Configure subscription billing
Map the products, amounts, quantities, and schedules used for recurring billing
Subscription billing uses a collection list to define what each subscription bills, how much it bills, and how often. A System admin configures these mappings for the subscription collection.
Connect an accounting or payment provider before you begin. See the Accounting & Payments overview.
Open the configuration
- Open the collection that holds your subscriptions.
- Click the options menu (⋯), select Configure, and open Accounting & Payments.
- Under Record type, select Subscriptions.
- Configure whether Kinabase collects payments, raises invoices, or does both, using the options shown for your connected providers.
Configure the subscription fields
The Subscription billing section maps details held on the subscription record itself:
Select an optional cadence field on the subscription collection. If you leave this blank, Kinabase infers the cadence from the recurring line items, which must agree.
Select a record field that links each subscription to the customer being billed. Kinabase offers links to collections configured for customers or suppliers.
Select optional date fields to control when billing begins and ends. A Start date is required when Kinabase raises invoices without collecting payments through a payment provider.
Click Update billing configuration to save these mappings.
Configure line items
- In the Line items section, choose the collection list under Source. If the subscription collection has no list yet, add one under Lists first.
- Map the fields used for each billing detail.
Select a record field on the line-item list that references the product being billed. The list's parent link back to the subscription is not available as a product choice.
Select a cadence field from the referenced product collection or the line-item list. This field tells Kinabase how often that line bills.
Select a suitable number field, computed field, or lookup field on the line-item list. If no Quantity field is configured, or a line's value is blank, Kinabase uses a quantity of 1. A value that is present but not numeric is rejected.
Select a suitable number field, currency field, computed field, or lookup field from the line-item list or referenced product collection. Unit amount is the per-unit price multiplied by Quantity. Currency fields set the billing currency; other number fields use your organisation's base currency.
- Click Update billing configuration.
Change an existing configuration
When you change Source or Product, Kinabase keeps mappings that still apply. It clears mappings that no longer resolve against the selected line-item or product collection and lists them in an inline warning.
Replace each cleared mapping before you save. If validation blocks the update, read the specific message and error code to identify the missing or unsuitable field.
Check line-item data
Before billing a subscription, check that every line item:
- Links to an existing product through the configured Product field.
- Has a cadence value in the configured Product cadence field.
- Has a numeric Quantity when a non-blank value is present.
- Has a value in the configured Unit amount field.
Kinabase stops billing when required line-item data is invalid instead of guessing a product, price, or quantity.
Read our Collection Lists guide to create or change the list used for line items.