Billing Management: #2 Fair way of Billing- Prorated Billing
Hello,
From speaking about the traditional ways of billing in the previous post, we are moving into the deep sea of billing. We are now in a zone to break out the most complex yet, I would call it the fairest way of billing, the Prorated Billing.
Prorated Billing ensures that customers pay only for the exact portion of a service they consume. Whether they join mid-cycle, switch plans, or cancel early, proration guarantees transparency and fairness.
What is Prorated Billing?
In short, prorated billing involves splitting charges according to the length of service used within a billing cycle. Instead of charging the customer for the entire month regardless of when they sign up or amend the subscription, businesses calculate charges accurately based on time or usage. This directly enhances customer trust and satisfaction and eliminates disputes over charges.
In this post, we will understand how proration works in different industries by examining the major industry types that need/must have proration in their billing strategy.
In this post, we will understand how proration works in different industries by examining the major industry types that need/must have proration in their billing strategy.
Scenario: SaaS
A SaaS customer starts the month on the Basic plan, which costs $30/month. Midway through the billing cycle, on the 15th, they realise they need additional features and decide to upgrade to the Pro plan, which costs $60/month.
Without proration, businesses might charge the full $60 or keep them on Basic until the next cycle, which is unfair. With proration, this can be solved by splitting the bill into the part that will be used and the period that has elapsed.
In this scenario, part of the month is charged at the Basic plan cost, and the remaining is charged at the Pro plan cost.
Old Plan | New Plan |
Basic Plan: $30 | Pro Plan: $60 |
Charges per day: $30/30=$1 | Charges per day: $60/30=$2 |
No.of days remaining: 15 | No.of days to be charged: 15 |
Credits Remaining: $1x15=$15 | Amount to be charged: $2x15=$30 |
Net Payable: Amount to be charged- Credits Remaining: $30-$15= $15 | |
The Final Invoice Amount must be charged on the 15th, and the customer's subscription will be moved to the Pro Plan.
Scenario: Telecom
Imagine a customer activating a mobile plan costing $60 on the 20th of the month. The company has a standard billing cycle of 30 days. Some businesses might activate the plan for the full plan amount and allow it to be charged again on the set billing cycle. However, that's not the ideal approach.
With Proration, the days before the activation date are excluded, and charges are made only for the exact number of days used.
Plan Amount: $60
Charge per day: $60/30= $2
No.of days to be billed: 10
Final Payable Amount: $20
The Final Payable Amount will be charged on the plan activation date, and the next charge will occur after 10 days, aligning with the billing cycle.
Scenario: Streaming Service
A streaming subscriber who is active in the $120/month Premium plan decides to switch to the $60/month Standard plan after 10 days of usage in the current billing cycle.
Without proration, the customer might feel overcharged for unused Premium days. So, to balance the charges between the higher-priced plan and the lower one, credits will be added to the customer account, which can either be refunded or adjusted for the next invoice cycle.
Old Plan | New Plan |
Premium Plan: $120 | Standard Plan Cost: $60 |
Charges per day: $120/30= $4 | Charges per day: $60/30= $2 |
No.of days used: 10 | No.of days remaining: 20 |
Charges for used days: $4x10= $40 | Amount to be charged: $2x20=$40 |
Remaining Credits: $80 |
|
Net Credit: Remaining Credits- Amount to be charged for 20 days: $80-$40= $40 | |
The Net Credit will stay with the customer account and will be applied to the next invoice, or it can be refunded.
Proration Across Industries
While SaaS, Telecom and Streaming services are the most common businesses where prorated billing happens quite often, other industries need this,
Logistics Companies operate with standard shipment charges. They might need proration when the volume of the consignment changes in the middle of the cycle.
Internet Service Providers use this when there is a change in plan within the billing cycle.
Fintech and Payment Apps prorate service fees when accounts are opened or closed in the middle of the billing cycle.
Zoho Billing has the finesse to handle these contract amendments effortlessly across industry types. Whether it's a mid-cycle upgrade, a partial cancellation, or a new customer subscribing during the middle of the billing cycle, Zoho Billing ensures invoices are adjusted seamlessly. Proration can be enabled in Zoho Billing with a simple toggle, and the application automatically takes care of all the math in the backend.
