Creating a customer is essential to generate commercial documents (e.g., quotations, invoices) and track outstanding balances and transaction history. Customers can be created:
From Customers section.
While creating or editing a document.
The process involves two steps:
Completing a creation form to record the primary information.
Configuring advanced settings from the customer file.
Step 1 - Complete the creation form
Access to creation form
From the Customers menu, click the Create Customer button in the top-right corner.
During document creation, click Create a new customer below the Recipient field.
While editing a document:
Click the edit icon next to the customer field.
tIn the side panel, click the customer section.
Below the list of selectable clients, click Create a new customer.
Steps to complete the Form
General Information
1. Customer type: Choose between Company, Public Administration, or Individual.
2. Customer number: Automatically generated in a chronological sequence (e.g., C-0011). It can be customized without affecting the automatic sequence.
3. VAT type: Select the appropriate option.
Local: Applies the VAT rate of the client’s country of origin (e.g., French VAT).
Custom: Allows specifying VAT rates for each line on commercial documents.
Intracom: VAT exemption for customers in the European Union (requires an intracommunity VAT number).
Export: VAT exemption for clients outside EU.
4. Client search: Use the business name or customer name field to search. Once the customer is found, the SIRET and full address are automatically filled.
Fact is equipped with the French national SIRENE database, containing around 30 million businesses. Searches can be performed by name, address, department, or postal code.
Contact details and address
Email: Highly recommended for sending documents and reminders.
Postal address: Automatically pre-filled from the SIRENE database but should be verified.
Shipping address: Refer to the dedicated article.
Optional Fields: Include phone numbers, fax, and website.
Payment settigs
Define:
Default payment method.
Default payment terms.
IBAN to display on invoices.
These settings save time by pre-filling details on new documents. They can be modified for individual documents as needed.
Compte comptable
Depending on the file configuration and user permissions, the accounting account for the customer is:
Automatically generated.
Or manually assigned.
For more details, refer to the dedicated article.
Comments
Comments can be added for internal use, visible only to Fact users. A standard comment can also be set to appear on all documents linked to the client.
Final Step: Click Create.
Once created, the client file is accessible for edits and updates.
A customer can't be deleted if he's aleady linked to documents. He can be archived.
Step 2 - Configure additional information in the Customer file
Payment Preferences
Modify or complete payment preferences:
Default payment method and terms.
Direct debit setup: Add a mandate and the customer’s IBAN.
Contacts
Enregistrer des interlocuteurs spécifiques sur le client.
Configurer des contacts favoris qui seront sélectionnés automatiquement comme destinataires pour les emails et relances.
Ces contacts apparaissent dans les envois de mails et relances.
Record specific contacts for the customer.
Set favorite contacts to be automatically selected as recipients for emails and reminders.
Contacts are displayed when sending emails or reminders.
For more details, refer to: Create/Manage Client Contacts.
Key Reminders
A customer can not be deleted if associated with commercial documents but can be archived.
Customer details, such as VAT type, can be updated after creation.
Customer numbering is automatic; manual changes do not affect the chronological sequence.