a year (Sept–Nov), Chapters generate renewal invoices for all their members in bulk. This is a multi-step wizard: run audits → select records → customize invoices → create records in the database. This is the single most important annual process in the system.
The 4-Step Batch Flow
Step 0
Select Year & Run Audits
→
Select Year & Run Audits
Step 1
Select & Review Records
→
Select & Review Records
Step 2
Customize Invoices
→
Customize Invoices
Step 3
Create Invoice Records
Create Invoice Records
Critical: Steps 1 & 2 work with temporary files. Records are only written to the database when Step 3 is executed. If a user abandons before Step 3, no invoices are created.
Step 0: Audits
Pre-CheckBefore anything can begin, the system runs data quality audits on member records and existing invoices for the selected dues year.
Invalid Nat'l Categories Invalid Chapter-Only XREF Startup Contractor Review Mismatched Schedule Duplicate Invoices Not Invoiced YetMember Audits
- Invalid National Categories — member's category doesn't map to a valid National category
- Invalid Chapter-Only XREF — chapter-only member's cross-reference to their national-paying chapter is broken
- National Member Category Issue — mismatch between member record and National data
- Mismatched Schedule / Category — the schedule assigned doesn't match the category
- Fix Start-Up Contractor / Start-Up Contractor Review — startup members needing data corrections
Invoice Audits
- Not-Invoiced-Yet Report — members who should have invoices but don't
- Not Paid / Processed 15-for-12 — 15-for-12 invoices that haven't been processed
- Joined in Prior Year Prorates — members in their prorated second year
- Adjusted Invoices — outstanding adjustments that need review
- Duplicate Invoices — catch accidental duplicates
QA Considerations
- Audits are NOT required to pass before continuing — users can proceed with errors
- If the dues year isn't fully set up, an error should block progress (not the audits, the setup check)
- Audit links should open in new tabs and allow corrections
- Re-running audits should reflect corrections made
- Records that fail certain audits are automatically EXCLUDED from the batch
Step 1: Select & Review Records
Build BatchDefine selection criteria (type, status, dates) and build the batch of members to invoice. Review, modify, export, or remove records from the batch.
Selection Rules
- Only active companies with Paid invoices in prior year AND no invoice in current year (any status) are selected
- 15-for-12 renewals are NOT included — they're handled separately
- Records failing specific audits (Invalid Chapter-Only, Invalid National Categories, Start-Up review fails, incorrect national amounts) are excluded with error messages showing counts
Batch Review
- Shows detailed table with all invoice amounts broken down by Chapter/State/National/Other
- "Last Year's Count" comparison with red badge if numbers differ
- Export options: Excel by Category, Excel by Company, PDF by Category, PDF by Company
- Delete records from batch (with confirmation), or delete entire batch
- Batch Last Edited Date shows the most recent modification
QA Considerations
- Verify the exclusion rules actually prevent bad records from entering the batch
- Test the "Compare to Last Year" report
- Step 1 can span weeks — verify batch persistence over time
- Test Select All / Deselect All for record management
Step 2: Customize Invoices
ConfigureA massive customization screen with 20+ options controlling every aspect of how invoices will look and what they'll include. This is where Preference Sheets come in.
Customization Options (highlights)
- Term on Invoice, Payment Statement text (dropdown or manual entry)
- Mailing vs. Billing address, Contact Type selection
- Category print order (High→Low or Low→High), which categories to print
- Additional Line Items, Memos, Discounts selection
- Voluntary contribution language customization (opt-in/opt-out labels)
- Create Date, Region filter, Schedule filter, Category range, Prorate filters
- Save/Load/Delete Preference Sets
QA Considerations
- This screen has the most fields — test defaults carefully
- Preference Sets should save ALL selections and restore them exactly
- Preview/Print should reflect all customizations before creating records
- Quick links to Dues Schedule, Additional Lines, Memos, Discounts should open correctly
Step 3: Create Invoice Records
CommitThe point of no return. When Step 3 executes, temporary batch data becomes permanent invoice records in the database.
