---
name: time-entry-protocol
description: Always use timer_entry flow for billing; ask minutes and labor type before logging any time; never assume defaults
applies-to: syncro
---

# Syncro Time Entry Protocol

## Always ask before logging time

Before logging any time entry, ask the user:
1. How many minutes?
2. What labor type? (onsite, remote, emergency, warranty, project, etc.)

Never assume a default. Never round up or fill in a number. Billing errors are client-facing, hard to reverse, and affect prepaid block balances. An incorrect time entry requires Winter (billing) to manually reverse it.

## The required flow

All time-bearing work must use `timer_entry → charge_timer_entry`, not bare `add_line_item`. This is a hard rule.

```
1. POST /tickets/{id}/timer_entry     — create the time record
2. POST /tickets/{id}/charge_timer_entry   — generate the line item from the timer
3. Verify line item: GET /tickets/{id} → check price_retail on the new line item
4. If price_retail is wrong: PUT /tickets/{id}/line_items/{item_id} to patch it
5. POST /invoices                     — roll line item onto invoice
6. PUT /tickets/{id}                  — set status to Invoiced
```

The `add_line_item` endpoint bypasses Syncro's time-tracking table entirely. Using it for labor means hours appear in the invoice but not in time-tracking reports (hours per client, technician productivity, average resolution time, prepay burn rate). After the 2026-04-30 audit, 31 closed tickets had 00:00:00 in time tracking because bare `add_line_item` was used for all of them.

## When bare add_line_item is acceptable

Only for non-time items:
- Hardware/parts
- Flat-fee services with no labor component
- Software licenses

Even warranty or free labor must use `timer_entry` with `billable: false`. The only exception is cancelled tickets where no work was performed.

## Labor type reference

| Situation | Product | Note |
|-----------|---------|-------|
| Standard onsite | `26118` Onsite Business | At `hours × $175` |
| Emergency/after-hours | `26184` Emergency or After Hours | Full rate, no quantity multiplier |
| Prepaid project labor | `9269129` Prepaid Project Labor | At `$0/hr`; debits from prepay block |
| Warranty | Any labor product | `billable: false` on timer_entry |

## Prepaid customers

Before applying any rate, verify `prepay_hours` on the customer record:
```bash
curl -s "https://computerguru.syncromsp.com/api/v1/customers/${CUSTOMER_ID}?api_key=${API_KEY}" \
  | jq '.customer.prepay_hours'
```

If `prepay_hours > 0`, use the prepaid product at `$0/hr` and verify the balance debits correctly after the invoice posts (Syncro may not debit until the invoice is paid in the GUI — flag for Winter if uncertain).

## Note on billable: false

The Syncro API ignores `billable: false` on `timer_entry` calls silently — the entry is created but the billing flag has no effect through the API. If a warranty/free entry is needed, create the timer entry, then verify through the GUI that the line item generated by `charge_timer_entry` is at $0. Patch with `update_line_item` if it came in at a non-zero rate.