Proration Billing is not a burden but a gift wrapped in a hard cover.
Offering fair charges based on usage during billing increases confidence and provides businesses with a reputation for being fair and transparent. But what about usage that happens before it hits the bill? Even with proration in place, there are scenarios where usage happens before it's billed. For instance, a customer may request an add-on, consume additional resources, or make a one-time transaction in the middle of the billing period. These often fall into the category of unbilled charges.
In the next post, we will explore how businesses manage these unbilled charges and why keeping them in check is critical for accurate billing.
Stay Tuned!
Topic Participants
Hari | Zoho Billing
Sticky Posts
Community Learning Series | Digest #5 — September 2020
Dear customers, We're happy to bring you the September edition of our #CommunityDigest! Keep track of your subscription KPIs right from your smartphone: Last month, we enhanced our Android mobile app to help our customers get daily updates on their business health. We got to know from a lot of customers that this has made their job much more easier because they no longer have to keep a reminder to manually check on the previous day's revenue or activations. If you have not downloaded it yet, here'sCommunity Learning Series | Digest #4 - August 2020
Dear customers, We hope you're staying safe and healthy. I'm happy to bring you the fourth edition of our #CommunityDigest with some brand-new updates from us. 1. Daily Business Updates (for Android users) The Zoho Subscriptions Android app has got a cool new update: You can now get a push notification to your smartphone that lets you know how many activations and cancellations have taken place, and what's the net revenue for the previous day. The best part is, you can tell the app when exactly youCommunity Learning Series | Digest #3 - July 2020
Dear customers, We hope you're staying safe and healthy. We're glad to bring you the July edition of our #CommunityDigest. New community members can view our previous newsletters here. This time, we have two major updates and three interesting topics for you: 1. Zoho Subscriptions Developer Community Since the inception of Zoho Subscriptions, our team believed that the recurring billing platform we provide should be able to offer an extensive API library that empowers businesses to automate mostIntroducing: Community Learning Series | Digest #1 - May 2020
Dear customers, We hope you are staying safe and healthy. Helping businesses manage their customer subscriptions more efficiently has always been, and always will be, our goal at Zoho Subscriptions. We strongly believe this is possible if we grow together as a community and share what we know with each other. To nurture this shared learning experience, here is our brand-new Community Learning Series! Welcome to the first edition of our digest! Each edition of our community digest includes guides
Recent Topics
Live webinar: Building brand consistency using Zoho Show
Getting people to remember your brand isn’t easy. And if your branding isn’t consistent, it becomes almost impossible. One place where consistency really matters? Presentations. Whether it’s a sales pitch, an event deck, or a team update, your slidesGetting an error "Not able to connect server. Verify your network connection" during proforma invoice converting to invoice.
Getting an error "Not able to connect server. Verify your network connection" during proforma invoice converting to invoice.calendar I created in Zoho Creator not being imported to Google calendar any longer
A calendar that I created in my Zoho Creator app is no longer updating (or showing up at all) in my google calendar. It used to export appointments I set up in my app to google calendar. I cannot figure out how to correct this.Quoting Subscriptions with one Time costs
Hello all, We sell a subscription SaaS service for which we provide one-time services for implementation and customization. Using CRM quotes i was able to create customized total fields to show the total one-time costs, monthly cost, total subscriptionAutomatisez efficacement avec le nouveau concepteur de workflows flexibles
Auparavant, l'automatisation dans les modèles de fusion de Writer se limitait à des actions simples comme « fusionner et stocker », « fusionner et envoyer par e-mail » ou « fusionner et envoyer pour signature ». En revanche, il était jusqu’à présent impossibleMore context, fewer tabs: View lookup modules' data within a CRM Canvas page
Hello everyone, How often do your users juggle multiple browser tabs just to piece together the full context of a record? This update can make their lives easier. You can now add lookup modules' fields to a Canvas detail view page and a Canvas list viewOn click of the Blueprint transition (Qualified or Not Qualified), the 'Convert' option should be enabled in the Lead module.
