PaperCut client and matter billback
Bill every page back to the matter.
NYBS installs PaperCut on law office copiers so every copy, print and scan carries a client and matter code. Wrong charges get fixed before invoicing, and everything exports by matter for your billing. Copies, prints and scans your firm makes for a client become disbursements on that client's invoice, not overhead.
Why it matters
The clipboard by the copier versus billback
Copier costs for a matter are real costs. Whether they reach the client's invoice depends on how they get counted.
| 3/02 | JR | Smith matter, 40 |
| 3/02 | (no entry) | |
| 3/03 | AK | closing set, ~120 |
| 3/03 | (no entry) | |
| 3/04 | JR | exhibits ?? |
| 3/04 | (no entry) |
Half the jobs never written down
| Client-matter | Matter | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| 1048-0031 | Contract dispute | 1,284 |
| 2210-0007 | Estate administration | 416 |
| 0933-0112 | Real estate closing | 902 |
| 1517-0004 | Employment matter | 238 |
Sample figures for illustration.
How it works
From the copier to the client's invoice
Five steps, set up by NYBS and running quietly after that.
- Load your matters
We load your client and matter list into PaperCut and keep it current as new matters open.
- Pick a code
Staff choose the client and matter at their computer when they print, or on the copier screen when they copy or scan.
- Release securely
The job waits until the person who sent it signs in at the copier with a badge or PIN, part of the reasonable efforts New York's Rule 1.6(c) asks of lawyers.
- Fix before billing
A page charged to the wrong matter can be moved before the invoice goes out.
- Export by matter
Charges export by client and matter for your billing, on a schedule you choose.
What PaperCut does
Everything PaperCut can do for a law office
Billback is where most firms start. Here is the rest of what PaperCut MF brings to the copier. NYBS already sets up and supports PaperCut for nonprofits and law firms today.
Billing and cost recovery
- A prompt on every jobA pop-up asks for the client and matter when someone prints, copies or scans, at their computer or on the copier screen.
- Whole batches in one clickCharge a batch of jobs to one matter in a single step, or hold the prompt and charge the batch at the end.
- Your rates, your rulesSet different charges for color and black and white, one-sided and two-sided, and for each machine.
- Corrections before invoicingA job charged to the wrong matter is fixed in a few clicks in the job log.
- Invoice-ready reportsBuilt-in invoice reports carry your firm's logo, custom reports cover the rest, and transactions export for your billing system.
- Your matter list, kept currentImport client and matter codes from a simple file, or connect PaperCut to a practice management system through its API.
Confidentiality and audit
- Secure print releaseJobs wait until the person who sent them signs in at the copier with a badge or PIN.
- Find-Me printingPrint to one queue and release the job at any copier in the office, so a jam never strands a filing.
- Watermarks and Bates numbersAdd the username, time or other details to every printed page, or a digital signature or Bates number in the footer.
- Print and scan archivingAn optional feature, off until switched on, that lets approved administrators see what was printed and scanned. You choose who has access.
- A log of every jobWho printed, copied or scanned, on which machine, and which matter it was charged to.
Scanning
- Scan to SharePoint and OneDriveAlso network folders, email, Google Drive, Dropbox and Box, set up centrally by us.
- Searchable PDFsText recognition turns scans into searchable PDFs and turns pages the right way up.
- Destinations that follow the personScan destinations are linked to the person who signed in, not to the machine.
- Every scan trackedEach scan is recorded in the job log, like every print and copy.
Less waste
- Changes at the copierAt release, staff can change the number of copies, switch to two-sided, switch color to grayscale, or change the account.
- Rules that save paperConvert jobs to two-sided or grayscale automatically, or show a reminder before a large color job prints.
- Nothing forgotten in the trayJobs that are never released are never printed.
These are features of PaperCut MF, PaperCut's edition for copiers. Some, like archiving and watermarking, are optional and switched on only if your firm wants them, and a few depend on the copier model. We confirm what your machines support during the free print review.
What gets charged
More than the copier in the hallway
Billback works across the jobs a law office runs every day, not just the copies.
