A billing cycle is the time window the customer's invoices cover. You set it once per customer on their profile (Billing section) and it sticks. The cycle controls when Cycle Invoices generate and what service period each invoice references.
Calendar month is the default and most common. The cycle is the 1st through the last day of each month. Invoices roll up at month close and the service period reads "Nov 1 – Nov 30, 2026."
Anniversary lets you pick a day of the month (1–28) and the cycle runs from that day to the day before the next month's anchor. If you pick the 15th, cycles are Nov 15 – Dec 14, Dec 15 – Jan 14, and so on. Useful for customers whose accounts payable cycle isn't aligned to the calendar.
Fixed-day (28-day) runs a fixed number of days from an anchor date you set. The most common configuration is 28 days, which produces 13 cycles per year (slightly more revenue than 12 monthly cycles for the same rate). This is the industry-standard cycle for established operators because it maps cleanly to four weekly service visits per cycle. You can configure any length from 7 to 90 days, though 28 is the standard.
Manual means no automated cycle — you create each invoice manually via the wizard whenever billing happens. Used for event customers, one-off jobs, or unusual arrangements.
The cycle determines the service period on every Cycle Invoice generated for that customer. It also determines when the customer shows up in the batch cycle rollup — only customers whose most recent cycle has closed get rolled up. Calendar-month customers roll up on the 1st; 28-day customers roll up every 28 days from their anchor.
You can change a customer's cycle at any time. Existing invoices keep their original service periods (because they're historical record); future invoices will use the new cycle. If you change cycle types mid-cycle, the first invoice on the new cycle may have a partial period — review it before sending.