Creating an every 28 day billing contract template

Overview

A billing contract template in Found defines the rules for how invoices are generated and billed for a group of subscriptions — including the cadence (frequency), billing period, payment method, and invoice delivery method. Once set up, a template can be reused across many bookings, so finance teams configure the rules once and apply them consistently.

An every 28 day template is one of the cadence options. It generates a new invoice and a matching billing period every 28 days, rather than following calendar months. This is useful for funders or contracts where invoicing needs to fall on a fixed 4-weekly rhythm.

Where to find it

Navigate to Operations → Billing contract templates in the main menu.

You will see three tabs at the top of the page:

• Individual — templates for individual funders (e.g. a self-funded resident).

• Organisation — templates for organisational funders (e.g. a local authority).

• Custom — templates configured for non-standard scenarios.

Pick the tab that matches the type of template you want to create, then click Create billing contract template to open the side sheet.

How to create an every 28 day template

The creation flow uses an accordion with the following steps. Complete each one in order:

1. Details

• Name — give the template a clear, descriptive name (e.g. "Every 28 days — private").

• Funding sources — select the funding sources this template applies to.

• Locations — choose which locations the template is available at.

• Payment methods — select one or more (BACS, Direct Debit, Cash, Cheque, Standing Order, etc.).

2. Billing calendar

This is where the every 28 day cadence is configured.

• Invoice generation frequency — select Every 28 days.

• Start date — pick the date the first invoice should be generated. All subsequent generation dates roll forward in 28-day intervals from this date.

• Same as billing frequency — leave this toggle on so the billing period also runs every 28 days, aligned with invoice generation. If you turn it off you can set the billing period independently (e.g. weekly), but for a standard 28-day contract leave it on.

• Billing period start date — when "Same as billing frequency" is on, this is set automatically to match the invoice generation start date.

• Contribution unit — choose how contribution rates are expressed (Weekly, Daily, or Annual).

3. Billing rules

Configure the supporting rules:

• Issue date and due date — when the invoice is issued, and when payment is due (e.g. a number of days after issue).

• Direct Debit collection date — only shown when Direct Debit is one of the payment methods.

• Offsite discount rules and invoice units after death / move-out — optional rules that adjust billing in specific scenarios.

4. Invoice setup

• Invoice structure — Individual (one invoice per service user) or Shared (one combined invoice per funder).

• Service user identification method and invoice ID types — how service users are labelled on the invoice.

5. Invoice delivery (Organisation templates only)

Choose how invoices reach the funder: Email, Post, Shared mailbox, or Doesn't receive.

Click Save to create the template. It is then available to attach to subscriptions.

How every 28 days works in practice

• A billing period of 28 days is created starting from the start date you chose.

• An invoice is generated on each invoice generation date, covering the matching 28-day billing period.

• The next billing period starts the day after the previous one ends, so there are no gaps and no overlaps.

• Because the cadence is fixed in days (not calendar months), invoicing dates drift through the calendar — over a year you'll generate roughly 13 invoices rather than 12.

• Contributions are billed at the daily-equivalent rate for each day inside the 28-day period.

Rules

• The template can only be edited until it is in use by a subscription. After that, most fields become read-only to protect already-generated invoices.

• Template names must be unique within your workspace.

• Once you've turned Same as billing frequency on, the billing period is locked to Every 28 days as well — you cannot mix Every 28 days invoicing with a Weekly or Monthly billing period unless you turn that toggle off.