---
name: Syncro emergency/after-hours billing — check prepay_hours first
description: Emergency labor is 1.5× multiplier, not additive. Branch by customer.prepay_hours — wrong branch doubles or undercharges. Applies to every /syncro bill for emergency work.
type: feedback
---

**Rule:** Before adding any Emergency/after-hours labor line item on a Syncro ticket, `GET /customers/<id>` and read `prepay_hours`.

- If `prepay_hours == 0` (no prepaid block): use product `26184` (Labor - Emergency/After Hours) at quantity = actual hours. The $262.50/hr rate already has the 1.5× multiplier baked in.
- If `prepay_hours > 0` (customer has a prepaid block): use product `26118` (Labor - Onsite) at quantity = actual hours × 1.5. Prepaid blocks debit by QUANTITY, not dollars, so we bump qty instead of swapping to the Emergency product.

Never stack `26118` + `26184` for the same hour of work. Pick one path based on the prepaid state.

**Why:** Learned on ticket #32203 (Desert Auto Tech) 2026-04-23. Howard asked to bill "1 hour onsite + 1 hour emergency onsite." I posted both as separate additive line items and the invoice came out at $437.50 when the correct bill for 1 actual hour of emergency work was $262.50. Winter caught it and explained the rule: "the goal is to have it bill at time and a half." The Emergency product = time-and-a-half by rate; prepaid accounts = time-and-a-half by quantity. Swapping products AND multiplying quantity double-counts.

**How to apply:**
- Every `/syncro bill` for emergency/after-hours work: check `prepay_hours` BEFORE choosing the product. Do not shortcut this.
- For a 2-hour emergency job:
  - Non-prepaid customer → one line, 2.0 hrs × `26184` → $525.00
  - Prepaid customer → one line, 3.0 hrs × `26118` → 3 hours debit from block
- Always set `price_retail` explicitly on `add_line_item`. The old "omit and let Syncro auto-calc" guidance was wrong — the rate does not populate from the product config, and the invoice will post at $0 if `price_retail` is missing. Fetch the current rate with `GET /products/<id>`.
- Never let a customer-facing invoice post without verifying `.invoice.total` matches the expected `qty × price_retail`.
- Full rules and examples live in `.claude/commands/syncro.md` under the "Labor product IDs" section.
