Billing Logic - Revision history

John: /* Renewal Invoices */

2024-02-06T11:36:20Z

‎Renewal Invoices

SarahK: /* Overpayments */

2023-12-06T20:44:00Z

‎Overpayments

SarahK: /* Renewal Invoices */

2023-07-27T17:33:16Z

‎Renewal Invoices

SarahK: /* Initial Invoice */

2022-04-19T15:33:07Z

‎Initial Invoice

SarahK: /* Initial Invoice */

2022-04-19T15:32:34Z

‎Initial Invoice

SarahK at 15:31, 19 April 2022

2022-04-19T15:31:46Z

John: /* Renewal Invoices */

2022-04-13T12:03:07Z

‎Renewal Invoices

SarahK at 18:06, 17 January 2022

2022-01-17T18:06:07Z

John: /* Renewal Invoices */

2021-12-08T17:34:43Z

‎Renewal Invoices

John: /* Billing Cycles */

2021-11-08T10:49:56Z

‎Billing Cycles

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 The Next Due Date of the service determines the date at which the next payment is due. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:
-* Analyzes the Next Due Date of all Active and Suspended services.
+* Analyzes the '''Next Due Date''' of all ''Active'' and ''Suspended'' services.
 * Determines whether the date is equal to or less than the number of days in the future, based on the Invoice Generation setting.
 * Ensures no invoice item exists for the service on the next due date.

@@ Line 78: / Line 78: @@
 ===Overpayments===
-−
 If a transaction includes an amount greater than the balance of the invoice, the system:
-−
 * Records the entire transaction against the invoice, making the balance negative.
 * Marks the invoice as paid.
 * Credits the difference between the balance and the transaction amount to the client's account.
 * Changes the credit description format to ''Invoice # Overpayment''.
-−
-Sometimes, fixed payments services (such as PayPal Subscriptions and 2Checkout Recurring Payments) can send a payment when no payment is due.
+Sometimes, fixed payments services (like [[2CheckOut]] and some [[PayPal]]® recurring payments) can send a payment when no payment is due.
-−
 In these situations, the system:
-−
 * Records the entire transaction against the invoice that originally created the billing agreement, making the balance negative.
 * Credits the full transaction amount to the client's account.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:33, 27 July 2023
Line 21:		Line 21:

	===Renewal Invoices===		===Renewal Invoices===
		+
		+	<div class="docs-alert-info">
		+	In WHMCS 8.8 and later, you can enable and configure on-demand renewals to allow customers to renew services early, before invoice generation, from within the Client Area. For more information, see [[On-Demand Renewals]].
		+	</div>

	The Next Due Date of the service determines the date at which the next payment is due. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:		The Next Due Date of the service determines the date at which the next payment is due. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 When an initial order creates an invoice, the default behavior is that the invoice is due on the day of ordering. The exception to this is when you use the '''[[Ordering_Tab#Order_Days_Grace|Order Grace Days]]''' setting, in which case the system will set the invoice due date <tt>x</tt> days into the future.
-Upon payment of the initial invoice, the system checks the associated products to determine whether to take action automatically, based upon the configuration in the product's '''[[Products_and_Services|Module Settings]]''' tab at  '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > [[Products and Services|Products/Services]]''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > Products/Services'''.
+Upon payment of the initial invoice, the system checks the associated products to determine whether to take action automatically, based on the configuration in the '''[[Products_and_Services|Module Settings]]''' tab at  '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > [[Products and Services|Products/Services]]''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > Products/Services'''.
 The system then increments the service's Next Due Date value forward one billing cycle (for example, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years).