What Happens
- Invoice records are written to the database
- Invoices appear on the Dues Landing Screen as "Open"
- Invoices become viewable in Dues History
- Temporary batch files are deleted
- Invoice numbers are assigned in the standard format (YY-COMPANYID + R for renewals)
QA Considerations
- Verify that records appear on the Dues Landing Screen after creation
- Verify the temporary batch data is cleaned up
- Test: what happens if Step 3 is interrupted? Is there recovery?
- Verify invoice amounts match what was shown in Step 1 review
3. Day-to-Day Invoice Management
Business Purpose: Outside of the annual batch, Chapter Staff need to create individual invoices for new members, adjust existing invoices, record payments, and manage the full lifecycle of invoices. This is the everyday operational hub.
Dues Landing Screen — Browse & Filter
HubThe main screen where Chapter Staff views all invoices. Filterable by year, status (Open/Dropped/Paid), type (New/Renewal/Adjusted), and company type. Includes totals row.
Filter Behavior
- Checkboxes auto-apply — no "Apply Filters" button
- Status checkboxes (Open, Dropped, Paid) and Type checkboxes (New, Renew, Adjusted) work together as AND filters
- Example: Checking "Open" + "Renew" = shows only Open Renewal invoices
- Totals row is fixed at bottom and always visible
QA Considerations
- Verify filter combinations produce correct results
- Verify totals row recalculates when filters change
- Print/Export should only include selected records
- Default year should match the Dues Year setting
Create Invoice (New / Renewal / Adjusted)
Core ActionOne-off invoice creation for individual members. The invoice type and member selection drive what amounts auto-populate. Complex validation rules apply.
Key Validation Rules
- Cannot create New or Renewal if one already exists for the member/year
- Cannot create New if join date isn't within the invoice year
- Cannot create Renewal if no paid invoice exists for prior year
- Cannot modify original National/State/Chapter amounts on New or Renewal invoices
- National dues can only be credited on Adjusted invoices
- Adjusted invoices auto-link to the correct original invoice (N or R)
- Prorated amounts auto-calculated for 2nd year renewals
QA Considerations
- Try to violate each validation rule — the system should block you
- Test creating each type for the same member to verify duplicate prevention
- Verify proration auto-calculation for various join months
- Test the 15-for-12 flow: create a New invoice for Oct/Nov/Dec joiner and verify the $0 renewal is created
Record Payments (Online & Offline)
Money InChapter Staff records payments against invoices. Supports full payment, partial payment with balance-due invoice creation, and different payment types.
Payment Rules
- System validates chapter-only XREF at time of payment
- Partial Pay: National dues must be paid in full or $0 — cannot be partially paid
- If National dues are credited in a partial pay, the invoice MUST be type Adjusted
- Payment plans: Multiple invoices can be created for one member to be paid over time
- Paid invoices can't be modified if the month has been closed and reported to National
QA Considerations
- Test partial payment: verify balance-due invoice is created correctly
- Try to partially pay National dues — system should prevent this
- Verify that paying an invoice updates the Contact record (Dues History, Last Year Paid)
- Test payment after month close — should be blocked
Email, Print & Delete Invoices
ActionsInvoices can be emailed (with configurable templates), printed to PDF, or printed-to-mail (with activity logging). Deletion has strict rules.
Key Rules
- Email includes: configurable From address (limited to National-approved list), CC/BCC, body content, payment portal link, invoice summary
- "Print-to-Mail" creates an activity log entry for tracking purposes
- Only Open invoices can be deleted
- To delete a Dropped or Paid invoice, you must first change it to Open
- Paid invoices can't be changed if the month is closed and reported to National
QA Considerations
- Try deleting Paid and Dropped invoices directly — should be blocked
- Verify the email template includes the correct portal links
- Verify activity log records for print-to-mail actions
- Test invoice history tracking for email sends (date, address sent to)
4. Portal & Member Payments
Business Purpose: Members need to pay their dues. The portal provides two paths: a no-login payment link (from email) and a full portal experience (requires login). Both must handle early-pay discounts, voluntary contributions, and multiple payment gateways.
