Manage Sale Items

The Manage Sale Items page allows you to create new Sale Items and edit existing ones. This is where you configure the district-wide price list that billing staff use when creating invoices.

Permission Required

To add or edit Sale Items, you need the Add/Edit Sale Items permission assigned to your role. Viewing Sale Items requires the View Sale Items permission.

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Understanding Sale Item Management

Think of managing Sale Items as maintaining your district's price catalog - defining what charges are available, what they cost, and how they appear on invoices.

What you can do:

• Create new Sale Items (new charge types)
• Edit existing Sale Items (update prices, descriptions, categories)
• Enable or disable Sale Items (control availability)
• Organize Sale Items by type (categorize for reporting)

Why this matters:

• Pricing control - Set district-wide standardized prices
• Consistency - Ensure same charges appear identically on all invoices
• Efficiency - Billing staff select from list instead of typing each time
• Accuracy - Eliminate pricing errors and typos
• Reporting - Categorize charges for revenue analysis

Important: Changes to Sale Items affect future invoices only. Existing invoices retain the description and price from when they were created and are not retroactively modified.

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Accessing Sale Item Management

Viewing Sale Items

1. Navigate to Billing > Sale Items (or similar menu path)
2. View list of all existing Sale Items
3. See status, description, and pricing for each item
4. Use search or filters to find specific items

Adding a New Sale Item

1. From Sale Items list, click Add Sale Item or Add New
2. Fill in Sale Item fields (see fields section below)
3. Click Save
4. New Sale Item appears in dropdown when creating invoices

Editing an Existing Sale Item

1. From Sale Items list, find the item to edit
2. Click the item or click Edit button
3. Modify fields as needed
4. Click Save
5. Changes apply to future invoices using this item

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Sale Item Fields Explained

Each Sale Item has several configuration fields:

Item Status

What it does: Controls whether the Sale Item is available for use when creating invoices.

Options:

• For Sale (Active) - Item appears in invoice creation dropdown and can be selected
• Disabled (Inactive) - Item is hidden from invoice creation but preserved for historical reference

When to use each:

For Sale:

• Current, active charge types
• Items being used regularly
• Standard fees and charges

Disabled:

• Outdated items no longer used (old prices, discontinued charges)
• Seasonal items outside their season
• Retired charge types you want to preserve for reference

Example:

Item: "Screen Repair - 2023 Price"
Status: Disabled (replaced by "Screen Repair - 2024 Price")

Item: "Screen Repair - 2024 Price"
Status: For Sale (current pricing)

Important: Always disable instead of deleting. Disabling preserves historical data and references on old invoices while preventing future use.

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Invoice Description

What it is: The text that appears on printed/emailed invoices when this Sale Item is used.

Guidelines:

• Write for parents/guardians (external audience)
• Be clear and professional
• Explain what the charge is for
• Avoid internal jargon or abbreviations
• Keep it concise (one line preferred)

Good examples:

• "Chromebook screen replacement"
• "Replacement charger for MacBook"
• "Annual technology program fee"
• "Lost device replacement cost"
• "iPad protective case replacement"

Poor examples:

• "CR screen" (unclear abbreviation)
• "Fix" (too vague)
• "The thing" (not professional)
• "Replacement of the damaged screen on the student's assigned Chromebook device" (too wordy)

Tip: The description can be edited when creating specific invoices if needed, but start with a clear default.

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Unit Cost

What it is: The internal cost to your district for this item or service (what you paid).

Purpose:

• Internal tracking and reporting
• Profit/loss analysis (compare unit cost to sale price)
• Budget planning
• Vendor reconciliation

Does NOT affect:

• Amount charged to users (sale price controls that)
• What appears on invoices
• Invoice calculations

Example:

Item: Chromebook Charger Replacement
Unit Cost: $12.50 (what district pays vendor)
Sale Price: $25.00 (what district charges user)
Difference: $12.50 markup to cover handling, overhead

When to leave blank:

• If not tracking internal costs
• For fee items without direct cost (administrative fees)
• When cost tracking isn't needed for your workflow

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Sale Price

What it is: The amount charged to users when this Sale Item is added to an invoice.

This is important: Sale Price is what appears on invoices and what users pay.