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 When an initial order creates an invoice, the default behavior is that the invoice is due on the day of ordering. The exception to this is when you use the '''[[Ordering_Tab#Order_Days_Grace|Order Grace Days]]''' setting, in which case the system will set the invoice due date <tt>x</tt> days into the future.
-Upon payment of the initial invoice, the system checks the associated products to determine whether to take action automatically, based upon the configuration in the product's '''[[Products_and_Services|Module Settings]]''' tab.
+Upon payment of the initial invoice, the system checks the associated products to determine whether to take action automatically, based upon the configuration in the product's '''[[Products_and_Services|Module Settings]]''' tab at  '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > [[Products and Services|Products/Services]]''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > Products/Services'''.
 The system then increments the service's Next Due Date value forward one billing cycle (for example, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years).

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 ===Initial Invoice===
-When an initial order creates an invoice, the default behavior is that the invoice is due on the day of ordering. The exception to this is when you use the [[Ordering_Tab#Order_Days_Grace|Order Grace Days setting]], in which case the system will set the invoice due date <tt>x</tt> days into the future.
+When an initial order creates an invoice, the default behavior is that the invoice is due on the day of ordering. The exception to this is when you use the '''[[Ordering_Tab#Order_Days_Grace|Order Grace Days]]''' setting, in which case the system will set the invoice due date <tt>x</tt> days into the future.
 The system then increments the service's Next Due Date value forward one billing cycle (for example, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years).
 ===Renewal Invoices===
 The Next Due Date of the service determines the date at which the next payment is due. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:
@@ Line 42: / Line 40: @@
 ===Continuous Invoice Generation===
-When you enable the [[Invoicing_Setup#Continuous_Invoice_Generation|Continuous Invoice Generation]] option in the general settings, it alters the invoice generation logic so that the system creates renewal invoices even if the previous one is unpaid.
+When you enable the '''[[Invoicing_Setup#Continuous_Invoice_Generation|Continuous Invoice Generation]]''' option in the '''[[Invoice Tab|Invoice]]''' tab at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > General Settings''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > General Settings''', it alters the invoice generation logic so that the system creates renewal invoices even if the previous one is unpaid.
 Checking a hidden field in the service record, Next Invoice Date, enables this. The Next Invoice Date field maintains a separate record of the due date for next invoice to generate. The Next Due Date value determines the next invoice to be paid.
@@ Line 61: / Line 59: @@
 ==Payments==
-A transaction that fully pays the balance on an invoice, reducing it to <tt>0.00</tt> and marking it paid, triggers automation on payment. This means that editing an invoice and changing the status to Paid will ''not'' trigger automation.
+A transaction that fully pays the balance on an invoice, reducing it to <tt>0.00</tt> and marking it paid, triggers automation on payment. This means that editing an invoice and changing the status to ''Paid'' will ''not'' trigger automation.
 Upon adding payment to an invoice for a product, service, or domain, the system:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Having an understanding of WHMCS's billing and invoicing logic, core elements of the software, will enable years of smooth and trouble-free operation.
+Billing and invoicing are two of the most important tasks that WHMCS can automate for you. It is important to understand these systems as you configure them so that you can make the best available choices.
 ==Ordering==
 When a new visitor places an order, the system creates several new records, which contain the various pieces of information on the order form:
 * A client record, which stores the customer's contact details and payment preferences.
 * The service and domain record(s), which contain the details of the service the client selected on the order form.
@@ Line 9: / Line 11: @@
 ==Invoicing==
 ===Initial Invoice===
 When an initial order creates an invoice, the default behavior is that the invoice is due on the day of ordering. The exception to this is when you use the [[Ordering_Tab#Order_Days_Grace|Order Grace Days setting]], in which case the system will set the invoice due date <tt>x</tt> days into the future.