Every page, with color and black and white charged at the rates your firm sets.
Scans carry a code too, so a large production is charged to the matter it belongs to.
Put your printers in an NYBS managed print plan and desk prints are charged too, at the same per-page rates as the copier.
Built-in invoice reports with your logo, plus reports by matter, person or machine.
Scanning
Scans that land in the right client folder
We have set up law offices to scan from the copier straight into SharePoint and OneDrive. A signed agreement or a 300-page production goes to the folder set up for it as a searchable PDF, is recorded in the job log, and never sits in someone's inbox.
Managed print
Copiers and printers, one set of rates
Billback counts every page. Managed print puts every machine on one plan. With NYBS, your copiers and desk printers are billed at one black and white rate and one color rate per page, with toner and service from one service desk.
- The same black and white rate and color rate across copiers and desk printers
- Every machine in the plan counted, so billback covers the whole office
- Toner and service for all of it from one service desk
| Machine | Prints | Billed at |
|---|---|---|
| CopierFront office · bizhub C651i | Color, black & white | Both rates |
| CopierCopy room · bizhub 950i | Black & white | Black and white |
| PrinterPartner offices · 4 printers | Black & white | Black and white |
| PrinterParalegal bay · 2 printers | Color, black & white | Both rates |
Start here
A free print review for your firm
You keep the written plan whether or not you work with us. If billback won't pay off for your firm, we'll tell you.
See what billback would recover- Count the pages
We read your meters to see what your firm copies, prints and scans each month.
- See what's billed today
How copies reach invoices now, sign-out sheet or nothing at all.
- Check every lease
Every lease and service contract listed with its end date.
- Written plan
The PaperCut setup, the copier that fits and what billback would recover. No charge.
Questions
Client billback questions
Something else? Call (516) 739-0200. We usually reply the same business day.
What is copier billback for law firms?
Billback, also called cost recovery, charges the cost of copies, prints and scans to the client and matter they were made for, so those costs can go on the client's invoice instead of the firm's overhead. NYBS uses PaperCut to do it.
Will it work with our billing system?
PaperCut exports charges by client and matter so they can go into your time and billing system. Tell us which system your firm uses and we'll confirm how the charges get there before you sign anything.
Where do staff enter the client and matter code?
At their computer when they print, or on the copier screen when they copy or scan. Codes can be searched, so nobody has to memorize matter numbers.
What if someone charges the wrong matter?
The charge can be moved to the right matter before invoicing, so clients only see costs that belong to them.
Can our desk printers be on the same plan as the copier?
Yes. With NYBS managed print, copiers and desk printers go into one plan at one black and white rate and one color rate per page, with toner and service for all of them from one service desk. PaperCut then charges each page, from any of those machines, to the right matter.
Can scans go to SharePoint or OneDrive?
Yes. We have set up law offices to scan from the copier straight into SharePoint and OneDrive, with searchable PDFs and the person and matter tied to every scan.
Does it work on the copiers we already have?
PaperCut runs on the Konica Minolta, Canon and Kyocera copiers we sell and service, including many machines we didn't sell. The print review tells you whether your current machines can run it or are due for replacement.
Can PaperCut add a Bates number to printed pages?
PaperCut's watermarking can add a digital signature or a Bates number to the footer of printed pages, along with details such as the username and time. It is optional and set up on request.
Can we see what was printed or scanned?
Yes, if your firm turns it on. Print and scan archiving is an optional PaperCut feature that is off by default. When enabled, approved administrators can view past print and scan jobs, and you control who has that access.
Can staff charge a whole stack of jobs to one matter?
Yes. PaperCut lets a user charge a batch of jobs to one matter in one click, or hold the prompt and charge the batch at the end.
What if a client won't pay for copies?
Some client billing guidelines don't allow copy charges. PaperCut still tracks every page by matter, so you know what each matter costs the firm. You bill it where your engagement letter allows and budget for it where it doesn't.
Is billback worth it for a small firm?
It depends on how many pages your firm runs for clients. The free print review counts your pages and shows what billback would recover, so you can decide with numbers in front of you.