Before Rhythm can turn your bank’s lockbox spreadsheet into payments, it needs to know where to put those payments and which spreadsheet column holds each value. This article shows you how to set up a new lockbox file, map its columns, and change or replace a file you already created.
Use this when you’re setting up a lockbox file for the first time, changing its bank account, batch, or column mapping, or reusing an existing setup with a new week’s spreadsheet. This does not cover previewing or committing payments after setup; see Preview What a Lockbox Import Will Do and Import Lockbox Payments.
Prerequisites
- Your association’s bank account, an open batch, and a business unit must already exist in Finance & Billing. The business unit you choose only narrows the batches and bank accounts you can select here; it does not limit which invoice a payment can pay.
- Your bank’s lockbox file must be a comma-separated (
.csv) spreadsheet with a header row. Rhythm uses only the first row as column headings, so a file without a header row loses its first data row to the import. - You need to be signed in to Console for your Rhythm account. You do not need any specific permission beyond being signed in to create, change, or delete a lockbox file.
Set Up a New Lockbox File
- Go to Integrations › Rhythm Lockbox, and select Upload New Lockbox File.
- Under Lockbox File Information, enter a Name for the file, then choose a Business Unit, a Batch, and a Bank Account. The Batch field appears after you choose a business unit, and it shows that unit’s currently open batches.
- Choose File Format (only comma-separated values is offered) and Payment Type (only Check is offered).
- Upload your bank’s spreadsheet under Lockbox File.
- Select Save Changes. Rhythm reads the first row as column headings and shows one sample value from the next row for each heading.
- Select Next to move to the mapping step.
- Under Review Lockbox File Fields Mapping, choose a Rhythm Mapping for each column: Invoice Number, Payment Amount, Payment Date, or Check/Reference #. Leave any column you do not need set to Ignore this column.
- Select Save Changes, then Next to preview what the file will do. See Preview What a Lockbox Import Will Do for help reading that preview.
Result
Your Rhythm account now has a lockbox file with a bank account, batch, payment type, and column mapping ready to preview and import.
Warning
Invoice Number and Payment Amount are the two mappings a lockbox import needs, but Rhythm still lets you save without them. If either one is unmapped, every row in the file previews as No Action instead of showing a missing-mapping message. Double-check both mappings before you continue.
Change an Existing Lockbox File
- Go to Integrations › Rhythm Lockbox, and select Edit on the file you want to change.
- Change the Name, Business Unit, Batch, or Bank Account as needed. If you change the business unit, Rhythm clears the batch and bank account so you can choose them again.
- Select Save Changes to save this step, then continue through the wizard if you need to update the column mapping.
Result
The lockbox file’s settings are updated. Rhythm keeps the existing mapping for any column whose heading is unchanged and removes the mapping for any heading that no longer appears in the file.
Reuse a File by Replacing Its Spreadsheet
- Go to Integrations › Rhythm Lockbox, and select Edit on the file you want to reuse.
- Under Lockbox File, select (remove/replace), then upload the new week’s spreadsheet.
- Select Save Changes. Rhythm reads the new file’s columns and keeps the mapping for any column heading that matches the old file, along with that heading’s old sample value.
Result
The file keeps its name, bank account, batch, and payment type, and Rhythm carries over the mapping wherever the new file’s column headings match the old file. Rows imported from earlier spreadsheets under this file stay recorded; only the storage location on each row shows which spreadsheet it came from.
Tip
Replacing the spreadsheet does not update the Date Uploaded shown on the lockbox files list. It keeps the original upload date even after you attach a new spreadsheet, so do not use that date to confirm which week’s file is currently attached.
If It Won’t Save
- "Unable to save Lockbox File." A name, a bank account, and a payment type are always required. Rhythm does not identify the missing field, so check the whole form.
- The Batch field has no options. Choose a business unit first. Batches load only after you select a business unit, and Rhythm shows only that unit’s open batches. If the batch you need still does not appear, confirm it is open in Finance & Billing.
- Step 2 opens with no columns to map. Rhythm could not read your uploaded file as a comma-separated spreadsheet with a header row. Check the file itself, because Rhythm does not give a specific reason when this happens, and the save still appears to succeed with no headings.
- You uploaded the file but it doesn't seem to be there. If the upload failed, Rhythm shows an error in the upload control and leaves the field empty. Choose the file again.
Related
See Preview What a Lockbox Import Will Do after your file’s mapping is set, and Find, Review, and Delete Lockbox Files for reviewing or removing a file later.