This article will show you how to set up your metered/usage items and their allowed usage and cost for overages used.

Note: Hour and meter or kilometer readings keep track of usage for individual units and will not work for bulk or unserialized items. 

1. To begin, go to Inventory > Inventory. Find the item that is going to be a metered item and click the edit icon next to the item. From the Basic Information tab, be sure the type of meter is selected.

2. Once the meter type is selected, click Save and edit the inventory item once more. Click on the Pricing tab to enter the allowed usage and any charge for any usage over the allowed amount.

3. Now that the allowed usage and overage charge have been entered, click on the Stock tab to enter the current meter readings. Click the edit icon next to each unit. Switch from Basic Mode to Advanced Mode to see the meter reading field. Enter the current readings and click Save.  

Don't have the current meter readings? No problem. When you send the item out from Reservation status, Essentials will have a field to enter the going-out meter readings. Once the meter readings are entered here, the meter readings on the instance edit screen will automatically update.

4. When the item is received, you will have another meter reading field to complete. 

5. Essentials will then take the beginning meter readings and the returned meter readings and calculate the meter reading the customer used. If the difference is greater than the allowed usage amount, Essentials will take the difference between the allowed usage and what the customer went over and calculate the overage dollar amount based on what you entered on the Pricing tab of the inventory item.

The new meter readings are now updated on the stock instance edit screen. These can be manually updated at any time. 

Related articles 

Adding Serialized Inventory Stock/Quantities 
New Serialized Inventory