Financial Controls

OnLocum's Financial Controls system lets organizations choose how they pay for shifts - either paying immediately from their wallet or on invoice terms. This guide explains how payment modes and credit limits work.

Payment Modes

Pay Now (Wallet)

With Pay Now mode, funds are deducted from your organization's wallet immediately when you accept a worker's offer for a shift.

How it works:

1. Post a shift
2. Worker applies and you accept their offer
3. Shift cost is reserved (held in escrow) from your wallet
4. When shift completes, payment is released to the worker

Best for:

• New organizations building payment history
• Organizations that prefer immediate settlement
• Facilities wanting faster worker payments

Pay Later (Invoice)

With Pay Later mode, shifts are billed to your account and invoiced monthly with Net-30 payment terms.

How it works:

1. Post a shift
2. Worker applies and you accept their offer
3. Shift cost is added to your running balance (up to your credit limit)
4. Monthly invoice generated with all completed shifts
5. Payment due within 30 days of invoice

Requirements:

• Organization must have a credit score of 60 or higher
• Credit limit must cover the shift cost
• No overdue invoices (30+ days past due)

Best for:

• Established organizations with good payment history
• Facilities with accounting cycles aligned to monthly invoicing
• High-volume organizations

Credit Score System

Your organization's credit limit is determined by your payment history score. The score ranges from 0 to 100 and increases as you make on-time payments.

Score Tiers

New Organizations

New organizations start with:

• Score: 70 (Silver tier)
• Initial Credit Limit: KES 20,000

This gives you access to invoiced payments while you build your payment history.

Improving Your Score

Your score increases when you:

• Pay invoices on time
• Pay invoices early
• Maintain consistent payment patterns

Your score decreases when you:

• Pay late (after due date)
• Miss payments
• Have outstanding balances for extended periods

Unlocking Higher Limits

As your score improves, your credit limit increases automatically:

1. Make timely payments on your first few invoices
2. Score increases based on payment behavior
3. When you reach a new tier threshold, your limit increases
4. You can now accept larger or more shifts on credit

Branch-Level Payment Settings

For multi-branch organizations, payment settings can be configured per branch.

How Branch Settings Work

Each branch can have its own:

• Payment Mode - Pay Now or Pay Later
• Credit Limit Cap - Maximum credit for that branch

The effective credit limit for a branch is the lowest of:

1. Branch-set limit
2. Organization-set limit
3. Platform-set limit (if applicable)
4. Organization's unlocked limit (from payment score)

Configuring Branch Payments

1. Go to Settings > Payment
2. Scroll to Branch Payment Settings
3. For each branch:
   • Toggle between Pay Now and Pay Later
   • If Pay Later, set the credit limit
4. Changes save automatically

Example: Multi-Branch Setup

Managing Payment Limits

Viewing Your Current Limit

1. Go to Settings > Payment
2. See Payment Mode section for org-level status
3. See Branch Payment Settings for per-branch limits
4. View Effective limit shown below each branch

Requesting a Limit Increase

If you need a higher limit than your current score allows:

1. Ensure all outstanding invoices are paid
2. Contact enterprise support
3. Provide business justification
4. OnLocum may grant a temporary or permanent increase

Account Blocks

Your account may be blocked from Pay Later mode if:

• Invoices are 30+ days overdue
• Credit limit is fully utilized
• Score drops below 60

To restore access:

1. Pay all overdue invoices
2. Your score will recover over time
3. Pay Later mode will be re-enabled automatically

Best Practices

For New Organizations

1. Start with Pay Now mode until you're familiar with the system
2. Fund your wallet adequately before posting shifts
3. Switch to Pay Later once comfortable, to build credit history
4. Pay first few invoices early to boost your score quickly

For Established Organizations

1. Use Pay Later mode to align with accounting cycles
2. Set branch limits to control departmental spending
3. Monitor credit utilization to avoid hitting limits
4. Set up auto-pay to maintain your score

Budget Management

1. Set branch limits based on expected monthly shift volume
2. Review utilization weekly in the dashboard
3. Request limit increases before peak periods
4. Use organization analytics to track spending by branch

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use both modes across different branches?

Yes! Each branch can have its own payment mode. Some branches might use Pay Now while others use Pay Later.

What happens if I exceed my credit limit?

You won't be able to accept new shift offers until either:

• Payment is received and processed
• Shifts complete and clear from outstanding balance
• Your limit is increased

How long does it take to increase my score?

Score improvements are gradual. Consistent on-time payments over 2-3 months typically move you to the next tier.

Can my credit limit decrease?

Your unlocked limit is based on your score. Late payments can reduce your score and thus your available limit. The limit increases again as payments resume.

Does my score affect worker payments?

No. Workers are always paid on schedule regardless of your payment mode. OnLocum handles worker payments; your mode only affects how you pay OnLocum.

Getting Help

For billing and credit questions:

• In-app: Settings > Payment > Help
• Email: billing@onlocum.com
• Enterprise Support: Your dedicated account manager

Next Steps

• Multi-Facility Setup - Configure your organization
• Billing & Invoices - Understand the invoice process
• Cascade Notifications - Smart shift filling