# Managing Manual Charges

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/charges/managing-manual-charges

> Set exactly what a support bills using manual charges instead of automatic calculation.

Scheduling add-on - This feature requires the Scheduling add-on, which is available on Astalty Premium. See How to enable Scheduling.

## Overview

Manual Charges allow you to control exactly what is billed for a support rather than relying on automatic charge calculations. This is useful in situations where charges need to be reviewed or adjusted manually before invoicing.

This page covers the **Manual Charges** selected when creating Supports. For the full creation workflow, see [Adding a 1:1 Shift](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-11-shift) or [Adding a Group Shift](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/adding-shifts/adding-a-group-shift).

> **Supports set to Manual Charges show a Date column**
>
> On the Finance tab, supports using Manual Charges show a **Date** column against each charge, so you can see and correct the day each charge was delivered. See [Service Dates on Support Charges](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/charges/service-dates).

## When to Use Manual Charges

Manual Charges may be used when:

- Charges need to be manually verified before invoicing.
- You want to control billing items separately from the automatic shift calculations.
- You are delivering two types of support during the shift, such as Community Access and Personal Care.

> **Add travel charges separately**
>
> **Manual Charges are not linked to automatic parts of a shift**, such as Travel. To claim travel, add a **Travel Charge Item** in **Additional Charges**. You can still complete the Travel section as normal.

## Adding Manual Charges to a Support

To apply Manual Charges while creating a Support, use the **Service & Billing** section. On an existing Support, use **Update Details**, then the **Charge Option** section.

By default, **Automatic Charges** will be selected. Change this to **Manual Charges**, then add the required **Charge Items** in the **Additional Charges** section at the bottom of the form.

![The support creation form for Participant Helga Brown, with Manual Charges selected and highlighted beside Automatic Charges in the Service & Billing section.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-10.png)

## Adding Travel to the Shift

Even when using Manual Charges, you should still record travel in the shift so the Support Worker can report the actual distance travelled.

1. Open the support's **Travel** tab.
2. Add the planned travel details.
3. The Support Worker can then update the kilometres travelled through their app during the shift.

![The Travel section of a support with one During Support travel card for driver Adam Nguyen of 10 km, Charge Behaviour and Pay Behaviour both set to Kilometres only, and an Add Travel button below.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/travel-charges-1.png)

> **Travel does not update Manual Charges**
>
> Travel entered in the shift does **not automatically update** Manual Charges. Any differences must be adjusted manually.

## Reviewing Manual Charges During Shift Approvals

Before approving shifts for payroll and invoicing, Manual Charges should be reviewed.

### Step 1: Open Shift Approvals

1. Go to **Shift Approvals**.
2. Select the **date range** for the payroll/invoicing period you are processing. It applies as soon as you pick it.

![The Shift Approvals page with Shift Approvals highlighted under Review in the Scheduling menu, and an arrow pointing to the Date filter with its highlighted date picker open, showing Last and This options with Week, Fortnight, Month, Quarter, Year and Financial Year beside a two-month calendar.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-11.png)

### Step 2: Filter Manual Charges

1. Locate the **Charge Mode** filter.
2. Select **Manual**.

The list now shows shifts that require Manual Charge validation.

![The Shift Approvals page with the Charge Mode is All filter highlighted and its menu open, and an arrow pointing to Manual below Auto.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-12.png)

![The Shift Approvals page with the Charge Mode is Manual filter highlighted, leaving one shift in the list for Adam Nguyen with a 2 of 2 Pending status.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-13.png)

### Step 3: Confirming Worked Hours

1. Open the shift using the dropdown menu.
2. Review the scheduled hours.
3. Click **Approve Hours**.

![An expanded shift in Shift Approvals showing Pending start and end times under Shift Hours and a During Travel distance of 10 km scheduled and 15 km actual, with an arrow pointing to the Approve hours button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-14.png)

4. Confirm or adjust the worked hours.
5. Click **Approve**.

![The Approve Shift Hours dialog showing the scheduled and clocked-in times, each with a Use scheduled or Use clocked button, the Approved start time and Approved end time fields set to the scheduled 13:00 and 15:00, Approved hours of 2 hours, a Note field and an Approve button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-15.png)

> **Note**
>
> Updating approved hours affects **staff payroll only** when using timesheet batch exports. It does **not change the charges billed to the Participant.**

To confirm the billed hours:

