How do I create a billing cycle package for recurring monthly or weekly charges?

What is a Billing Cycle package?
A Billing Cycle: Recurring package (shown as Billing Linked in your packages list) charges members on a recurring schedule, for example every 4 weeks, every month or every week. It releases each member's sessions on their own billing date. For example, a member billed on the 15th gets new sessions on the 15th of each cycle.

• Sessions are released on the billing date whether or not that cycle's payment has gone through.
• Unused sessions expire at the end of each billing cycle.
• Payment types: Card Subscription, Manual Invoicing or Debit Order Subscription.

To compare it with the Limited, Weekly and Monthly types, see What are the four package types and which one should I use?

Creating the package

1. Go to Settings >> Packages >> Create New.
2. Enter the package name and description, choose Billing Cycle: Recurring as the Package Type, and enter how many sessions are included in each billing cycle.
3. Add the price.
4. Choose the Billing Frequency (Week or Month) and the Billing Interval. For example, choose Week and 4 to bill every 4 weeks, or Month and 1 to bill monthly. Octiv confirms the schedule under the fields, for example "Members will be billed every 4 weeks."
5. Finish the rest of the form (purchase limits, visibility, classes, programmes and locations) and submit.

SEPA Direct Debit Limitation
SEPA direct debit cannot be used with 4-week billing cycles. If you need 4-week billing, use card payments (Paystack or Stripe). SEPA supports monthly billing only.

Members Signing Up to a Billing Cycle Package
When a new member signs up via the Sign-Up Widget and selects a billing cycle package:

• They will be prompted to add their card details. They can set a Package start date on the personal details step — today or a future date — and are charged on that date rather than always on the day they signed up.
• Subsequent charges occur at the billing frequency (e.g. every 28 days after the package start date).

Payment Type: Debit Order Subscription

A payment type called Debit Order Subscription is available to streamline recurring membership billing and improve mandate management for debit order members.

To set this up, go to Settings >> Sign Up.

You will now see Debit Order Subscription as an available sign-up option.

Supported Package Types

The Debit Order Subscription payment type can be used with:

• Weekly: Recurring packages
• Monthly: Recurring packages
• Billing Cycle: Recurring packages (Billing Linked)

Packages are created under Settings >> Packages >> Create New. You can't change an existing package's type, so to move an existing package to Billing Cycle, duplicate it (Actions >> Duplicate) and choose Billing Cycle: Recurring as the package type on the copy.

Converting Existing Members to Debit Order Subscription

Existing members who are currently paying via debit order can be converted to the new Debit Order Subscription payment type directly from their member profile.

1. Open the member's profile.
2. Select the option to change or update the member's payment method.
3. Choose Debit Order Subscription as the new payment type.
4. Confirm the member's billing date.

Mandate Handling

If the Member Already Has a Signed Mandate

• The existing mandate will automatically carry over.
• No further action is required from the member.
• No new mandate needs to be signed.

If the Member Does Not Have a Signed Mandate

• The system will automatically send the member an email.
• The email will contain instructions for signing a new debit order mandate.
• Billing will proceed once the mandate has been completed.

Supported Payment Providers

The following payment gateways support Debit Order Subscription:

• Stripe Connect
• SEPA
• Bacs
• BECS
• GoCardless