> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Automate billing updates on dropoff and pickup > Keep recurring plans in step with the cars in your facility, and approve billing changes from the Vehicle billing updates panel. When a car arrives or leaves, its customer's recurring plan often needs a matching change. A new car needs a slot on a line item. A car that left may need to come off the plan. The **Dropoffs and pickups** setting tells Car Storage Software what to do with recurring billing at those moments. Anything that needs a decision goes to the **Vehicle billing updates** panel on the Payments dashboard. ## What you will accomplish You will choose how dropoffs and pickups update recurring billing, then review and approve the suggested changes from the **Vehicle billing updates** panel. **Expected outcome:** Cars are added to and removed from recurring plans as they come and go, and your team approves anything that is not obvious. ## When to use this * Your team forgets to add newly stored cars to the customer's recurring plan. * Customers keep paying for a car that was picked up weeks ago. * You want a single list of billing follow-ups instead of checking each car record. ## Before you start * You can open [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing). * Customers have active recurring plans. See [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing). * Cars have a linked customer. See [Link recurring billing to a vehicle](/docs/cars/link-recurring-billing-to-a-vehicle). * You know how your facility links vehicles to plans. Check **Link vehicles on recurring plans to** (**Whole invoice** or **Line items**) and **Facility vehicles on recurring invoices** (**On** or **Off**) in [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing). The automation behaves differently for each. ## Choose what happens on dropoff and pickup Go to [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing) and scroll to **Dropoffs and pickups**. Under **When a car is dropped off**, choose one: * **Do nothing** (default): staff update recurring plans by hand. * **Automatic when obvious**: the car is added when there is exactly one place it fits. Everything else goes to the approval list. * **Ask for approval**: every change goes to the approval list on the Payments dashboard. Under **When a car is picked up**, choose one: * **Keep billing as-is** (default): the car stays on its plan until staff remove it. * **Ask for approval**: removing the car is suggested on the approval list. * **Remove automatically**: the car is taken off its line item or this period's vehicle list. **Expected result:** A **Vehicle movement setting saved** message appears. Each choice saves as soon as you click it. ## What happens on dropoff The result depends on the customer's plans and your vehicle link settings. | Situation | Automatic when obvious | Ask for approval | | - | - | - | | Customer has no recurring plan | **Needs a recurring plan** goes to the approval list | Same | | **Line items**: exactly one line item has an open slot | Car is added to that line item | **Add to line item** goes to the approval list | | **Line items**: several line items have open slots | **Add to line item** goes to the approval list so staff pick one | Same | | **Line items**: every slot is full | **Needs a line item slot** goes to the approval list | Same | | **Line items**: car already holds a vehicle slot | Nothing changes | Nothing changes | | **Whole invoice** with occupancy **Off**: one plan | Car is added to the plan's vehicles for this period | **Add to invoice vehicles** goes to the approval list | | **Whole invoice** with occupancy **Off**: several plans | **Add to invoice vehicles** goes to the approval list so staff pick a plan | Same | | **Whole invoice** with occupancy **On** | Nothing changes. Occupancy already lists the car. | Same | Add-on line items, such as a trickle charger, do not count as a vehicle slot. A car on only an add-on still needs a vehicle slot. Customers billed only through statement billing are skipped. ## What happens on pickup * **Line items**: the car is removed from every line item it holds. With **Ask for approval**, **Remove from line item** goes to the approval list instead. * **Whole invoice** with occupancy **Off**: the car is removed from this period's vehicle list. With **Ask for approval**, **Remove from invoice vehicles** goes to the approval list instead. * **Whole invoice** with occupancy **On**: nothing changes. Occupancy already handles departures. ## Rules the automation follows * **Pricing never changes automatically.** A car with no open slot, or a customer with no recurring plan, always goes to the approval list. * **Once per visit.** Car Storage Software acts within a few hours of an arrival or departure. Moving a car from one spot to another is not a new visit. * **Staff edits win.** If someone changes the car's billing on the plan page, that change is kept. The automation does not undo it for that visit. * **Stale suggestions clear themselves.** If a car comes back before its removal is approved, the suggestion is dismissed. The same happens to an add suggestion when a car leaves. ## Review changes in the Vehicle billing updates panel The **Vehicle billing updates** panel sits at the top of the [Payments overview](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments) by default. A **to review** badge in the panel header shows how many items are waiting. You can also add the panel to the [Overview dashboard](/docs/basics/customize-your-overview) or a report page. In edit mode, click **Add panel**, then choose **Vehicle billing updates** under **Financials**. Your account needs the payments permission. ### Read the Needs approval tab Each row has four columns: * **Vehicle**: the car and its license plate. * **Required action**: what the change is, such as **Add to line item** or **Remove from line item**, and whether it came from a dropoff or pickup. * **Line item**: a picker for the line item or plan the car belongs to. Each option shows how many slots are open or whether it is full. * **Decision**: **Approve** or **Dismiss**. When the car could go to more than one place, choose one in the **Line item** column. You can choose any of the customer's line items, not only the suggested ones. Click **Approve** to apply the change. Click **Dismiss** to leave billing as it is. **Expected result:** A **Billing updated** or **Dismissed** message appears and the row leaves the list. ### Add a slot when a line item is full When the line item you pick is full, **Approve** becomes **Add slot**. Clicking it opens a confirmation that shows the price change. For example, it raises the line item from 2 to 3 and adds the unit price per billing interval starting next billing cycle. Click **Add slot & assign** to raise the quantity and assign the car in one step. **Add slot changes what the customer pays** Confirm the new quantity and price with the customer before you click **Add slot & assign**. ### Handle customers without a recurring plan **Needs a recurring plan** rows show a **Create plan** link instead of **Approve**. The link opens [Payments > Recurring](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/recurring) for that customer. Create the plan there with [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing), then dismiss the row. ### Audit past changes on the Recent tab Open the **Recent** tab to see each handled change and its result: **Approved**, **Dismissed**, or **Automatic**. The tab also lists changes staff made on the plan page, labeled **Changed on plan**. ## Troubleshooting **The panel says Dropoff and pickup billing automation is off** Both settings are on their defaults (**Do nothing** and **Keep billing as-is**). Click **Turn it on** to open **Dropoffs and pickups** in billing settings. **Approve says the line item is full** Another car took the last slot. Pick a line item with an open slot, or use **Add slot**. **A car was dropped off but nothing appeared** The car may have no linked customer, may already be on the plan, or staff may have already changed its billing on the plan page. Spot-to-spot moves never create a new suggestion. ## What to do next * Link a car to a plan by hand with [Link recurring billing to a vehicle](/docs/cars/link-recurring-billing-to-a-vehicle). * Change plan quantities and prices with [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing). * Review revenue on the [Payments overview dashboard](/docs/payments/use-the-payments-overview-dashboard). ## Related topics - [Use the Payments overview dashboard](/docs/payments/use-the-payments-overview-dashboard.md) - [Link recurring billing to a vehicle](/docs/cars/link-recurring-billing-to-a-vehicle.md) - [Customize your Overview dashboard](/docs/basics/customize-your-overview.md) - [Manage additional contacts](/docs/contacts/manage-additional-contacts.md) - [Review AI proposals](/docs/ai-assistant/review-ai-proposals.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.