Billing model

A complete reference covering how recurring plan charges are structured and when plan charges are triggered — two independent configurations that every brand on the platform operates.

Overview

This document covers two distinct and independent billing configurations.

Every brand on the platform operates with one of each.

Quick read: one configuration defines the recurring billing cycle. The other defines the initial charge trigger. They are independent and both must be configured.

What this document covers

Part A: Billing models

Defines the recurring charge cycle — on which date or on which schedule a plan charge recurs each period.

Fixed Date · Anniversary · Tenure

Part B: Purchase charge models

Defines the charge trigger — what event causes the initial plan charge to be applied on a line.

Single Charge · MIA · Forced Billing

These two configurations are independent of each other. A brand's Billing Model determines how the recurring monthly cycle works. The Purchase Charge Model determines what triggers the first charge on a newly purchased line. They do not overlap, and neither determines the other.

Scope

This document covers:

Billing models: Fixed Date Billing, Anniversary Billing, and Tenure Billing
Purchase charge models: Single Charge, MIA, and Forced Billing
The rules that define recurring plan charges
The rules that define the initial charge event on a newly purchased line

Part A: Billing models

Billing Models govern the recurring charge cycle — when a plan charge repeats each period.

A Billing Model defines the schedule on which plan charges recur after the first charge has been applied. It is configured at the brand level and governs all lines under that brand. There are three Billing Models available on the platform.

Fixed Date Billing is a brand-level billing model where every line under the brand is charged on the same calendar date each month, regardless of when individual lines were activated. The billing date is set once at onboarding and applies universally across all plans and all lines.

How it works

Billing date: A single date between the 1st and 28th of the month, configured at brand onboarding.
Scope: Applies to all lines under the brand — primary lines and any secondary or add-on lines.
Charge amount: Full monthly plan charge. No proration, no partial amounts.
First charge: Determined by when the line activates relative to the billing date — see table below.

If this happens

Then this happens

Line activates before the billing date

First charge falls on the upcoming billing date that month.

Line activates after the billing date

First charge falls on the billing date in the following month.

Key rules

The billing model is selected at onboarding and cannot be changed afterward.
The billing date must be set between the 1st and 28th of the month.
All lines — including secondary and add-on lines — follow the same billing date.
Mid-cycle activations, suspensions, or cancellations do not alter the charge amount.
Proration is not supported.

Anniversary Billing is a line-level billing model where each line's activation date becomes its personal billing anchor. The plan charge recurs monthly on the same calendar day the line was activated. Because billing is anchored per line, different lines under the same brand may have different billing dates.

How it works

Billing anchor: The date the line is activated. Set automatically at the point of activation — no configuration required.
Recurrence: Monthly on the same calendar day as activation.
Scope: Line-level. Each line is independent; there is no shared billing date across the brand.
Charge amount: Full monthly plan charge. No proration.

Key rules

The activation date is permanent as the billing anchor and cannot be changed.
The first recurring charge occurs on the first anniversary of the activation date.
Mid-cycle cancellations or suspensions do not trigger charge adjustments or credits.
Proration is not supported.

Tenure Billing is a multi-period billing model where the plan charge is collected upfront for a fixed commitment duration rather than on a monthly cycle. The customer pays for a full tenure period in advance and the plan renews automatically at the end of each tenure.

How it works

Charge timing: The full tenure charge is collected upfront at the start of each period.
Tenure durations: 30, 60, or 90 days. Standard duration options are available; duration can also be configured at the brand level if a specific period is required.
Renewal: At the end of each tenure period, the plan renews automatically and the next tenure charge is collected upfront.
Coexistence: Tenure Billing can be used alongside Fixed Date Billing or Anniversary Billing on the same brand.

Line restrictions by duration

The 30-day tenure cycle places no restriction on the number of lines in an account. However, accounts on 60-day or 90-day tenure cycles are limited to a single line. This restriction is enforced at the account level.

Tenure duration

Line rule

30-day tenure

No line restriction. Multiple lines per account are supported.

60-day tenure

Single line per account only.

90-day tenure

Single line per account only.

Part B: Purchase charge models

Purchase Charge Models govern the charge trigger — what event causes the initial plan charge to be applied on a newly purchased line.

