If you see the error message “Bill has items with future consumption date; current settings require all revenue be consumed before closing” when trying to close a bill, it means that at least one item on the bill has a future consumption date. This happens when you try to close a bill which contains some revenue that the guest has not consumed yet, such as, products or services with a future consumption date. The consumption date of each item is shown on the review before closing page so you can easily identify which items are to be consumed in the future. Once the guest consumes all items, you can close the bill.

Many properties enable this restriction in their accounting configuration to prevent bills from being closed too early. This ensures you can still update bills and helps reduce corrections or rebates.

In this article you can learn about the following steps to fix the “Bill has items with future consumption date” error in Mews Operations:

• Step 1:  Identify which items are causing the error
• Step 2: Resolve the issue

Step 1: Identify which items are causing the error

If the guest has consumed most items on the bill, a single item with a future consumption date can block the bill from closing.

To identify the issue:

1. On the review before closing page, where the error is displayed, find the Consumed column.
2. Identify any items with a future consumption date.

This identifies the item causing the error message. You can now resolve the issue by following the instructions in Step 2.

Step 2: Resolve the issue

The correct solution depends on why the item has a future consumption date:

1. If the future date is correct and the service or product has not yet been delivered, do not close the bill yet. Wait until the guest consumes the item, then return and close the bill.
2. If the future date is incorrect, remove the item and then add it again with the correct consumption date.

This resolves the issue.

If you want to provide more flexibility regarding bill closure you can amend your settings to allow bills to be closed with future revenue. Mews does not recommend this as it can lead to an increase in rebates. To do this, in Mews Operations, go to the main menu > Settings > Property > Finance > Accounting configuration > Billing management > Bill closing > Always allowed > Save.