Anchor day billing lets you charge all subscribers on a specific day, whether that is a particular day of the week, month, or a fixed date every year, regardless of when the subscription started.
This is especially useful for the following use cases:
Bill all customers on the 1st of each month for digital subscriptions.
Meal box services that need to lock orders by every Monday to manage inventory and prep time.
Fitness memberships or coaching programs where billing always happens on the 1st and 15th.
Businesses that want predictable cash flow and easier operations by syncing billing and delivery cycles.
For example, if your anchor day is the 15th of the month, a customer who subscribes on June 5 will be charged next on June 15, and then every 15th moving forward.
Enabling the anchor day billing option
Follow these steps to enable anchor day billing on a selling plan:
Navigate to Loop admin > Acquire > Selling plans, then open the selling plan you want to update.
Note: You can enable anchor day billing in both new and existing selling plans.
Click the View details link under the Set order schedule section.
Enable the Do you charge on specific day of the week/month? option, select the desired anchor day and other settings, then click Save.
Understanding terminologies
There are four settings related to anchor day billing. Each one is explained below.
Anchor day
The anchor day defines the day or date on which billing happens. It is not supported for daily deliveries.
Weekly deliveries
You can set a specific day of the week, such as Monday or Tuesday.
Monthly deliveries
You can set a specific day of the month, from the 1st to the 28th.
Yearly deliveries
You can set a specific date and month, such as January 1st or February 14th.
First order placement
The first order placement setting determines when the first order is eligible for fulfillment after the customer places it.
Immediate: The first order is eligible for fulfillment as soon as the customer places it at checkout. All subsequent orders follow the anchor day schedule.
On anchor: The first order is scheduled for fulfillment on the nearest anchor day. For example, if the customer places an order on Monday and the anchor day is Wednesday, the order becomes eligible for fulfillment on Wednesday.
Cut off window in day(s)
The cutoff window defines the minimum number of days an order should be placed before the anchor day. It helps avoid charging customers multiple times within a short period.
Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also
"Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also" is a checkbox setting that controls whether the cutoff window applies to the customer's first order.
When this setting is disabled, the cutoff window does not affect the first order. For Immediate fulfillment, the first order is processed right after checkout without any delay, even if it falls within the cutoff window.
When this setting is enabled, the cutoff window applies to the first order based on the First order placement setting:
Immediate fulfillment: If the order falls within the cutoff window, the first order is scheduled for the nearest anchor day instead of being fulfilled immediately.
On Anchor fulfillment: If the order falls within the cutoff window, the nearest anchor day is skipped and the first order is scheduled for the following anchor day.
Anchor day billing example
This example shows how the first order and recurring orders are scheduled when anchor day billing is enabled. The first-order behavior depends on whether Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also is enabled or disabled.
Suppose you have configured a selling plan with the following settings:
Delivery frequency: Weekly
Anchor day: Monday
Cutoff window: Varies by scenario
For all scenarios below, the customer places the order on Shopify on Friday, June 6. The nearest anchor day is Monday, June 9, which is 3 days after the order.
Case 1: First order placement "Immediate"
Setting disabled: [Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also]
The first order is fulfilled immediately on June 6, regardless of the cutoff value. In this case the cutoff window only affects the recurring order.
If the cutoff is set to 1, 2, or 3 days, the 3-day buffer between the order date and the nearest anchor satisfies the cutoff. The recurring order is scheduled on June 9.
If the cutoff is set to 4 or 5 days, the 3-day buffer is not enough. The recurring order skips June 9 and is scheduled on June 16 i.e. next anchor.
Setting enabled: [Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also]
The cutoff window applies to the first order as well. If the buffer is not met, the first order is delayed to the nearest anchor day instead of being fulfilled immediately.
If the cutoff is set to 1, 2, or 3 days, the buffer is satisfied. The first order is fulfilled immediately on June 6, and the recurring order is on June 9.
If the cutoff is set to 4 or 5 days, the buffer is not met. The first order is scheduled to June 9 (the nearest anchor), and the recurring order follows on June 16.
Case 2: First order placement "On Anchor"
Setting disabled: [Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also]
The cutoff window is not applied to the first order. The first order is always scheduled for the nearest anchor day (June 9), regardless of the cutoff value, and the recurring order follows on June 16.
Setting enabled: [Apply cutoff window for first-order fulfillment also]
The cutoff window applies to the first order. If the buffer is not met, the nearest anchor day is skipped and the first order is scheduled for the following anchor day.
If the cutoff is set to 1, 2, or 3 days, the buffer is satisfied. The first order is on the nearest anchor (June 9), and the recurring order is on June 16.
If the cutoff is set to 4 or 5 days, the buffer is not met. The first order skips June 9 and is scheduled for June 16. The recurring order follows on June 23.
FAQs
What is cut off window, and what is its use?
What is cut off window, and what is its use?
The cutoff window works with the anchor day to ensure that if any upcoming order falls within the specified number of days before the anchor date, it is automatically rescheduled to the next billing cycle.
Why can I no longer select the 29th, 30th, or 31st as a monthly anchor date?
Why can I no longer select the 29th, 30th, or 31st as a monthly anchor date?
You can no longer select the 29th, 30th, or 31st as a monthly anchor date to prevent scheduling issues in months with fewer days, such as February. These dates caused situations where orders could not be rescheduled, leading to skipped orders. Removing these options ensures subscriptions can be scheduled consistently every month.
The 29th, 30th, and 31st anchor date options have been removed from the following areas to avoid scheduling conflicts:
Edit subscription details
Bulk action to add or update anchor date
Selling plans configuration
If you already have subscriptions using the 29th, 30th, or 31st as the anchor date, nothing changes until you try to edit or update the subscription. When you attempt to make changes, you will be required to select a new anchor date that falls within the available options.
To update your anchor date, open the subscription or selling plan you want to edit and choose an alternative anchor date from the available options. Dates beyond the 28th will no longer appear, so select a date that works consistently across all months.
To avoid future scheduling issues, review your existing anchor date settings and ensure they are set to dates that are available every month. Choosing an anchor date on or before the 28th ensures smoother subscription management and prevents skipped orders.
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