--- title: "Customer Master Files | Marlin Customers" slug: "customer-master-files" description: "Learn about Customer Master Files in Marlin Tyre and Mechanical Workshop Software by Megabus." updated: 2026-01-27T03:48:55Z published: 2026-01-27T03:48:55Z canonical: "help.megabus.com.au/customer-master-files" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.megabus.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Customer Master Files **Marlin Tyre and Mechanical Workshop Software** manages customers using the Customer Master Files. Customer Master Files can be accessed by selecting **Master Files > Customers > Customers** from the menu bar. The Customers Master File module will open on the **Search** page, showing a list of active customers within the Marlin system. Four types of Customers can be added, - **Person** customers, who are individual people. - **Business** customers, which are companies consisting of multiple people and usually have an account. - **Fleet Customers**, for when the company using Marlin has a contract to service a company's vehicle fleet, and will be covered in their own separate help guide. - **Subsidiary** customers, who are subsidiaries of the company using Marlin, and will be covered in their own separate help guide. Lists of a customer's associated **[Attachments](/workshop/docs/attachments)**, **[Vehicles](/workshop/docs/vehicle-master-files)**, **[Follow-Ups](/v1/docs/customer-follow-ups-1)**, **[Comments](/v1/docs/customer-order-comments)**, **[Statements](/v1/docs/customer-statements)** and **[EFT](/v1/docs/eft-terminals)** transactions can be viewed by opening their master file and clicking on the relevant tabs at the top of the module window. General [notes](/v1/docs/customer-master-files#customer-notes) about and [contract information](/v1/docs/customer-master-files#customer-contracts) for a customer can be added to the customer's master file if desired. Customer master files are also used to control customers' [Accounts](/v1/docs/customer-accounts), [Pricing](/v1/docs/customer-pricing-1), [Communication Preferences](/workshop/docs/customer-communication-preferences) and [Document Delivery Sets](/v1/docs/document-delivery-sets), which are covered in their own separate help guides. ## Adding Individual Customers #### Master Files > Customers > Customers To add a new customer, click on the **Add** action button to the top right of the Customers Search list. The customer window will open on the **Details** tab, containing a form for adding a new customer. Tip The **Clone** tool can be used to quickly create a new customer with similar information to an existing one. Leave the **Type** dropdown set to **Person**. Use the rest of the **Customer** section at the top-left to enter the customer's details, as necessary. Note **Given Name** is the only required field, the rest of the customer's information can be filled out as necessary. The person's customers **Code** is automatically created using the first three letters of their Surname and the first three letters of their Given Name, followed by "0000" in the first instance, and increasing ("0001", "0002", etc.) with identical combinations. If a **Tax Exemption Number** is entered, it will automatically appear in relevant invoice fields and tax will not be applied to the customer's orders. Leave the **Active** checkbox at the top right of the Customer section ticked to enable the new customer within the Marlin system. Note A customer cannot be made inactive while they have a balance or any unallocated transactions. The customer's contact information can be added using the **[Contact Methods](/v1/docs/contact-methods)** list at the bottom of the details tab. The customer can be associated with reporting groups using the **Reporting Categories** list to the top right, if desired. > If Loyalty Programs are enabled in the system, a **Loyalty Programs** list will appear in the bottom right of the Details tab. > > > > > > Customers can be added and removed from loyalty programs by ticking or unticking the checkboxes in the **Active** column. To save the new customer and return to the Search list, click on the **Save** action button at the top right of the module window. Note New customers can also be added using the Business Planner. Customer information added when [creating an enquiry or booking](https://help.megabus.com.au/docs/business-planner-1#adding-enquiries-to-the-business-planner), will automatically be added as a new Person customer master file when the enquiry/booking is saved. Open their record from the customer master files to update details or make changes to the configuration. ## Adding Business Customers #### Master Files > Customers > Customers To add a new business customer, click on the **Add** action button to the top right of the Customers Search list. The customer window will open on the **Details** tab, containing a form for adding a new customer. Set the **Type** drop down at the top right to **Business**. Use the **General** section that appears at the top right to enter the customer's details, as necessary. Note **Given Name** and **Code** are the only required field, the rest of the business's information can be filled out as necessary. Unlike individual customers, business customer codes are not automatically assigned and need to be entered manually. If the business has a different account code recorded in another system, it can be recorded in the **Alternate Account Code** textbox. However, this is for informational purposes only and does not affect the customer's account within the Marlin system. If the business has a tax exemption, enter their reference number in the **Tax Exemption Number** textbox. Leave the **Active** checkbox at the top right of the General section ticked to enable the new business customer within the Marlin system. Note A customer cannot be made inactive while they have a balance or any pending transactions. [Contacts](/v1/docs/contacts) and [addresses](/v1/docs/addresses) can be associated with the business using the lists at the bottom of the details tab. At the bottom-left of the details tab is a Contacts list, which can be used to add contact information for the Business. The business can be associated with reporting groups using the **Reporting Categories** list to the top right, if desired. To save the new business customer and return to the Search list, click on the **Save** action button at the top right of the module window. ## Customer Contracts The **Contract** tab of a customer's master file is an optional tab that can be used to record contract information for the customer, if desired. To enable the Contract tab, please contact the **Megabus Support Team**. Once enabled, details of customer contracts can be viewed and added by opening the customer's master file and clicking on the **Contract** tab at the top of the module window. Customer contract information can be added or edited by putting the customer's master file in **Edit** mode and entering it in the textbox that occupies the Contract tab. ## Customer Notes #### Master Files > Customers > Customers The **Notes** tab of a customer's master file can be used to add any additional information about the customer, such as records of interactions regarding payment requests and overdue accounts. To view or edit the Notes for a Customer, open their Customer Master File and click on the **Notes** tab at the top of the module window. To notes tab contains a list of **Customer Notes** for the selected customer. To add a note to a customer's master file, put their master file in **Edit** mode and click on the **Add** action button to the top right of the Customer notes list (or click in the next empty **Notes** cell). A textbox will appear in the next empty **Notes** cell, which can be used to enter the new note. Note Customer notes are limited to fifty-five characters. If notes are no longer required, they can be deactivated by unticking the relevant **Active** checkbox, or selecting them in the Customer Notes list and click on the **Delete** action button to the top right. Deactivated notes can still be viewed by changing the Customer Notes list filter to **All**. To save the new note and return to the Search list, click on the **Save** action button to the top right of the module window.