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Configure a fixed schedule payment frequency for a rate

  • Updated

In this article you will learn how to bill all members of a rate on a shared, recurring schedule by configuring a fixed schedule payment frequency, and how an additional module follows the billing dates of the main contract.

Contents

Quick Guide

  1. Open the rate: Settings / Membership management / Rates / [Rate] / Add payment frequency
  2. Set Type, Reference, Each and Price as usual.
  3. Open Advanced Settings and set Billing type to Fixed schedule.
  4. Pick the Anchor date that represents one date of your existing billing cycle.
  5. Check the preview table and save.

Set up a fixed schedule

The fixed schedule billing type aligns every contract on a rate to the same recurring billing dates. New members signing up between two billing dates receive a single prorated charge, and from the next billing date onward they are in sync with all other members on the rate.

  1. Go to Settings / Membership management / Rates and open the rate you want to configure.
  2. Click Add payment frequency.
  3. Set the standard fields:
    • Type: Recurring
    • Reference: Period
    • Each: the billing interval, for example 2 Weeks. Days, Weeks, Months and Years are supported.
    • Price: the standard price per period. Add facility prices if needed.
  4. Open Advanced Settings.
  5. Set Billing type to Fixed schedule. The form switches to fixed-schedule mode and shows the additional fields described in the field reference.
  6. Pick the Anchor date. Use any date that matches your existing billing cycle, for example the next or most recent billing date. The system extends this anchor in both directions in steps of Each to derive every other billing date.
  7. Review the preview table at the bottom of the modal. It shows the next service periods, due dates and amounts that will be created. Each row is tagged with an SF badge for subscription fee.
  8. Click Save.

Every contract created on this rate after you save inherits the fixed schedule. The anchor date is materialized on the contract at creation, so later changes to the rate do not move existing contracts.

What happens when a member signs up

The contract start date determines the first charge:

  • Start date falls on a billing date: The first charge covers a full standard period at full price. Due date is the start date.
  • Start date falls between two billing dates: A single prorated first charge is created. It covers the days from the contract start until the day before the next billing date. From the next billing date onward, the member receives regular full-price charges in sync with all other members on the rate.

Example: rate with 20.00 / 2 Weeks, anchor date 26 Mar, contract start 27 Mar:

Charge Service period Days Due date Amount
1 (prorated) 27 Mar to 8 Apr 13 27 Mar 18.57
2 9 Apr to 22 Apr 14 9 Apr 20.00
3 23 Apr to 6 May 14 23 Apr 20.00

From charge 2 onward, every contract on this rate is billed on the same dates, regardless of when each member signed up.

Field reference for Fixed schedule

These fields appear in Advanced Settings when Billing type is set to Fixed schedule:

Field Behavior
Billing type Three options: Calendrical, Reference date (absolute), Fixed schedule. Selecting Fixed schedule aligns every contract on the rate to the same billing dates.
Anchor date One date that belongs to the billing cycle you want to follow. The system uses it as the reference point and projects all other billing dates from it in steps of Each. For intervals in months or years, the day of the date must be before the 29th. On an additional module with alignment switched on, the field is labelled Anchor date if alignment isn't possible (see Align an additional module with the main contract schedule).
Standard due date Locked to Start of service period when Fixed schedule is active. Each regular charge becomes due on the first day of its service period. On an additional module with alignment switched on, the field is labelled Due date if alignment isn't possible.
Due date of starter package and partial charges Controls the due date of the prorated first charge and any starter packages. Three options:
  • Membership signing (default): due on the contract signing date.
  • Standard due date: due on the start of the first service period.
  • Membership start date: due on the contract start date.
First due date Not available with Fixed schedule. The field is hidden, since a shared schedule leaves no room for per-contract delays. First due date remains available for flat-fee payment frequencies, which do not have a billing type.
Align sub contract due dates to main contract Checkbox, only for the payment frequencies of additional modules. With Fixed schedule, the additional module takes over the due dates and service periods of the main contract. It is not shown for the payment frequencies of rates.
Preview table Shows the upcoming service periods, due dates and amounts derived from your settings. The SF badge in the type column marks a subscription fee charge. Use the preview to verify that the schedule and proration match your expectation before saving.

Note: Changing the anchor date on a rate later affects only new contracts. Contracts that already exist on the rate keep the anchor they were created with.

Align an additional module with the main contract schedule

Available from 4 November 2026.

An additional module with a fixed schedule can follow the billing dates of the member's main contract instead of a schedule of its own. The module then takes over the due dates and service periods of the main contract, so the membership and the module are billed on the same days.

Prerequisites:

  • The main contract is billed with Billing type Fixed schedule or Reference date (absolute).
  • The payment interval of the additional module has the same unit as the one of the main contract, for example months. It is the same as the main contract interval, or one is a whole multiple of the other. A monthly module, for example, cannot follow a main contract that is billed every four weeks.

Term configuration card of an additional module with the actions menu open and Add payment frequency selected.

  1. Go to Settings / Membership management / Additional modules and open the additional module.
  2. In the Term configuration card, open the actions and click Add payment frequency. To change an existing payment frequency, edit it instead.
  3. Set Type, Reference, Each and Price as described in Set up a fixed schedule.
  4. Open Advanced Settings and set Billing type to Fixed schedule.
  5. Tick Align sub contract due dates to main contract.
  6. Pick the Anchor date if alignment isn't possible. The module is billed on this schedule whenever it cannot follow the main contract. For intervals in months or years, the day must be before the 29th.
  7. Optional: to make the prorated first charge due when the module is booked, set Due date of starter package and partial charges to Membership signing and tick Apply due date also for the first regular fee. Alternatively, choose Membership start date.
  8. Click Save.

Add payment frequency dialog with Billing type set to Fixed schedule, the alignment checkbox ticked, the anchor date and the preview.

What happens when a member books the module

  • The due dates and service periods of the module follow the billing dates of the main contract.
  • If the module does not start together with the next service period of the main contract, the first charge is prorated.
  • The alignment also applies when a member books a membership offer that contains the module, and when the module is added to an existing contract.
  • The booking preview shows the charges and service periods before you confirm. Above them it shows Aligned with main contract schedule, or the reason why the alignment is not possible.
  • Switching on the option does not change modules that are already booked.

When the alignment is not possible

The module is then billed on the schedule of the Anchor date if alignment isn't possible from its payment frequency. The software stores the reason and shows it in the booking preview and for the module in the member's contract details.

Situation Reason shown
The payment intervals use different units, or neither interval is a whole multiple of the other. Payment frequencies are incompatible
The main contract is not billed on a recurring schedule. Main contract payment frequency is not recurring
The main contract uses the billing type Calendrical. Main contract calculation type is not supported
The main contract uses Reference date (absolute) with a due date setting that cannot serve as a reference. Main contract booking type is not supported
The main contract has no usable schedule yet. Main contract schedule unavailable

With the billing type Reference date (absolute), the same option aligns only the due date and leaves the service period of the module unchanged.

Note: This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence and editorially reviewed.

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