When you manage subscription billing in Business Central, you need to know what happens at the end of a subscription period. Once you have invoiced a subscription all the way up to its end date, the system blanks out the next invoicing date and the next action date. The subscription will not be invoiced again unless you take action.
If you want to continue billing the same customer, you create a new subscription line with a new start date. As soon as you enter a new next invoicing date, the system generates a new action date so the subscription reappears in your filtered subscription list.
If the subscription had a longer end date, the system would simply jump one year ahead to the next invoicing date. Because the period hit the end date, the system stops and waits for you. This gives you a natural point to confirm with the customer before you invoice them for another period.
Invoicing a subscription up to its end date
Consider a subscription that runs until the end of December 2022 with a yearly invoicing frequency. It has not been invoiced yet, and its next invoicing date is set to the first of January.
To invoice it, you run the invoicing function and include everything posted in January. You can add a header text to sit on top of the invoice line if you want to, but it is optional. The system generates a filter automatically, so only this specific subscription order is included in the run.
When you confirm, the system creates the invoice. The invoice text shows that it covers the full year. That matches the setup in the deferral days, but it is always worth checking that the system behaves the way you expect.
What happens to the invoicing dates after the end date
Once you go back to the subscription order, you can see that the system has blanked out the next invoicing date. Because the full period was invoiced all the way up to the end date, the system automatically removes the next invoicing date.
The next action date is greyed out as well, so there is no next action. If you do nothing, this subscription will not be invoiced again. It stays in place as history. You can still post that invoice and send it to the customer.
Creating a new subscription for the same customer
If you need to create another subscription for the same customer as part of a renewal, you can create the line again. You can copy the values from the line above to save time, then set the start date, for example the first of January 2023, and copy the relevant fields again.
You assign a deferral code to handle the periodisation. You could also have set a longer end date in the first line, but this depends on your agreement with the customer.
If the end date had been longer in the original line, the system would simply have jumped one year ahead for the next invoicing date. Because the subscription hit its end date, the next invoicing date was blanked out instead. That gives you the opportunity to confirm with the customer that they want to buy another subscription for the next full year before you invoice them again.
How the action date and status code work
When you enter a next invoicing date, the system also generates a new action date. You can filter on this action date from the general subscription list, which makes it easy to find the subscriptions that need attention.
The status code on the subscription comes from a standard sales blanket order. You cannot edit that field at the moment. It may become editable in a later version, but for now the status field is not available for you to change.
Q&A
What happens when a subscription is invoiced up to its end date in Business Central?
The system blanks out the next invoicing date and greys out the next action date. The subscription will not be invoiced again and stays in place as history. You can still post the final invoice and send it to the customer.
How do I continue billing a customer after a subscription reaches its end date?
You create a new subscription line with a new start date and assign a deferral code. You can copy the values from the line above to save time. Once you enter a new next invoicing date, the system generates a new action date.
Why did the next invoicing date disappear on my subscription?
Because you invoiced the full period up to the end date. When a subscription reaches its end date, the system automatically removes the next invoicing date instead of jumping ahead to the next period.
What happens if the subscription end date is longer than the invoiced period?
The system jumps one year ahead and sets the next invoicing date accordingly, so the subscription continues to be invoiced automatically.
Can I edit the status code on a subscription order?
No. The status code comes from a standard sales blanket order and is not editable at the moment. It may become editable in a later version.
How do I find subscriptions that need action?
You filter on the action date from the general subscription list. When you set a next invoicing date, the system generates a matching action date so the subscription appears in that filtered view.