Recurring invoices due by date set to a specific date each month

Back in 2015 for a short time recurring invoices could have the due by date set to a specific date for the following month. With the current arrangement (days after issue date) this is not possible as the number of days in a month vary.

lubos

Mar '15

In the latest version (15.0.93), you can now set the due date on recurring sales invoices.

Our terms and conditions refer to a specific date (In our case the 20th) of the month following the date of invoice. Would it be possible to reinstate the option to allow a fixed due dates in Recurring Invoices please?
This will save time making manual changes to each recurring invoice before sending.

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I do not believe the capability you describe was ever available. The announcement you linked to was an announcement that the due date field had been added to the recurring invoice form, not that you could set a specific day of the month. (When recurring invoices were originally added to the program, there was no due date for recurring sales invoices.)

Regular invoices have long allowed either a specific calendar date or a number of days after the issue date (labeled as By or Net). But recurring invoices have not. Think about it. The By option requires a specific calendar date, which would be in the past by the time of the second recurring invoice. You cannot, on a regular invoice, specify “20th of next month.” So you have never been able to do that on a recurring invoice either.

The reason recurring invoices originally had no due date field is that they could not accommodate specific calendar dates. When the due date feature was added, it was by adding only a portion of the capability, not by adding a capability for recurring invoices that did not exist for regular ones.

Is this a something that can go into the ideas for that sake of consistency, time saving and alignment with payment terms that some organizations may have?

Well, it would not be consistent, because nowhere in the program is there an ability to set a date that floats like what you suggest. All dates are either calendar dates or dates that fall a specific number of days after a designated calendar date. The closest thing is when a recurring transaction (of any type) falls on a date outside the next month, such as when a recurring invoice is set for an interval of one month after January 31st. Since February is shorter, the next invoice issue notice is given on February 28th (or 29th in leap year), then falls on the 28th of subsequent months. But the program is still determining a date that is a designated interval after a fixed issue date, subject to the end-of-month constraint. My point is that the program reckons time by counting days, not in relation to temporal “landmarks” like “the 20th of the following month.” That could result in variation of payment terms from month to month.

Implementing this requires a method of entering a relative date in Manager. Perhaps it could be part of adding this functionality more generally

Please do not over complicate the thought / idea all needed is a due by date for a recurring invoice to be on a specific date each month which seems pretty reasonable. So very consistent, yes the same day each month.

For a recurrent invoice, issued on a specific day of a month, it is already easy to have it due on a later specific day in that month. Just enter the difference in days between then"Next issue date" and “Due date”.

When a business wants to specify a date relative to a different base date there are many different combination an individual business or jurisdiction may require. If Manager is to be extended to support other option then supporting all options is sensible in my opinion, as then it is a solution for all users not just one user.

But I’m not the programmer, so maybe a solution for one user will happen.

We already know [quote=“Patch, post:7, topic:31591”]
, it is already easy to have it due on a later specific day in that month. Just enter the difference in days between then"Next issue date" and “Due date”.
[/quote]

But that is the issue it is not consistent for all the reasons already mentioned. From what I can make out … am I the only company and those that we deal directly with who have a need for the reoccurring invoices due by date to match the terms the organisation’s may elect … seamlessly without time consuming manual editing.
I struggle to believe that this may not be desired by other professional businesses who employ these payment principles.
But so be it.

I’m sure you are not the only one with a specific due date company policy.

What I was suggesting is the particular way your company does is not the only way a due date policy is set.

In addition relative dates are useful for multiple functions in Manager. Using a consistent specification method reduces the user the learning curve and may also reduce the overall programming work to implement, maximising the probability it actually occurs.

I don’t know what other way to write this but I’m not suggesting the current method be taken away at all. It is relevant for all who do not need consistency or have policy in place with customers.

I’ve had customers who paid on a fixed day of the month. I believe that’s what @compuit is asking for. There were also a lot of customers with payments terms like 50% at 30 days and 50% at 60 days after the invoice date, etc. It would be great if Manager had a payment terms configuration option (for customers and suppliers).

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