Semi-annually
Semi-annually billing charges customers on a recurring 6-month schedule. The semi-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 | 6 months |
| Also called | Semi-annual, 6-month billing |
| Best for | Mid-to-long term commitment |
Configure pricing: Settings → Billing Setup → Rate Cards → [Rate Card] → Packages → [Service Type] → Billing cycle and pricing
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Cycle | Customer commits to a 6-month billing period (package semi-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 6 months 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 6-month period |
| Early deletion | No refund for unused time in the committed period ❌ |
What semi-annual billing means
Semi-annually means the package’s semi-annual rate card price applies and the service renews every 6 months.
That does not mean CMP always charges the full 6-month price on the day the service is created. The charged amount and invoice timing depend on billing rule, payment mode, and advance invoice flags — see Monthly for the same payment-mode patterns.
Charge amount by billing rule
Semi-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 6-month period from the 1st of the following month. See UNFIXED_PRORATA. |
DATE_TO_DATE | Each period runs creation date → same date 6 months later − 1 day. 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 for partial periods uses the semi-annual package price ÷ 6 for monthly equivalent — same principles as Quarterly — pro-rata example.
Invoice and charge timing
See Monthly — invoice and charge timing. Amounts follow the semi-annual billing rules above.
| Mode | Supported? | Semi-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 |
| Manual | ✅ | Offline settlement; same invoice timing patterns as monthly |
Semi-annual billing is not recommended with postpaid payment mode.
| Risk | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Revenue delay | You may wait 6 months or more before collecting payment for the committed period |
| Fraud exposure | A customer can consume services for the full half-year and leave before paying |
Use prepaid or manual. Postpaid is appropriate only with hourly and monthly billing cycles.
Early deletion
CMP does not refund unused time on semi-annual plans. The full committed period charge applies even if the service is deleted early.
Service contracts
The service contract system applies to quarterly and longer billing cycles only — not hourly or monthly.
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Billing cycle | Quarterly or longer (this page: semi-annual = 6-month contract) |
| Billing rule | DATE_TO_DATE only |
| Payment mode | Postpaid or manual — not prepaid |
When contracts are enabled, the service is marked as a contract service in the portal.