1. Click the **View Shift** icon.

![An expanded shift in Shift Approvals with the start time now Approved and the During Travel distance still Pending, and an arrow pointing to the highlighted View Shift eye icon on the row.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-16.png)

2. Scroll to the **Finance** section.
3. Verify the correct number of hours is allocated to the support.

![The Finance tab of a Manual Charges support listing its charges by Date, with the highlighted support Charge Item row showing a quantity of 2 hours, a total cost of $147.16 and the Direct Service claim type.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-17.png)

### Manual Charge Variance Alerts

You don't have to spot these differences yourself. When a support uses **Manual Charges**, Astalty compares the values you are about to approve for the Support Worker against the manual charges sitting on the Participant's support. If they don't match, an alert appears in the approval dialog **before** you approve.

![The Approve Shift Hours dialog with the approved times set to the clocked 12:56 to 15:04, 2 hours 8 minutes approved and 8 minutes over scheduled, and an amber alert below the Note field reading The approved values for the worker differ from the participant's manual charges. Worker: 2.13h, Participant: 2h., with a View Charges button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-approval-variance-alert.png)

The alert reads *"The approved values for the worker differ from the participant's manual charges"*, followed by the two figures side by side - for example **Worker: 2.93h, Participant: 2h**.

Astalty checks three values, and lists each one that doesn't match:

| What you're approving      | Compared against                                                                               |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Approved shift hours       | Total hours on the support's manual **hourly** charges with the **Direct Service** claim type  |
| Approved travel kilometres | Total kilometres on the support's manual charges with the **Provider Travel** claim type       |
| Approved travel duration   | Total hours on the support's manual **hourly** charges with the **Provider Travel** claim type |

Because of this, the alert can appear in any of the approval dialogs - **Approve Shift Hours**, **Approve Travel Distance**, **Approve Travel Duration**, and **Approve All Travel**. It also recalculates as you type, so if you adjust the approved start or end times the figures update immediately.

Click **View Charges** to open the support's **Finance** tab in a new browser tab. This lets you correct the manual charges without losing your place in the approval dialog.

> **The alert doesn't block approval**
>
> You can still click **Approve** while the alert is showing. A variance is sometimes intentional - for example, where a worker is paid for handover time that isn't billable to the Participant. Treat it as a prompt to check, not an error.

> **Manual Charges supports only**
>
> This alert only appears on supports set to **Manual Charges**. Supports using **Automatic Charges** keep their charges in step with the approved times on their own, so there is nothing to reconcile.

### Step 4: Updating Travel Charges

If the Support Worker recorded different travel than originally scheduled, you must update the Manual Charge.

Example:

- Scheduled travel: **10 km**
- Actual travel reported by worker: **15 km**

To update the charge:

1. Open the shift using the **View** icon.

![The Shift Approvals page filtered to Manual charge mode, with the During Travel card highlighted showing 10 km scheduled, 15 km actual and a +5 km variance, and an arrow pointing to the highlighted View Shift eye icon.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-18.png)

2. Scroll to the **Finance** section.
3. Locate the **Travel Charge Item**.
4. Update the units from **10** to **15**.
5. Save the change.

![The Finance tab of a support with the Activity Based Transport row highlighted, showing a quantity of 15 units, a total cost of $15.00 and the Provider Travel claim type.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-19.png)

This updates the amount that will be billed to the Participant.

### Step 5: Approving the Shift

Once hours and charges have been reviewed:

1. Return to **Shift Approvals**.
2. Approve the **travel**.

![An expanded shift in Shift Approvals with the start and end times Approved and the travel distance still Pending, and an arrow pointing to the Approve all travel button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-20.png)

![The Approve Travel dialog with During distance (km) set to 15, During duration (min) set to 0 and an empty Note field, with an arrow pointing to the Approve button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-21.png)

3. The shift will move to the **Reviewed** section.

![The Shift Approvals page with the Review Status is Reviewed filter highlighted, and a highlighted shift expanded to show its start time, end time and travel distance all Approved, with a Reviewed status.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/manual-charges-22.png)

## Next Steps

After you have reviewed all supports within the **Shift Approvals** page, you can proceed with:

- **Processing Timesheet Batches** for payroll.
- **Generating invoices** for the support.

Reviewing Manual Charges during approvals helps you compare payroll hours with Participant billing. Approval does not reconcile a variance automatically.

Review and resolve [Shift Alerts](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/shift-alerts) before approving shifts.

## Managing Manual Charges Video Walk-Through

Video walkthrough: managing manual charges.