Guidelines:

• Set according to district policy
• Consider actual replacement/repair costs
• Include handling and administrative costs if applicable
• Ensure pricing is fair and defensible
• Review annually and update as needed

Examples:

Screen Repair: $125.00
Charger Replacement: $25.00
Annual Tech Fee: $75.00
Lost Chromebook: $450.00

Can be adjusted: When creating an invoice, billing staff can typically adjust the sale price if special circumstances require it (financial hardship, partial responsibility, etc.). The Sale Item provides the default/standard price.

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Item Type

What it is: A category that groups similar Sale Items for organization and reporting.

Common Item Types:

• Fees - Technology fees, checkout fees, administrative fees
• Repairs - Screen repairs, keyboard replacements, battery replacements
• Replacements - Lost devices, missing accessories, destroyed items
• Insurance - Insurance premiums, deductibles
• Accessories - Cases, styluses, keyboards, mice
• Other - Miscellaneous charges that don't fit other categories

Why Item Type matters:

• Reporting - Generate reports by category (e.g., "Total repair revenue")
• Organization - Group related items in Sale Items list
• Analysis - Understand revenue breakdown by charge type
• Budgeting - Forecast income by category

Example:

Item Type: Repairs
Items in this type:
- Screen Repair
- Keyboard Replacement
- Battery Replacement
- Trackpad Repair

Item Type: Fees
Items in this type:
- Annual Technology Fee
- Late Return Fee
- Administrative Fee

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Common Use Cases

Scenario 1: Creating Sale Items for New School Year

District updates pricing annually:

August before school starts:

1. Navigate to Billing > Sale Items
2. Review existing Sale Items
3. For items with price changes:
   • Option A: Edit existing Sale Item with new price
   • Option B: Create new Sale Item with year in name, disable old one
4. Example: Update "Annual Technology Fee" from $50 to $75
5. Edit Sale Item:
   • Description: "Annual technology program fee 2024-25"
   • Sale Price: $75.00 (was $50.00)
   • Save
6. All invoices created after this date use new $75 price
7. Document price changes for board/parent communication

Result: Updated pricing ready for beginning of school year billing.

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Scenario 2: Adding New Charge Type

District starts charging for protective cases:

Previously:

• Cases provided free
• High breakage rates
• Board approves charging for replacement cases

Creating the Sale Item:

1. Navigate to Billing > Sale Items
2. Click Add Sale Item
3. Configure fields:
   • Item Status: For Sale
   • Invoice Description: "Protective case replacement"
   • Unit Cost: $8.00 (what cases cost district)
   • Sale Price: $15.00 (what district charges)
   • Item Type: Accessories (or Replacements)
4. Click Save
5. Inform billing staff new charge is available
6. Staff can now add "Protective case replacement" to invoices

Result: New charge type available district-wide for consistent billing.

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Scenario 3: Retiring Outdated Sale Item

District changes device model, old repair pricing no longer applies:

Background:

• District used Dell laptops 2020-2023
• Sale Item: "Dell Screen Repair" ($150)
• District switches to Chromebooks in 2024
• Different repair costs, different pricing

Retiring the old item:

1. Navigate to Billing > Sale Items
2. Find "Dell Screen Repair"
3. Click Edit
4. Change Item Status to Disabled
5. Optionally update description: "Dell Screen Repair (discontinued - pre-2024)"
6. Click Save

Creating the new item:

1. Click Add Sale Item
2. Configure:
   • Item Status: For Sale
   • Invoice Description: "Chromebook screen replacement"
   • Sale Price: $125.00 (different cost than Dell)
   • Item Type: Repairs
3. Click Save

Result: Old item hidden from invoice creation, new item available. Historical invoices still show old item correctly.

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Editing Considerations

When Editing Affects Existing Invoices

Safe to edit (no impact on existing invoices):

• Changing sale price
• Changing description
• Changing unit cost
• Changing item type
• Changing status (for sale / disabled)

All changes affect future invoices only. Existing invoices retain their original values.

