formerly FinancialForce
Subscription billing is the payment model where companies have established a relationship with the customer to bill and invoice based on a specific schedule (e.g., once a month, once every quarter, annually, etc.). Subscription billing is a form of recurring billing, and its most common use cases include Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), as well as memberships involving dues and payments, e.g., Amazon Prime, New York Times, Netflix, etc.
…on a unified, single platform with one closed-loop process.
Today’s complex business models have outgrown the old-school back office.
The single revenue model—one product, one price, one time—is a dying strategy. Today, businesses must offer flexible and personalized pricing, billing, and even monetization options. What’s also evolving is a whole new requirement for your billing models and systems to run them, and the need for subscription billing software.
Subscription billing software is a specialized tool designed to facilitate recurring billing processes for businesses. It automates the invoicing, payment collection, and management of subscriptions or recurring payments according to predefined schedules, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually. This software is particularly useful for businesses offering subscription-based services, memberships, or installment plans, allowing them to streamline billing operations and improve efficiency.
Not long ago, pricing for products and services was straightforward. Businesses would pay a set fee to own a product indefinitely, or they would pay time and materials. But the days of simple pricing are ending. With the advent of the cloud, software companies began providing software-as-a-service, in which customers pay a fixed recurring fee. Quickly, this billing model spread to other markets such as hardware and IT consulting, as well as consumer goods and services, and new pricing models evolved. Today, almost everything is available “as a service.” Some of the most common pricing models include:
Companies that use a managed services billing model or even a hybrid model with some one-off product and service sales will find subscription billing indispensable. This form of billing automates much of the invoicing process. Invoices are no longer sent out manually but automatically, and–if the customer agrees–can be automatically deducted from their bank accounts. Not only does this free up an immense amount of time and resources for the company, it also frees up time for the customer, who no longer needs to manually enter his or her billing information every month. It’s a win-win for both parties involved.
Yes. Companies that use subscription billing software are able to easily add support for a wide assortment of payment models and pricing structures. Whether the payment is recurring, non-recurring, or there are renewal terms that must be agreed upon, subscription billing software can manage and automate the processes.
Subscription-based software gives companies an unprecedented level of visibility and management tools for both recurring and non-recurring payments. A company can view the entire process, from invoice to payment, all in one place. On top of that, they have complete control over when invoices go out and what notifications are sent to customers to ensure timely payment.
When businesses choose Certinia Subscription & Usage-based billing as their subscription billing solution, they’re taking advantage of one of the most successful cloud business platforms: Salesforce. Customers that already use Salesforce CRM find it simple and convenient to have all of the front and back-office processes handled in one place. With Certinia billing solutions, companies can generate proposals for time, materials, and options, and manage tangible and intangible goods all in a single contract.
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