Understand Invoice Consolidation

Understand how Maxio handles invoice segments, consolidation timing, and dunning when you group Subscriptions under a primary Subscription.

What the primary subscription controls

Each Subscription Group has one primary Subscription. The primary Subscription controls key functions for the group:

• Invoice issuance timing. Consolidated invoices are issued within an hour of the primary Subscription's processing (see How consolidated invoice timing works).
• Collection method (automatic vs. remittance) is controlled by the primary Subscription.
• Payment method (credit card, ACH, or other) is inherited from the primary Subscription.
• Dunning is performed from the perspective of the primary Subscription.

How invoice hierarchy works

When Subscriptions are consolidated, each still generates an invoice segment at signup and each billing. This segment is visible in the subscription's history but not payable individually. Customers can only view and pay through the consolidated invoice, which rolls up all segments.

How consolidated invoice timing works

Because Subscriptions need not share billing dates, the system follows timing rules for consolidation.

The first Subscription to reach periodic billing, whether primary or member, creates a pending consolidated invoice. As other Subscriptions process within the one-hour window, their segments are added. Finalization begins one hour after the primary Subscription processes, or sooner if no further segments are pending.

WARNING: If you're merging Subscriptions with different billing frequencies, designate the fastest cycle (for example, monthly) as the primary Subscription to prevent delays in invoice finalization.

For sites with the Multifrequency feature enabled, finalization waits for all member Subscriptions scheduled to bill on the same calendar day.

Once finalized, the pending consolidated invoice is issued. If the primary Subscription has Automatic Collection enabled, payment is attempted immediately.

With monthly billing cycles, each group Subscription contributes exactly one invoice segment per consolidated invoice.

You can mix different billing frequencies. Just ensure the primary Subscription follows the fastest schedule. Earlier segments remain pending until the primary issues the consolidated invoice. Use Advanced Billing tools to adjust billing dates if desired.

How dunning works for invoice consolidation

When payment fails on a consolidated invoice with Automatic Collection, Maxio follows its standard dunning process, applied from the primary Subscription's perspective:

• The customer receives a single dunning email.
• All Subscriptions in the group move into the same dunning state (past due).
• If dunning ultimately fails, all Subscriptions and the consolidated invoice transition to canceled.
• If payment succeeds, all Subscriptions reactivate to active.

Related information

To create and manage a Subscription Group, see Consolidate Subscription Groups.

To learn about the Subscription Group concept and primary/member roles in more depth, see Understand Subscription Groups.

For billing frequency compatibility and invoice dates when using Multifrequency, see Understand Subscription Groups with Multifrequency and Term Subscriptions.

For how Maxio's dunning process works generally, see Understanding How Dunning Works.