@@ Line 37: / Line 41: @@
 ===Continuous Invoice Generation===
 When you enable the [[Invoicing_Setup#Continuous_Invoice_Generation|Continuous Invoice Generation]] option in the general settings, it alters the invoice generation logic so that the system creates renewal invoices even if the previous one is unpaid.
@@ Line 55: / Line 60: @@
 ==Payments==
 A transaction that fully pays the balance on an invoice, reducing it to <tt>0.00</tt> and marking it paid, triggers automation on payment. This means that editing an invoice and changing the status to Paid will ''not'' trigger automation. Upon adding payment to an invoice for a product, service, or domain, the system:
 * Enters a transaction into the database.
 * Triggers the [https://developers.whmcs.com/hooks-reference/invoices-and-quotes/#addtransaction AddTransaction] Action Hook point.
@@ Line 67: / Line 76: @@
 ===Overpayments===
 If a transaction includes an amount greater than the balance of the invoice, the system:
 * Records the entire transaction against the invoice, making the balance negative.
 * Marks the invoice as paid.
@@ Line 73: / Line 84: @@
 * Changes the credit description format to ''Invoice # Overpayment''.
-Sometimes, fixed payments services (such as PayPal Subscriptions and 2Checkout Recurring Payments) can send a payment when no payment is due. In these situations, the system:
+Sometimes, fixed payments services (such as PayPal Subscriptions and 2Checkout Recurring Payments) can send a payment when no payment is due.
 * Records the entire transaction against the invoice that originally created the billing agreement, making the balance negative.
@@ Line 81: / Line 94: @@
 ===Refunds===
-You can issue refunds on transactions for invoices via the '''Refunds''' tab. When a you initiate a refund, the system:
+You can issue refunds on transactions for invoices via the '''Refunds''' tab.
 * Performs the selected refund action, which could be either of the following actions:
@@ Line 94: / Line 109: @@
 If the refunded transaction resulted in a credit to the client's account, you must choose how to handle the credit:
 * Remove the refunded amount from the credit balance.
 * Do not change the credit.
@@ Line 115: / Line 131: @@
 ===Billing Cycles===
 A billing cycle is a calendar period, so "1 month" is not a consistent period of days. When you agree to bill by the month, you are charging the same amount of money for different amounts of service. WHMCS uses the PHP date function's computation to determine the next due date. It adds a month and returns the date, which becomes the Next Due Date.
@@ Line 128: / Line 145: @@
 ====February====
 The shorter length of February can cause some unique behaviour that does not happen for the other 11 months of a year:
@@ Line 169: / Line 187: @@
 ==Suspension==
 The Next Due Date for the service controls the date of service suspension. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:
 * Analyzes the Next Due Date of all Active and Pending services.
 * Determines whether the date is equal to or less than the number of days in the future in the Suspension Days setting.
@@ Line 180: / Line 200: @@
 ==Unsuspension==
 When payment is made against an invoice for a service with the Suspended status, the system can automatically unsuspend the service. In addition to the actions in the [[#Payments|Payments]] section, the system:
 * Analyzes the invoices associated with a service in Suspended status and a Suspension Reason matching "Overdue on Payment".
@@ Line 190: / Line 213: @@
 ===Continuous Invoice Generation===
 When you use it in conjunction with [[Invoicing_Setup#Continuous_Invoice_Generation|continuous invoice generation]], paying a recent invoice while leaving an older invoice unpaid will keep the service suspended. The exception is if the payment were to increment the Next Due Date forward to a date at which the service was no longer within the Suspension date range. In that case, the service would be unsuspended.
 ==Termination==
 The Next Due Date of the service controls the date when the system terminates services. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:
 * Analyzes the Next Due Date of all Active, Suspended and Pending services.
 * Determines whether the date is equal to or less than the number of days in the future for the Termination Days setting.

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ===Renewal Invoices===
-The Next Due Date of the service depends on the date at which the next payment is due. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:
+The Next Due Date of the service determines the date at which the next payment is due. When the cron job executes the daily automation tasks, the system:
 * Analyzes the Next Due Date of all Active, Pending and Suspended services.

@@ Line 123: / Line 123: @@
 * Quarterly
 * Semi-Annually
-* Anually
+* Annually
 * Biennially
 * Triennially