Which action is necessary before creating a Statement Charge?

Enabling statement functionality in the settings is crucial before creating a Statement Charge because this action ensures that the system is configured to generate and manage customer statements. Statement functionality typically includes various settings that dictate how statements are formatted, how charges are applied, and any related preferences such as payment terms or account aging. Without this setting activated, the system would not have the necessary parameters to create a valid statement charge, potentially resulting in errors or incomplete processes.

Setting up customer billing profiles is important for managing specific billing-related settings for each customer, but it is not fundamentally necessary for the system's ability to create a Statement Charge. Tracking previous customer payments also aids in managing account information and ensuring accurate billing, but again, this does not directly impact the creation of a Statement Charge if the statement functionality is not enabled. Thus, focusing on enabling the statement functionality is the essential first step needed in this workflow.