No-Login Invoice Payment
Email LinkMembers click a link from the invoice email and pay without logging in. Chapter setting controls whether this is available. Extra security (reCAPTCHA, attempt limits) applies.
Key Rules
- Chapter setting "No-Login Invoice Payment" — on by default, controls availability
- reCAPTCHA required for no-login payments
- 5 failed attempts = locked out for 30 minutes
- If invoice already paid, show a message + link to the portal
- Security measures do NOT apply if user is already logged into the portal
QA Considerations
- Test with setting on vs. off — link behavior should change
- Test the lockout: fail 5 times, verify 30-minute lockout
- Visit the link for an already-paid invoice — should show "already paid" message
- Test that logged-in users don't see reCAPTCHA
Invoice Display & Payment Flow
2-StepStep 1: Review invoice with amounts and voluntary contributions. Step 2: Enter payment info (Credit Card or ACH). Early-pay discounts auto-apply based on current date.
Step 1 — Review Invoice
- Shows member info, invoice #, date, dues amounts (combined Chapter+State+National)
- Voluntary contributions: opt-in items show $0 default; opt-out show pre-filled amount (editable)
- Early-pay discounts auto-calculate based on current date vs. configured date windows
- Print Invoice button available
- Footer shows "% Not Deductible" text (chapter-configured vs. national default)
Step 2 — Pay Invoice
- Credit Card via chapter-specified gateway (Authorize.net or other supported gateway)
- ACH payment option
- Data passed to gateway: amount, date/time, invoice type/ID, member ID, address, company, name, phone, memo
- Duplicate payment prevention (block double-click on Pay button)
- Credit card numbers NOT stored in the database
- Portal invoices must be paid in full
QA Considerations
- Verify discount amounts change when tested on different dates relative to discount windows
- Test opt-in vs opt-out contribution behavior
- Verify duplicate click prevention on Pay button
- Verify all payment details written back to CHAD2 (status, amount, date, method)
- Test both payment gateways if multiple are configured
Post-Payment Actions
DownstreamAfter successful payment, multiple systems update: invoice status, contact record, email confirmations to member and chapter. All must fire correctly.
What Should Happen
- Invoice status → "Paid" in Chapter Site and Portal
- Payment Amount, Paid Date, Paid Type, Paid Method, Voluntary Contributions all recorded
- Contact record updated: Dues History + Last Year Paid field
- Email to Chapter (CC/BCC configurable per chapter)
- Email to paying member (to the email they used or logged in with)
- If payment fails at gateway: chapter should be notified
QA Considerations
- Verify ALL of these downstream effects happen after a single payment
- Check both the Chapter Site view and the Portal view reflect the payment
- Verify email confirmation goes to the right recipients based on chapter settings
- Test payment failure scenario — does chapter get notified?
Portal Invoices Screen
Member ViewPortal users see two tabs: Open Invoices (with Pay action) and Invoice History (with date filtering, paid details, and export).
Open Invoices Tab
- Filter by Invoice Type
- Columns: Type, Date, Description, Amount, Status
- Actions: View (takes to payment flow), Print/Download
- Export to Excel
Invoice History Tab
- Filter by Date Range (30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, 1 year) and Type
- Extra columns: Paid Date, Paid Type, Paid Method
- View action shows read-only invoice
- Export to Excel
QA Considerations
- Permission: only Member Portal Admins (Level 3) should see this
- Open tab should only show unpaid invoices; History should show paid ones
- Verify that a newly paid invoice moves from Open to History
5. Monthly Dues Process & Reporting
Business Purpose: Every month, Chapters must reconcile and submit their dues payments to National. National reviews, approves, and publishes the data to Wells Fargo for payment processing. This is the monthly heartbeat of the financial relationship between Chapters and National.
