Introduction

Minimum charge settings allow you to ensure a minimum amount is always invoiced as an item's base price until the quantity administered or dispensed times the unit or package price exceeds the minimum charge amount specified. Minimum charge settings are available for all item types and are department-specific. Additionally, minimum charge settings can be used in combination with minimum price and dispense and injection fees. Any dispense or injection fees will apply in addition to a minimum charge.

Minimum price settings, when used in combination, will ensure an item is not discounted below the defined value, however, the minimum price value cannot be greater than the item's largest selling price. 

Minimum charge behaviour applies to all pricing functionalities such as estimates, consultations, counter sales, and invoices.

Minimum Charge Set-Up

1. Enable the department-specific setting 'Enable minimum charge, prices and units' which can be found by following: Settings > Department > Department settings > Enable minimum charge, prices and units.
2. Navigate to the items settings page by following: Items & lists > Items and search for an item you wish to apply a minimum charge value using the available filter fields.
3. Open the item's pricing settings by selecting the edit pen icon, and then the 'Stock and pricing' tab. Locate the 'Minimum Charge' value fields located towards the bottom of the prompt window.
4. Define a minimum charge value in the accordingly fields and select 'Save'

Minimum Charge versus Minimum Price

Minimum pricing functionalities interact solely with automatic discounts and do not allow an item's invoiced price to drop below the defined minimum price.

Minimum charge functionalities operate so that a minimum amount is invoiced until the quantity times unit or package price exceeds the minimum charge amount. This pricing behaviour does not relate to any discount functionalities.

Using Minimum Charge

No special action is required from users to ensure minimum charge pricing is in use once settings are appropriately enabled. Minimum charge pricing automatically applies when an associated item is used during estimates, consultations, counter sales or invoices.

If during estimate creation a minimum and maximum quantity range are used which pushes the max pricing above the minimum charge amount, standard pricing behaviour will apply. 

In the Malaseb Shampoo 250ml example below, the item has a minimum charge of €45 and a unit price: €30. This means once the max quantity was defined as '2', the price invoiced would be the standard pricing of €60, as it exceeds the minimum charge value of €45.