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Assign communication profile

Zuora

Assign communication profile

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You can now configure a specified communication profile at the subscription, order line item, and stand-alone invoice levels, providing more flexibility. 

The system allows for the addition of communication profiles at a more granular level. Billing documents generated from subscriptions or Order Line Items (OLI) inherit their communication profile from the subscription or order line item itself. The notification system also supports communication profiles for specific levels within the same account. If a subscription uses a different communication profile, invoices, or credit memos generated from it are grouped accordingly.

Let’s consider this scenario: You have an account, and you use the default profile for your customers. In the notification event configuration page, you have multiple communication profiles set up. You have created another profile named ‘Enterprise template’.  When you create a new subscription, in the billing and payment section, the default communication profile is used from the account. You can choose the newly created ‘Enterprise template’ and proceed with defining a recurring charge (For example, monthly). In the Order Line Item page, you can specify billing attributes including the specific communication profile. When you open the same subscription and navigate to the billing payment section, you can see the communication profile is set to ‘Enterprise template’ instead of the default one.

Manage communication profile at the subscription-level

You can assign and manage the communication profile at the subscription-level for increased flexibility and precision based on each subscription’s requirements. You can reset or clear the communication profile for ongoing subscription management tasks including renewals, terms and conditions (T&C), profile updates, and ownership transfers to reflect the subscription changes dynamically.

Billing documents (Invoices and Credit Memos) generated from a subscription inherit the subscription-level communication profile. This is to ensure consistency across billing and customer-facing documents tied to that subscription.

When creating subscription-level invoices, the system follows the billing rule setting as explained in Copy billing attributes from accounts to billing documents when no attributes are specified on subscriptions. This ensures that the account-level attributes are copied into the subscription-level invoice as specified by the billing configuration and creating consistency in how attributes are inherited.

If a credit memo or debit memo is created from an invoice that has a communication profile, it automatically inherits that communication profile from the invoice.

You cannot delete a communication profile if any subscription is referring to it; you can only deactivate such a communication profile. 

Manage communication profile at the order line item-level

You can manage communication profiles with enhanced precision at the individual line-item with an order based on each line item’s distinct requirements. 

If you have not explicitly assigned a communication profile to an OLI, it inherits the communication profile from the account. This ensures that all OLIs contain relevant communication settings and maintain consistency with existing conventions for billing attributes.

You can update the communication profile for a sales OLI when its state (that is, the itemState field) is Executing, Booked, or SentToBilling. You can’t update when its state is 'Complete' or 'Canceled'.

Invoices and credit memos generated based on OLIs inherit the OLI-level communication profile.  This is to ensure that these documents align with the OLI’s communication preferences rather than the higher-level default settings.

You cannot delete a communication profile if any OLI is referring to it. However, you can deactivate the communication profile.  

Manage communication profile at the standalone invoice-level

When creating a standalone invoice, you can assign and manage a specific communication profile directly at the invoice level. This allows you to customize the messaging on a per-invoice basis. 

When creating standalone invoices, the system follows the billing rule setting as explained in Copy billing attributes from accounts to standalone invoices when no attributes are specified on standalone invoices. This ensures that the account-level attributes are copied into the standalone invoice as specified by the billing configuration and creating consistency in how attributes are inherited.

You cannot delete a communication profile if any standalone invoice is referring to it. However, you can deactivate the communication profile.  

Communication profile for Credit Memo and Debit Memo

If a credit memo or debit memo is created from an invoice that has a communication profile, the system automatically inherits that communication profile from the invoice. 

If a standalone credit memo or debit memo is created from product rate plan charge, the system inherits the communication profile directly from the account.

Constraints and limitations

  • You cannot use Data Loader to import standalone invoices or orders with a communication profile on the invoice, subscription, or order line item level.

  • In CPQ, you can only assign a communication profile at the billing account level, not at the subscription or order line item level. 

  • You cannot access communication profiles at the invoice level within the HTML template.

  • Limitations in managing communication profiles:

    • You can delete a communication profile only if it is used by accounts. When deleted, the associated accounts will be reassigned to the default communication profile.

    • You cannot delete a communication profile if it is used by any subscriptions, order line items, invoices, or memos. Instead, you can deactivate it.