Monthly Process Flow
Chapter Side
Review Paid Invoices
→
Run Submission Audits
→
Submit to National
→
Final Sign-Off
National Side
Review in Processing Queue
→
Approve / Reject
→
Publish Invoices to WF
→
Publish Reports
Chapter Monthly Dues Screen
ChapterShows all paid invoices for the selected month/year. Chapter reviews, runs audits, and submits to National. Status displays at top: Open → Submitted → Under Review → Approved.
Dues Month Chapter Statuses
- Open (unlocked) — not submitted yet or returned for updates
- Submitted (locked) — chapter has submitted
- Under Review (locked) — National is reviewing
- Approved (locked) — National has approved
Line Alert Statuses (per invoice)
- OK — passes all audits
- Information — low-level alert, probably fine
- Warning — possibly an issue
- Error — probably an issue
Available Reports (PDF download anytime)
- Monthly Dues Statement (Summary)
- Dues Detail Report by Member
- Monthly FEA Report
- Monthly TCEF Report
- Year-to-Date Numbers
- State Report (can override date range)
QA Considerations
- Verify status transitions lock/unlock the screen correctly
- When locked, chapter should NOT be able to edit data
- Default month determined by Dues Report Transition Date setting
- Test report downloads at each status stage
- Versioning: each submission creates a version — verify history is accessible
National Processing Queue
NationalNational's command center. Shows all chapters and their submission status for a given month. Dashboard with status counts. Actions: update status, exclude invoices, add notes, publish to WF.
Key Features
- Dashboard: counts of chapters in each status (Open, Submitted, Under Review, Approved, Published)
- Drill into any chapter to see their detailed monthly report
- Exclude specific member invoices from processing
- Late File and Late Payment manual checkboxes
- Notes per chapter per month (don't carry over month-to-month)
- Lock/Unlock driven by National Status
- Copy all contact emails for bulk communication
Publish Invoices to Wells Fargo
- Publishes selected chapters' invoices to WF
- Warning if a chapter has already been published for the month
- Status auto-updates after publishing
QA Considerations
- Test the full status lifecycle from Chapter submit through National publish
- Verify excluding invoices actually removes them from the published data
- Test "unlock" — returning a chapter to Open status
- Verify notes are month-specific and don't carry forward
- Test re-publishing a chapter that was already published (warning should appear)
Sign-Off Process
Final StepNational requests sign-off from chapters. Chapters review numbers (broken down by month + YTD), check each box, type "Confirm." Not required, but tracked.
Sign-Off Flow
- National approves a chapter → system auto-triggers sign-off email
- Email contains the chapter's final numbers for the month
- Chapter opens Sign-Off modal in CHAD2
- Must check a box for each month and year total
- Must type "Confirm" to complete sign-off
- Sign-off is recorded on the National Sign-Off Report
- Sign-off is NOT required — National can proceed without it
QA Considerations
- Sign-off button should only appear after National requests it
- Test the "Confirm" text input — should be exact match required
- Verify National can publish even if chapter hasn't signed off
Retroactive Changes & Unlocking
Edge CaseSometimes chapters need to fix data in a past, already-closed month. National can unlock a month. Payment adjustments may require manual Wells Fargo coordination.
Key Rules
- No fixed time window — National decides when to allow changes
- Types of changes: member type, invoice type, remove invoices/payments
- If chapter owes more → they pay the remaining balance for that month separately
- If National owes chapter → adjusted invoice created in a future month (no refunds)
- Original invoice type changes to "Adjusted" so it's excluded from member counts
- Each re-submission creates a new version for audit trail
QA Considerations
- Test unlocking a closed month — does the chapter regain edit access?
