How do I set up recurring billing for service plans?
Short answer
Create a plan with a price and a billing interval, put customers on it with a card on file, and let the system charge, receipt, and retry on its own. Pair the plan with the recurring visits it pays for so service and revenue stay in step.
Before you start
- Payment processing connected.
- The plans you sell and what each includes.
- Price and interval per plan.
- Your pause and cancellation policy.
Step by step
- 1
Define the plan in plain terms
What the customer gets, how often, and what it costs monthly or annually.
Vague plans generate disputes at the third charge.
- 2
Set the interval and start date
Choose monthly or annual and whether billing starts today or after the first visit.
Billing before value delivered is the most common early cancellation cause.
- 3
Collect the card at signup
Store the payment method securely against the customer record with clear consent language.
A plan without a card on file is just a promise.
- 4
Automate receipts and reminders
Send a receipt on every charge and a heads-up before annual renewals.
Silent charges become chargebacks.
- 5
Plan for failed payments
Retry on a schedule, notify the customer, and create a task after the final attempt.
Cards expire constantly and most failures are recoverable.
- 6
Link the plan to the service
Attach the recurring visits the plan pays for so nobody bills for work that never got scheduled.
Billing and delivery drifting apart is how memberships lose trust.
What good looks like
- Predictable monthly revenue without invoicing.
- Failed cards get recovered automatically.
- Receipts go out on every charge.
- Plan customers get the visits they paid for.
Common mistakes
The ways this goes wrong in money, and what to do instead.
No failed-payment handling›
Expired cards silently end the plan and nobody notices for months.
Do this instead: Configure retries, customer notifications, and a human task after the final attempt.
Unclear plan inclusions›
Customers expect more than the plan covers and feel cheated.
Do this instead: List exactly what is and is not included on the signup page and in the receipt.
Billing with no scheduled service›
Charging monthly for visits that never get booked destroys the relationship.
Do this instead: Tie the plan to a recurring visit cycle and report on plans without upcoming appointments.
Frequently asked
5 questions about set up recurring billingRelated guides
Pick the next thing to set up, or back up a step if something here assumed work you have not done yet.
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