On click of the Blueprint transition (Qualified or Not Qualified), the 'Convert' option should be enabled in the Lead module. console.clear(); let convertButton = ZDK.Page.getButton('convert'); let leadStatus = ZDK.Page.getField('Lead_Stage').getValue();Show all items making up the composite item in transactions
Dear Zoho, Currently, when we select a composite item in Zoho Inventory for a transaction, we do not receive a breakdown of the individual items that make up the composite. This makes it challenging for our team to accurately pick, pack, and ship theCustom Roles & Granular Permission Control in Zoho SalesIQ
Hello Zoho SalesIQ Team, We appreciate the functionalities offered by Zoho SalesIQ, but we would like to request a crucial enhancement regarding user roles and permissions. Current Issue: At present, Zoho SalesIQ provides fixed roles—Admin, Supervisor,Condition to skip recipient signature
Is there a way, alone or with a Zoho Form integration, to skip a recipient signature when a condition is set? This happens because in this template, not always all the recipients need to sign it. Sometimes its just a few. We are using a Zoho Form integrationHow to filter emails by Reply-to field?
I receive a very particular newsletter from an association A registered on a website W (that is used by many associations), and the emails fields are not great: the From just contains the generic website's W's email, while A is only mentioned in the Reply-toWich version of Backstage is included in Zoho One
Hello I am in the event business and i am considering Zoho One to replace my current tools. I will need Backstage to manage my events but I am wondering wich version of backstage will I get if I subscribe to Zoho One. Thank you GuillaumeHow to restore deleted campaigns?
I accidentally deleted my first campaign that went out today (08/21/18). How do I restore it?Organize and Clone Task Custom Views
We have rolled out two new enhancements to task custom views: Custom View Groups and Custom View Clone. Custom View Groups Similar to predefined view groups, we have introduced groups for custom views to help organize and categorize them. My Custom Views:Kits: Option to Hide Associate Items on Documents
The new Kit type of Composite Item is very helpful, and we're already using it in several different ways. One problem is that there seems to be no way to hide the components on some documents, including Package Slips. There is an option given in settingsZoho Books CREDIT LIMIT is completely USELESS due to a BUG!!! Please fix it ASAP!!
Credit Limit should not be taken into account if payment terms on the Invoice are without credit. If selected Credit 0 days (Prepayment) why in this world would a notification pop up saying credit limit is exceeded and not allowing to create an invoice?Is it possible to adjust the web browser tab title (when a ZoHo Desk ticket is opened)
Hi All, When I open a ZoHo Desk ticket in a web browser, the tab title (text that appears at the top of the browser tab) uses the logic: *company icon picture* (xxxx) #ticket number - company name See below (highlighted in red) for reference. CompanyConfigure ChatGPT in Zoho Cliq | Now with GPT-4!
Updated for GPT-4 Support: The post and scripts has been revised to take advantage of the new GPT-4 model's capabilities. Please use the updated version for enhanced performance and accuracy. If you have been on the internet for the past few months, youHave completed Zoho Sign documents attach automatically to contact and/or account
Hello, Just used ZohoSign for the first time to get an e-signature on an important document. Setting up the template was nice and easy and configuring the request to go to the right people and training a member of staff was also very easy. HOWEVER WhyUsing email "importance" as workflow-criteria
I'd like to set up a workflow that triggers if an incoming email has been flagged as "high importance" but I'm not seeing any way to do that. Hopefully I'm just missing something obvious...?Update Lead Status in Zoho CRM When a Meeting is Booked via Microsoft Bookings
Hi everyone, I’m trying to streamline our lead management process and would like to automatically update the Lead Status in Zoho CRM whenever a meeting is booked through Microsoft Bookings. Has anyone successfully implemented this kind of integrationKaizen #199: FAQs on Multi-Select Lookup (MxN) Field in Zoho CRM
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – We want to hear from you! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone. GotZoho Desk Android app update: Enhanced UI of the History tab.
Hello everyone! In the latest Android version(v2.9.10) of the Zoho Desk mobile app, we enhanced the UI of the 'History' tab within a ticket. Also, we have introduced a filter option to easily search the history based on the actions performed on the ticket.Is Zoho Marketing Plus part of Zoho One?
