Subtype changes for client contacts

If the contact has the Client tag, there are restrictions on which subtypes you can change it to. Contacts with the Client tag cannot have their subtypes changed across the three main contact subtypes, Person, Company, and Place. This restriction is in place because neither PolicyCenter nor BillingCenter can handle such changes.

For example, if you try to make a subtype change in ContactManager for a client contact of type ABDoctor to the subtype ABMedicalCareOrg, the command fails with an error message. Because ABDoctor is an ABPerson subtype, the client contact’s subtype cannot be changed to ABMedicalCareOrg, which is an ABCompany subtype.

If your subtype change stays within a single subtype hierarchy, such as ABPerson in ContactManager and Person in ClaimCenter, you are allowed to make the change. The same is true for the ABCompany and Company subtype hierarchies and the ABPlace and Place subtype hierarchies in ContactManager and ClaimCenter.

PolicyCenter and BillingCenter work only with Company and Person subtypes. Subtypes of Person all look the same to these applications, as do subtypes of Company. For example, a subtype change from a client contact of type ABDoctor to the subtype ABAttorney is permitted, because PolicyCenter and BillingCenter work with the contact as a Person subtype.