A Purchase Charge Model defines what triggers the plan charge on a line that has been purchased. It is independent of the Billing Model: the Billing Model governs the recurring cycle; the Purchase Charge Model governs the initial charge event. There are three Purchase Charge Models available.

Under Single Charge, the full monthly plan charge is applied at the time of line purchase. The customer is charged immediately upon completing their order. Activation does not trigger any additional plan charge — it simply enables service on the line.

How it works

Charge at purchase: Full monthly plan charge applied when the purchase is confirmed.
Charge at activation: None. Activation is a service enablement event, not a billing event.
Charge amount: Full monthly plan charge. No proration.

Key rules

The plan charge is collected regardless of whether the line is ever activated.
Activation failure does not automatically reverse the charge. Any correction requires a refund or credit adjustment flow.
Proration is not supported.

Under MIA (Money in Advance), no plan charge is applied at the time of purchase. The charge is deferred and applied at the point the line is activated. A line that is purchased but never activated incurs no plan charge.

How it works

Charge at purchase: None.
Charge at activation: Full monthly plan charge applied upon successful activation.
No activation: If the line is never activated, no plan charge is ever collected.
Charge amount: Full monthly plan charge. No proration.

Key rules

Activation is the sole financial trigger for plan charges under this model.
If a line is never activated, no plan charge is ever collected under MIA — unless Forced Billing is also configured, in which case the grace period rules apply.
Proration is not supported.

Forced Billing is a time-driven billing mechanism that works alongside any Purchase Charge Model. When a line has been purchased but not activated within the grace period, the line is automatically treated as billable — and from the next billing cycle onward, plan charges apply as normal, regardless of whether the line has been activated.

The grace period

Every purchased line is given a grace period after purchase. If the customer activates within this window, Forced Billing never applies. If the grace period expires without activation, the line enters a billable state and will be charged on the next billing cycle.

Rule

Details

Default grace period

7 days from the purchase date

Day counting

Begins on the day of purchase (Day 1 = purchase date)

Charge timing

On grace period expiry, the line becomes billable. The plan charge is applied on the next billing cycle date — not immediately on the day of expiry.

Configurability

Grace period duration is configurable at the platform level on request from the brand

Line state flow

Once the grace period expires without activation, the line moves through the following states:

State

What happens

Purchase completed

Customer successfully purchases a line. Payment is confirmed.

Grace period begins

Line enters a pre-activation grace period. Default duration is 7 days from purchase date. No plan charge is applied during this window.

Grace period expires

If the line has not been activated by day 7, the system automatically transitions the line out of the grace period.

Forced Billing starts

The line is marked billable by the system. It enters the normal billing cycle — the plan charge will be applied on the next billing cycle date, just as it would for any active line.

Normal billing and dunning apply

From this point, the line is treated as any other billed line. Standard dunning rules apply for non-payment: bill suspension, billing cancellation, disconnection, and termination.

Interaction with activation

Scenario

Result

Activation before grace expiry

If the customer activates the line before the grace period expires, Forced Billing never triggers. Normal billing applies from activation onward.

Activation after Forced Billing has started

If the customer activates after the grace period has expired, the line becomes active and service is enabled. However, the line was already in a billable state — any charges already applied are not reversed, and billing continues on its normal cycle.

Works with all purchase charge models

Forced Billing is not tied to any specific Purchase Charge Model. It applies as an independent time-based rule on top of whichever model the brand has configured.

Purchase charge model

Forced Billing interaction

With Single Charge

The plan charge has already been collected at purchase. Forced Billing ensures the line continues to be included in recurring billing cycles even if the customer never activates.

With MIA

No charge was collected at purchase. If the line is not activated within the grace period, Forced Billing ensures the line enters the billing cycle and charges begin from the next billing date.

Key rules

Forced Billing is automatic and system-triggered — no manual action is required.
It applies to any line that is purchased but not activated before the grace period expires.
On grace period expiry, the line is marked billable. The first charge under Forced Billing falls on the next billing cycle date.
Plan charges are full monthly amounts. No proration applies.
Once the line is in a billable state, all standard billing and dunning rules apply.
Late activation does not reverse charges already applied, and does not reset the billing cycle.
Forced Billing is time-driven, not activation-driven.

Quick reference summary

The table below summarises all six models at a glance. A brand configures one Billing Model and one Purchase Charge Model — one from each group.

Model