FAQs for Booksellers

We are constantly looking for ways to make booksellers’ lives easier, so we have developed an app that allows you to check books as you unpack and upload the details straight into your Batch payments account. You can find a guide to using the Batch app here.

Not any more! You can now change the status to 'Open' or 'Authorise' yourself. Choose the option 'O' for 'Open' or 'A' to authorise the transaction to be paid.

Batch only displays EDI invoice and credit data provided by the suppliers. If there is an issue, you need to raise it with the relevant Credit Control contact at that supplier.

Go to the main menu and click on Reports. Then click on Remittance Download and choose the month you want for your records. This will open as a CSV file. Save this as an Excel file and you will have all your data, including the VAT breakdown.

Log on to Batch Payments and choose the Invoice Finder option from the Main Menu. Entering the order number or delivery note number will display details of any invoices relating to those numbers.

Most definitely yes! Because you make just one monthly payment to Batch per currency each month no matter how many suppliers there are to pay, you will pay a single bank charge.

• Yes, Batch is multi-currency so payments in Sterling, Euros and US dollars are accepted. However, not all suppliers accept all three currencies through Batch. Look at the list of suppliers to check their individual status.
• Important: if the invoice has been raised in a particular currency, then the payment to Batch must be in that currency.

• If your business is based in the UK, Batch will take a Direct Debit from you on the last working day of the month for the amount that has been authorised.
• If you are based in Eire, Batch can take a Direct Debit for Euro payments on the last working day of the month; the same applies for Sterling payments, provided you have a UK bank account. If not, the payment will need to be sent in cleared funds to arrive no later than the closing date for authorisation.
• Booksellers in the rest of the world must pay by a monthly bank transfer. For more information please follow this link.

Invoices and credits will be shown on Batch as soon as the suppliers send them. Batch only displays invoice and credit data provided by the suppliers, so if there are errors or items missing, you should contact the supplier directly.

The amount to be transferred is in the 'Ready for Payment' column.

At about 7am of the morning following the closing date for authorisations, the amounts paid will be in ‘Show Period’ – 'Past'.

Yes. Go to the 'Future period summary' and find the invoice to be paid early. Click on the invoice number to show the invoice detail and click on the 'Due Date' drop down box. There you will find the option to pay the invoice in the current clearance.

Simply go to ’Current Period Summary’, click on ’Show Period‘ and choose ’Past‘. Then select the month and the payment summary will be displayed.

Yes, any invoice can be printed directly from our website. On the system, you will find a complete record of all your transactions with each supplier. Some suppliers now also submit copy invoices as PDFs for download – look out for the PDF icon on Batch.

Select the invoice and click on the 'N button ('Not paying'). Click on ‘Update’ at the bottom of the page and the transaction will be removed.

The list of publishers on Batch is updated daily, so first check the Suppliers List. If the supplier isn't there, email us and we will contact them to ask whether they would like to join Batch.

Yes. Select the credit note or claim and click on the 'N' button ('Not paying'). Click on ’Update‘ at the bottom of the page and the transaction will be removed.

Click ‘Reports’ and then ‘Bookseller Payment Status’. This will show any balance carried forward from the previous month.

At about 7am of the morning following the closing date for authorisations the amounts paid will be in Show Period – PAST.

You must contact the supplier about taking any credit note early.

The latest news will appear on the website and our Twitter account – @batch_services. We also send monthly reminders about the closing date for authorisations, so please ensure that we have your active email address.

A red flag indicates an overall credit against a supplier, which will be carried forward to the following month.

Make sure you access Batch directly from www.batch.co.uk and not from a bookmarked link. Check that your PC date and clock are accurate. If the problem persists, contact us at mail@batch.co.uk.

Batch Returns operates 24/7 and you will get your responses much faster than if you rely on contacting your rep or the supplier directly. Plus you will have an electronic record of all transactions. Visit our Returns page for more benefits.

There is no charge for booksellers to use Batch Returns.

All you need is an ADSL connection and web browser Google Chrome or Internet Explorer 8 or above (other browsers are not supported). The Batch website can also be accessed from an IOS or Android Smart phone.

Customers are asked to set their own user name and password when completing the registration form for Batch Returns. Please choose a strong password and keep it safe. At present, separate login details are required for Batch Payments and Returns, but we will shortly be launching a login portal using LDAP technology (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) to provide single entry access to the Batch system.

Once the registration form has been completed, we will pass your details to the suppliers. It normally takes about 48 hours (excluding weekend and bank holidays) for them to get back to us. We will contact you by email as soon as your account has been enabled.

A list of all suppliers on Batch Returns and Batch Payments can be found here.

Let us know and we will contact them on your behalf. You can also speak to the supplier directly and encourage them to join Batch Returns.

Some suppliers only allow overstocks through Batch. You will need to contact the supplier directly if the return is for another reason.

Yes! Once approval has been given by the supplier, the actual quantity of products being returned must be confirmed. Quantities can only be adjusted downwards. If more books are returned than have been approved, then it is likely that a credit will only be raised for the approved number. A new request should be raised for any additional quantities to return.

From the 'Search' tab, search by 'Request#', 'Customer Reference' or 'RAN', to list any matching authorisations. Click on the required RAN in the Search Results to show the Confirmation screen from where the labels or a picking list can be printed.

If a reply hasn't been received within 24 hours, you should contact the supplier directly. Any technical issues involving Batch will be announced on our website and on Twitter @batch_services.

When the Authorisations come back from the supplier, confirm one of the Authorisations with all ‘Qty Confirmed’ values set to zero. Use the 'Set All Quantities to...' button to do this.

From the 'Search' tab, search by 'Supplier'. This will show all the requests for this supplier and their status. The list can be restricted further by selecting a 'Status' in the search criteria.

To resolve this, log out of Batch Returns and log back in again or press Ctrl F5 to refresh the browser and the labels should be available by searching for the required RAN and going to the Confirmation screen from where the labels or a picking list can be printed.

A request has been started for that supplier, but it hasn't been sent. You need to complete that request before starting another one for the same supplier.

Yes, this is an area where Batch can help whatever your system. We developed BIS software that links Batch to the Sage Accounting system so that booksellers will never have to key in another invoice again! Visit the BIS page to find out more.

1.    Copy the (.bcd) configuration file, which can be found in the folder 'My Documents/BIS Configuration'. If this folder does not exist, you have an older version of BIS. Contact us for the latest version of BIS.

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We strongly recommend booksellers to contact us before upgrading, so we can check for compatibility issues. BIS software should work on Windows 7 and above, but not on previous versions.