- Verify version history shows all re-submissions
- Test the credit-in-future-month flow
- Verify that WF is NOT auto-updated for already-paid months
Non-CHAD2 Chapter File Import
ImportChapters not using CHAD2 as their AMS must still submit monthly data to National. They import a Bridge/Load file into CHAD2 and upload a Dues Monthly Report PDF.
Import Process
- Non-CHAD2 chapters get a simplified login experience
- Upload Bridge file (ELTL import → flat structure → transform to existing structure)
- Upload Dues Monthly Report PDF (stored as-is, no parsing)
- System communicates what couldn't be processed and why (structural errors)
- After successful import, chapter follows the same review → submit → sign-off process
QA Considerations
- Test with malformed Bridge files — error messages should be clear
- Test the simplified non-CHAD2 user experience
- Verify that after import, the standard monthly process works identically
6. Audits & Selective Reports
Business Purpose: Beyond the batch invoicing audits, Chapter Staff has access to ad-hoc reporting and data quality tools. These are used throughout the year to find discrepancies, export data for external use, and generate various report formats. National has its own reconciliation reports.
Dues Selective Reporting
ChapterA powerful query screen with extensive filter criteria. Drives both the on-screen results view and feeds into all the bulk export/report actions below.
Company Type Dues Type Paid Month Join Month Category Range RegionFilter Defaults
- Year — current year until Dec 31
- Company Type — ABC Member
- Include Adjustments — Yes
- Paid Invoices — Yes
QA Considerations
- Verify each filter actually narrows results correctly
- Test the filter defaults — they should match business expectations
- All export/report actions should only include records matching current filter selections
Bulk Export Options
Many FormatsMultiple export formats available: Excel (standard, short, with ME, mailing, contact, with note), Word Merge, PDF reports (by month, region, liaison, category, company, invoice type).
Export Formats
- Excel: Standard, Short, With ME (Member Engagement), Mailing, Mailing All, Contact, With Note
- PDF Detailed Reports: By Month, By Region, By Liaison, By Category, By Company (inv), By Company (cur), By Invoice Type, With Sponsors
- Additional Lines reports (unlimited lines — shown by name, not number)
- Word Merge export for mail merge
- PAC export
QA Considerations
- Each export format should produce valid, correctly formatted output
- Only filtered/selected records should appear in exports
- Additional Lines now have unlimited items — verify reports handle dynamic column counts
National Reconciliation Reports
NationalNational's tools for finding discrepancies between what chapters owe and what they've paid. Out-of-balance reports are the key financial controls.
Key Reports
- Dues Payments vs ABC Load File — finds discrepancies between owed and paid
- SPM Dollars Entry — dues dollars by month/chapter (New, Renew, Total, Cloud Fees, FEA, TCEF)
- Out of Balance (All) — master discrepancy report
- Out of Balance (Dues) — dues-specific discrepancies
- Out of Balance (Cloud Fees, FEA, TCEF) — individual component discrepancies
QA Considerations
- These reports should have automated checks that flag discrepancies
- SPM Dollars: WF payments should auto-populate; manual entry also available
- SPM counts should be based on Paid New + Paid Renewal only (exclude Adjusted)
Bulk Email, SMS & MMS
CommunicationFrom the Selective Reporting screen, staff can email all selected invoices in bulk, send SMS/MMS with payment links. These are delivery channels, not invoice-specific logic.
Channels
- Bulk Email — sends to the configured email address for each company; content defined by approved templates
- SMS — includes no-login payment link; minimal invoice details in text
- MMS — same as SMS but potentially with richer content
QA Considerations
- Bulk email should only send to selected records
- SMS payment link should correctly resolve to the member's invoice
- Test confirmation prompts before sending bulk communications
Glossary — Key Terms
If you don't know these words, you can't test this system. Study this list. When you see these terms in a ticket, you should immediately understand what they mean in the context of ABC's business.