Before you start
Make sure Stripe integration is turned on before you start
1. Open the service you want to change
Go to your workflow or proposal and open the "Services and payment" widget. Enable the Stripe integration.
In the "Services" list, click the pencil icon next to the service you have selected.
2. Set the billing start
In the "Billing start" field - just below "Billing frequency" and "Billing cycles" - choose one of three options:
"Bill immediately" – the client is charged as soon as they accept. This is the default and matches how quotes have always worked.
"Days after acceptance" – billing begins a set number of days after the client accepts. Enter the number of days, for example 30. Useful when you don't know yet when the client will sign.
"A specific date" – billing begins on a calendar date you pick. Useful for a service that starts with a new quarter, tax year or contract term.
Optionally, set "Billing cycles" or leave "Forever" switched on. Either way, the cycles are counted from the start date you've chosen - not from the acceptance date.
3. Check the start date on the quote
Back in the "Services" list, each service shows its own start underneath it - "Starts 1 January 2027" or "Starts 30 days after acceptance" - so you can see at a glance which services begin when.
What your client sees
Your client sees the start date on the quote before they accept, so there are no surprises. When they accept:
They enter their card details and complete their bank's security check once.
No recurring payment is taken yet. Their card is stored and authorised, ready for the start date.
Any one-off deposit is charged straight away, even when the recurring part is deferred.
We email them a confirmation stating when their billing will begin.
On the start date, we take the first payment automatically and billing continues at the frequency you set.
Advanced scenarios
A few situations worth knowing about:
Your client accepts on or after the start date. If the specific date you set has already passed by the time they accept, we bill immediately instead of waiting.
Different services, different dates. Each service on the quote has its own billing start, so you can begin one now and another next quarter. Your client still only authorises their card once.
Changing the payment method. Billing start works with Stripe only. If you switch the widget to "No payment" or GoCardless, the field is disabled with a "Stripe payments only" note and any start date you'd set is cleared.
One-off services. Billing start applies to recurring services. One-off items are always charged at acceptance.
Xero. If you create invoices in Xero, the invoice is still created and dated at acceptance rather than at the billing start date.