Bi-annually
Bi-annually billing charges customers on a recurring 24-month schedule. The bi-annual price comes from the rate card package; how much is charged at creation or renewal and when invoices are generated depend on your billing rule, payment mode, and (for postpaid/manual) advance invoice settings.
| Duration | 24 months (2 years) |
| Also called | Every 2 years, bi-annual |
| Best for | Maximum long-term discount |
Configure pricing: Settings → Billing Setup → Rate Cards → [Rate Card] → Packages → [Service Type] → Billing cycle and pricing
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Cycle | Customer commits to a 24-month billing period (package bi-annual price on the rate card) |
| Charge amount | Billing rule — PRO_RATA, UNFIXED_PRORATA, DATE_TO_DATE, FIXED_CALENDAR_MONTH, UNFIXED_CALENDAR_MONTH (not always full 2 years upfront) |
| When customer pays | Prepaid or manual recommended — not postpaid |
| Advance invoicing | Optional manual flags — see Monthly — invoice timing |
| Postpaid | ❌ Not recommended — revenue and fraud risk over a 24-month period |
| Early deletion | No refund for unused time in the committed period ❌ |
What bi-annual billing means
Bi-annually means the package’s bi-annual rate card price applies and the service renews every 24 months.
That does not mean CMP always charges the full 2-year price on the day the service is created. The charged amount and invoice timing depend on billing rule, payment mode, and advance invoice flags.
Charge amount by billing rule
Bi-annual supports:
| Billing rule | Behaviour |
|---|---|
PRO_RATA | Partial start: daily pro-rata to month end, then full remaining months within the aligned period. See FIXED_PRORATA. |
UNFIXED_PRORATA | Pro-rata for creation month only; next invoice is a full 24-month period from the 1st of the following month. See UNFIXED_PRORATA. |
DATE_TO_DATE | Each period runs creation date → same date 24 months later − 1 day. Required for service contracts. See DATE_TO_DATE. |
FIXED_CALENDAR_MONTH | Calendar-aligned first invoice — see FIXED_CALENDAR_MONTH. |
UNFIXED_CALENDAR_MONTH | Full creation calendar month pro-rata, then rolling period — see UNFIXED_CALENDAR_MONTH. |
Pro-rata uses cycle price ÷ 24 for monthly equivalent. See Billing Rules.
Invoice and charge timing
See Monthly — invoice and charge timing.
| Mode | Supported? | Bi-annual behaviour (high level) |
|---|---|---|
| Prepaid | ✅ Recommended | Wallet deducted at creation/renewal; amount per billing rule |
| Postpaid | ❌ Not recommended | Long outstanding period — revenue delay and fraud risk (unless using Service Contracts with monthly installments) |
| Manual | ✅ | Offline settlement; same invoice timing patterns as monthly |
Bi-annual billing without contracts is not recommended with postpaid payment mode.
| Risk | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Revenue delay | You may wait 2 years or more before collecting payment for the committed period |
| Fraud exposure | A customer can consume services for the full 2-year period and leave before paying |
Use prepaid or manual. For postpaid long-term commitments, use Service Contracts where CMP splits the 24-month term into monthly installments.
Early deletion
CMP does not support refunds on bi-annual plans. The full 2-year committed charge applies regardless of early deletion.
Communicate bi-annual terms clearly to customers. There is no refund for unused time — see Billing Cycles — no refunds on fixed cycles.
Service contracts
The Service Contracts system applies to quarterly and longer billing cycles only — not hourly or monthly.
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Billing cycle | Quarterly or longer (this page: bi-annual = 24-month contract) |
| Billing rule | DATE_TO_DATE only |
| Payment mode | Prepaid, Postpaid, or Manual — configure per mode in Update Billing Rule |
When contracts are enabled, the service is marked as a contract service in the portal, customer self-deletion is blocked, and monthly installments are billed. See Calculations & Lifecycle.