Fee components
Fee components are the building blocks of an invoice amount: what you bill for the person, what you bill for placing them, and anything else. Configuring them is how a commercial agreement becomes a repeatable invoice.
Where: Settings › Invoices › Fee components You need: the invoicing settings right
The three component types
| Component | Bills |
|---|---|
| Billable wage | The employee's wage, as billed to the client |
| Management fee | Your fee for the placement |
| Other charge | Anything additional — equipment, allowances, one-offs |
Cost plus versus contracted
The billing type decides what these components mean in practice:
| Billing type | The client sees | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Plus | Your costs, plus your fee | Transparent, open-book arrangements |
| Contracted | An agreed rate | Fixed-price arrangements |
⚠️ This is a commercial decision, not a configuration preference. Cost plus exposes what you actually pay the employee. If your contract does not require that transparency, contracted billing keeps your margin private — and switching a live client from one to the other changes what they can see about your costs.
Service fee options
Beyond wages and fees, an invoice can include:
| Option | Bills |
|---|---|
| Employer contributions | The statutory contributions you pay as employer |
| 13th month | The 13th month accrual |
For 13th month, the wage basis is configurable — basic, fixed or gross wage. As with payroll, these produce materially different amounts for anyone with allowances, so it should match what the contract says rather than what is convenient.
Grouping and detail on the invoice
| Setting | Controls |
|---|---|
| Fee group | Whether charges group by position or cost centre |
| Service fee breakdown | Whether fees break down by activity, or not at all |
| Show employee details | Whether the service fee and billable other payments show per employee |
Grouping is worth deciding with the client. A client who reconciles by department wants cost-centre grouping; one who checks rates wants position grouping. Getting it right removes a recurring query.
Showing employee details is a privacy decision as much as a formatting one — it puts named individuals and their amounts in front of the client.
How to configure fee components
- Open Settings › Invoices › Fee components.
- Define the components you bill — billable wage, management fee, other charges.
- Set the billing type for the client.
- Choose the service fee options, including the 13th month wage basis.
- Set grouping and breakdown to match how the client reads their invoice.
- Produce one invoice and read it before agreeing it with the client.
What Happens Next
- Components are assembled into invoice amounts when the invoice is produced.
- Changing a component affects invoices produced afterwards, not those already issued.
- Amounts feed the receivables views and the client's transaction history.
Tips
- Take the components straight from the contract, clause by clause. If you cannot point at the clause that justifies a charge, the client will ask and you will not have an answer.
- Confirm the 13th month wage basis explicitly. Basic versus gross is a large difference on a big placement, and it is rarely spelled out until disputed.
- Agree the grouping with the client once, at onboarding. It is a five-minute conversation that prevents a monthly one.
- Think before showing employee details. Once a client has seen individual amounts, that is the expectation.
- Review components at contract renewal, not when someone notices the fee is stale.
Troubleshooting / FAQ
Q: The invoice total is higher than expected. Check the service fee options — employer contributions and 13th month are often the difference.
Q: 13th month is more than we expected. Check the wage basis. Gross includes allowances; basic does not.
Q: The client wants the invoice grouped differently. Change the fee group between position and cost centre, then reproduce.
Q: Can we hide employee names? Yes — turn off showing employee details. Check the client is content with less detail first.
Q: We changed a fee — does the issued invoice change? No. Reproduce it, or handle the difference on the next invoice.