You use this screen to define the contents of the package that make up a renewal notice. For example, you specify here the form you'll use, the envelope, and the letter or other enclosures. On this screen you also specify whether QuickFill should produce its standard renewal notice that can be directly printed, or a data file that can be used for a mail-merge renewal notice.
When you run the 'Renewal notices' update, QuickFill groups the renewals by the form set code, then by publication and finally by the package code. In front of each group is a "dummy" renewal that identifies the publication, form, and package. QuickFill creates a separate file for each form set code.
Defining renewal packages
When you select 'Renewals' under 'Definitions' on the main menu, and then select 'Packages', you'll see a list of currently defined packages in the upper half of the screen and the "New," "Change," "Replicate," and "Delete" options running along the bottom.
You can define another renewal package by clicking on "New," filling in the fields described below, and then clicking on "OK." If the renewal package you want to define next is similar to one you've already defined, you can replicate the existing package by moving the cursor to the renewal package you want to replicate and clicking on "Replicate."
Package code
Enter a code to identify the package. If you plan to use a different package for each effort in the renewal series, you might want to include the effort number in the code.
Note: compatibility with other fulfillment systems
Many other subscription fulfillment systems group renewal notices by effort number, whether it's necessary or not. If you want to compare the renewal notices you get from QuickFill with the renewal notices you get from your old system, you can force QuickFill to group the notices by effort number. Here's how. Just use a unique package for each effort in your renewal series. QuickFill groups together all renewal notices by package, so you'll now be able to compare the two.
Description
Enter a brief description of the package. (This description should explain what you'll use the package for.) You'll see a list of package codes and descriptions when you right click and select "Pick renewal package" in the 'Package' field of the 'Renewal efforts' definition screen. So you'll be able to identify the packages you want to link to the renewal efforts used by your renewal series.
You can customize the design of your renewal notices using the QuickFill Form Designer application. In the Form Designer a form set code identifies a set of designs, one for each of the types of printed output QuickFill can produce (bills, gift bills, combination bills, renewals, gift renewals, acknowledgements and gift acknowledgements). The code you enter here tells QuickFill which form set to use when the renewal notices are printed. If you do not enter a code, or if the code you enter is not defined in the form designer then the default or "Blank" form set will be used.
Delivery method
In this area you choose how your renewal notices will be delivered—by postal mail or by e-mail. E-mail delivery is possible if the customer has an e-mail address and has not notified you that he or she does not wish to ever be contacted via e-mail, not even at renewal time (see the 'allowed usage' flags on the customer address screen). See the topic "Send renewal notices by email" for more information on setting up your system for delivery of renewal notices via email.
Leave this field set to "Simple" if this package is not intended for gift or group subscriptions. Simple renewal notices do not contain a detailed list of ship-to addresses. They are typically printed on a short 8.5" by 7" form but you can change both the page size and layout in the Form Designer. Click here to see a standard simple renewal notice. QuickFill will print the renewals using the 'RENEWAL' form as specified in the Form Designer.
Click on "Detailed" if the renewal series that uses this package is for gift or group subscriptions and you would like your renewal notices to list the names and addresses of the ship-to customers that are up for renewal. The 'GIFTRENEWAL' form will be used, as specified in the Form Designer. Even if you select the "Detailed" option QuickFill will not produce detailed renewal notices for single subscriptions but will instead revert to the "Simple" format. Click here to see a standard detailed renewal notice.
Click on "Label only" if you want to produce labels instead of the renewal notices. The top line of the renewal labels will contain the order number and the effort number (i.e., 2981-R1). When you run the 'Renewal notices' update, QuickFill will produce labels for those customers who are linked to the renewal series that uses this package and are due to receive a notice. For "by issues" renewal series, QuickFill will produce a renewal label in addition to the standard issue label when you run the 'Issue labels' update.
Click on "Mail-merge" if you want QuickFill to print the renewal notices for this package using Microsoft Word using a mail merge process. If you select the mail-merge option, QuickFill creates a disk file containing the names, addresses and all of the price data required to produce a renewal notice. The fields included in this file are determined by the 'Mail-merge format code' that you select. Please note that detailed renewal notices containing a list of the names and addresses of the ship-to customers for gifts and groups cannot be produced using the mail-merge process.
Mail-merge format code
If you select the "Mail-merge" format, you must also enter a code in this field to indicate the file format to be used. To enter a format code, right click and then select the code from the list that appears. The mail-merge file can be either a dBase file or a delimited text file. You choose which on the 'Mail merge' tab of the 'Preferences' screen.
QuickFill will produce a file with all the data that ordinarily would have been printed on your renewal notices. The file can then be used with the mail-merge feature of your word processor to produce renewal notices of your own design. There are four available formats for the file—MMERG1, MMERG2, MMERG3 and MMERG4. MMERG1 is a basic format that contains all of the data elements that are on the standard renewal notice. The MMERG2 and MMERG3 formats are supersets of MMERG1, but include additional customer address fields that may be used for sorting purposes. The MMERG4 format is similar to the MMERG3 format, but breaks the pricing data out into sets of separate fields. We supply a sample Microsoft Word mail-merge document that works with the MMERG4 format. Look in the QuickFill program directory for a file named "Renewal.dot".
Print credit card info block on notice
If you want to accept credit cards for payment, check this field. QuickFill then prints fields on the renewal notice where the customer can fill in a credit card number, expiration date, and signature. If you don't want to accept credit card payments—or you already have the necessary fields preprinted on your renewal notice—leave this field blank.
Hint: Testing credit card payments
If you specify by package whether or not you want credit card information printed on the renewal notices, you can test the effectiveness of accepting credit card payments. Here's how:
Assign some of your orders to a renewal series that uses packages that include credit card information. When you run the 'Renewal rates' report by renewal series you will be able to see whether or not you get a better payment rate by accepting credit card payments (click here for details on how to change renewal series).
Circular, Card, Buckslip, Envelope, Reply Envelope, Letter IDs
In these six fields, you identify the contents of the package. Enter any identification codes you want in these fields. The codes are for your information only. QuickFill doesn't use them.
Enter any text you want in order to further describe the package and how you'll use it.
Fixed cost
The fixed cost of the renewal package represents one time charges to produce the package, such as designer fees. This figure is for your information only. QuickFill doesn't use them.
Variable cost
Enter the cost per thousand for the items that make up this renewal package. The variable cost represents the cost to produce each additional thousand pieces. These figures are for your information only. QuickFill doesn't use them.
You can also change the definition of a renewal package by moving the cursor to the channel you want to change and double clicking on it, or clicking once on "Change." When you change an existing renewal package, make sure you know which renewal series definition uses that package—any changes you make to the package affect all the renewal series that use that package. You can delete a renewal package that is not being used by moving the cursor on the package you want to delete and clicking on "Delete."
To delete a renewal package that is currently linked to a renewal series, you must first either change the renewal efforts in the series so that they use some other renewal package, or delete the series.
Click here for information on how to merge renewal package codes.