Contracts

Contracts in RouteBot help you manage service agreements with parents for student transportation. Track what each family owes, discounts applied, and payment status.

What is a Contract?

A Contract in RouteBot represents:

  • A service agreement between you and a parent/family
  • The transportation services for a specific student
  • The pricing, discounts, and payment terms
  • The service period (semester, year, etc.)

Accessing Contracts

  1. Click Accounting in the main navigation
  2. Select the Contracts tab
  3. You'll see a list of all contracts in your system

Creating a New Contract

To create a contract:

  1. Click Create New Contract button
  2. Fill in the contract details

Basic Information

Field Description Required
Student Select the student this contract is for Yes
Service Template Choose a predefined pricing template Yes
Service Period Select the term/year Yes

Service Templates

Service templates define:

  • The base price for transportation
  • Standard inclusions
  • Billing terms

See Contract Templates below for setting these up.

Discounts

Apply discounts to the contract:

  1. Select from available discount options
  2. Discount is calculated automatically
  3. Final amount reflects the discount

Contract Amount

The system calculates:

  • Base amount from the service template
  • Minus any discounts
  • Equals the contract total

Saving

Click Create to save the contract.

Understanding Contract Status

Contracts track payment status:

Status Meaning
Unpaid No payments received
Partial Some payments made, balance remaining
Paid Fully paid
Overdue Payment expected but not received

Viewing Contract Details

Click on any contract to see:

Contract Summary

  • Student name and school
  • Contract amount and balance
  • Payment history

Payment History

  • All receipts applied to this contract
  • Amounts and dates
  • Payment methods used

Balance Information

  • Total contract amount
  • Payments received
  • Remaining balance

Editing a Contract

To modify a contract:

  1. Open the contract
  2. Update fields as needed
  3. Click Update to save

Note: Be careful when editing contracts that already have payments. Changes may affect accounting records.

Deleting a Contract

To delete a contract:

  1. Open the contract
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Only delete contracts entered by mistake. Contracts with payment history should typically not be deleted.

Contract Templates

Contract templates make creating contracts faster and more consistent.

What is a Contract Template?

Templates define:

  • Standard service pricing
  • Service descriptions
  • Billing terms

Accessing Templates

  1. Go to Accounting
  2. Select the Contract Templates tab

Creating a Template

  1. Click Create New Template
  2. Enter template details:
    • Name - Template name (e.g., "Full Year Service")
    • Amount - Standard price
    • Description - Service details
  3. Save the template

Using Templates

When creating a new contract:

  1. Select the appropriate template
  2. The amount is pre-filled
  3. Apply discounts as needed

Discounts

Discounts reduce the contract amount.

Accessing Discounts

  1. Go to Accounting
  2. Select the Discounts tab

Creating a Discount

  1. Click Create New Discount
  2. Enter discount details:
    • Name - Discount name (e.g., "Sibling Discount")
    • Amount or Percentage - The discount value
    • Description - What the discount is for
  3. Save the discount

Applying Discounts

When creating or editing a contract:

  1. Find the discount field
  2. Select applicable discounts
  3. The contract amount updates automatically

Service Periods (Education Years)

Service periods define the time frame for contracts.

Accessing Service Periods

  1. Go to Accounting
  2. Select the Service Periods tab

Creating a Service Period

  1. Click Create New Period
  2. Enter details:
    • Name - Period name (e.g., "2024-2025 School Year")
    • Start Date - When the period begins
    • End Date - When the period ends
  3. Save the period

Using Service Periods

When creating contracts:

  1. Select the appropriate service period
  2. Contracts are organized by period
  3. Reports can be filtered by period

Best Practices

Template Organization

  • Create templates for each service level
  • Keep templates updated with current pricing
  • Archive old templates rather than deleting

Discount Management

  • Create clear discount categories
  • Document discount eligibility criteria
  • Review discounts periodically

Contract Timing

  • Create contracts at the start of each period
  • Review existing contracts before new periods
  • Update for any pricing changes

Record Keeping

  • Keep contracts for historical reference
  • Don't delete contracts with payment history
  • Use service periods for organization

Common Issues

"Can't find the student"

  • Verify the student record exists
  • Check the student is Active
  • Ensure you have permission to access

"Amount seems wrong"

  • Check the template pricing
  • Verify discount calculations
  • Review for any manual adjustments

"Contract not showing in reports"

  • Check the service period filter
  • Verify contract is not deleted
  • Confirm your access permissions

Next Steps:

Last updated: March 23, 2026