When to Edit vs. Create New

Edit existing Sale Item when:

• Updating price for inflation/cost changes
• Correcting typos in description
• Adjusting unit cost for updated vendor pricing
• Changing item type categorization

Create new Sale Item when:

• Completely different charge type
• Want to preserve historical pricing (keep "2023 Price" and "2024 Price" separate)
• Different description needed (not just minor wording change)

Example - Edit existing:

Before: "Screen Repair" - $120
After: "Screen Repair" - $125 (minor price increase)
Action: Edit the existing item

Example - Create new:

Old: "Dell Screen Repair" - $150
New: "Chromebook Screen Repair" - $125
Action: Create new item, disable old item

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Tips for Managing Sale Items

✅ Do:

• Review Sale Items annually before school year starts
• Update prices to reflect actual costs and board policy
• Use clear, parent-friendly descriptions
• Disable outdated items instead of deleting
• Categorize items with appropriate Item Types
• Track unit cost for cost analysis (even if optional)
• Document price changes for transparency
• Test new Sale Items by creating a sample invoice

❌ Don't:

• Delete Sale Items (disable them instead)
• Use internal jargon in descriptions
• Set arbitrary prices without policy backing
• Leave sale price blank (causes invoice errors)
• Forget to communicate price changes to billing staff
• Create duplicate items with same description
• Use vague descriptions like "Repair" or "Fee"

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Validation and Error Handling

Common validation issues when saving Sale Items:

Error	Cause	Solution
"Description required"	Invoice Description field is empty	Enter a description
"Sale price required"	Sale Price field is empty or $0.00	Enter a price (even if $0.00 for free items)
"Invalid price format"	Non-numeric characters in price field	Enter numeric price only (e.g., 125.00, not $125)
"Duplicate item name"	Sale Item with identical description already exists	Use slightly different description or check if item already exists

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Common Questions

Q: Can I delete a Sale Item? You can typically delete Sale Items that have never been used on invoices. However, best practice is to disable instead of delete. Disabling preserves the item for reference while removing it from the invoice creation dropdown.

Q: If I change a Sale Item price, do old invoices change? No. Existing invoices are never modified when you edit a Sale Item. They retain the price and description from when they were created. Only future invoices use the updated values.

Q: Can I see which invoices used a specific Sale Item? This depends on system reporting capabilities. Many systems allow you to generate reports showing invoice line items by Sale Item type. Check your Reports section or contact your system administrator.

Q: What happens if I disable a Sale Item that's on existing invoices? Nothing changes for existing invoices. They continue to show the item correctly. The item simply won't appear in the dropdown when creating new invoices.

Q: Can billing staff override the Sale Price when creating an invoice? Typically yes. The Sale Price provides the default, but billing staff with appropriate permissions can usually adjust it for special circumstances (reduced charges for financial hardship, partial responsibility, etc.). Check your system configuration.

Q: Should Unit Cost and Sale Price be the same? Usually no. Sale Price is often higher than Unit Cost to cover:

• Handling and processing costs
• Administrative overhead
• Staff time for repairs
• Shipping and logistics

Example: Unit Cost $10, Sale Price $20 (100% markup). Some items like fees may not have a unit cost at all.

Q: How many Sale Items should we have? This varies by district. Typical range:

• Small district: 10-25 items (common repairs, fees, replacements)
• Medium district: 25-50 items (more granular categories, device types)
• Large district: 50-100+ items (building-specific items, detailed categorization)

Create Sale Items for charges you use regularly. Don't over-complicate - start simple and add more as needed.

Q: Can I import Sale Items from a spreadsheet? Import capabilities vary by system. Some support bulk import via CSV. Contact your system administrator or Manage1to1 support about bulk import options.

Q: What if I need different prices for elementary vs. high school? Options:

1. Create separate Sale Items (e.g., "Screen Repair - Elementary" vs. "Screen Repair - High School")
2. Use Item Type to differentiate
3. Check if your system supports building-specific pricing
4. Use the same Sale Item but billing staff manually adjust price based on building

Q: Can I copy a Sale Item to create a similar one? Depends on system functionality. If not available, manually create new item and enter similar values. This is often faster than it sounds.

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Managing Sale Items effectively ensures consistent, accurate billing across your district. Well-configured Sale Items streamline invoice creation, reduce errors, and provide clear communication to families about charges.