Hi, Is the new fancy Zoho Marketing Plus part of the Zoho One package? Is there any benefit in using this rather than the standalone products? Many thanks JonIs it possible to Bulk Update 'Product Name' in Zoho Desk?
Is it possible to Bulk Update 'Product Name' in Zoho Desk? I cannot see that option now. Kindly help how we can do it.Change visable Subform fields
I have a form with 4 subforms in it. I added another field to each of the subforms in my main form. Now, how do I update the subforms to show the new fields that I added?Trial Extenstion/ 2nd Go!
Hi, Recently trialed FSM bit didnt get a chance to try out the most recent features is it possible to get another trial to try the new features and see if I can make it work for me?Weekly Tips : Take Control of Your Sent Emails using Outbox Delay
Ever clicked “Send” on an email, then instantly realized you forgot something—like a file, an attachment, or even made a small typo? It happens more often than you'd think. Wouldn’t it be helpful if your email waited a little before actually going out?Format of data after export to spreadsheet
Dear Zoho, can you explain to me what is the point of a report exporting to XLSX if the format of the amounts that will be created there is in text format and not suitable for anything? Why do I need data in a sheet with which nothing more can be doCustomer Payment
Seprate voucher required for cash and bank .You can not authorized any one to enter cash payment .In statement clearly shown is it bank receipt or cash recipt .how to add previous month purchase bill and claim ITC
Hello we have a unclaimed ITC bill of April (we didn't claim it in may as seller didn't uploaded his gstr1 ) when we trying to file gstr 3b in june month we noticed the bill has been uploaded (april bill) .how to change the filing month of that aprilDeluge security enhancements
Hello everyone, At Deluge, security is a top priority, and we're continuously working to enhance the platform's safety and reliability. As part of our ongoing commitment to secure coding and industry best practices, we're rolling out key updates to howHow do I set users up to only send emails using org emails?
We run marketing campaigns for multiple clients and strictly send emails using the official organization addresses provided by each client. However, we've encountered several instances where users unintentionally send emails from their own company accounts—aopen multiple notes at a time.
Hey there, New to Notebook and liking it, but one thing that's really a bother is not being able to open more than one note at a time, either in a new window or in a new tab. Often times, I like to copy/paste from one note to another or compare draftsLet’s Talk Recruit: Forms that think before you do!
Welcome back to our Let's Talk Recruit series. In our previous post, we shared highlights from our community meetups held across India. This time, we’re talking about something that often gets overlooked but makes a huge difference once you set it upPEPPOL Support Needed for Zoho Books in Europe
I'm reaching out to discuss the urgent need for PEPPOL support in Zoho Books for European users. With Belgium mandating B2B e-invoicing via PEPPOL starting in 2026, many of us are struggling to manage invoices without this integration. While Zoho BooksAllow Equity Accounts to be Used for Expenses
Currently, when entering an Expense or Bill, the Expense Account (account to be debited) allows for accounts in any of these categories to be chosen: COGS Expense Other Current Liability Fixed Asset Other Current Asset Noticeably missing are Equity Accounts.メール一括配信の未送信のメールについて知りたい
メール一括配信の後の、未送信のメールの数は添付のようにシステムから連絡がくるのですが それらの対象者を知りたい。レポートなど一覧で知りたい。 また配信対象者なのに（担当者、リード）の メールの履歴に配信したメールの件名でさえ表示されないのはどう理解したらよいのか知りたいです。 また、これらの人をレポートで一覧で出す方法を教えてください。把握したいためです。How do I add the time zone for the each recipient/subscriber
Hi, I've read that Zoho allows for emails to be sent at a certain time based on the recipient's time zone. How do I add the time zone for the each recipient/subscriber? Thanks!Zoho Formsから獲得した見込み客をSaleIQでトラッキングし、そのトラッキング情報をCRMに集約することは可能でしょうか？
Zoho formsを活用しています。 Zoho CRM、Zoho SalesIQと連携するよう設定しており、Zoho formsから獲得した見込み客の情報はCRMに連携されるのですが、トラッキング情報はZoho CRMの見込み客データ内の 関連リスト 訪問-Zoho salesIQ にデータが反映されません。※添付画像参照ください 考えられる原因や対策などありましたら教えていただけないでしょうか。 よろしくお願い致します。Next Page