When you manage subscription billing in Business Central, you sometimes need to change the quantity on a subscription line. For example, a membership that covers 50 people might change to 40 or 60. You can handle this change in two ways, and the method you choose affects how much history you keep.
The simplest method is to edit the quantity directly on the existing line. The downside is that you lose the history of the change on that line. You can still see what was invoiced previously on the same subscription, but the line itself no longer shows the original quantity.
The alternative is to split the change across two lines so you keep a clear record of each period. This takes a few more steps, but it gives you full traceability on the subscription itself.
You should decide internally how much history you want before you set this up. If quantities change often and you create a new line every time, you can end up with many lines that make the subscription harder to read. On the other hand, having the change history directly on each subscription line is valuable when you need to track what happened and when.
Editing the quantity directly on the subscription line
If you simply want the new quantity to take effect, open the subscription line and change the value. For example, change the membership from 50 to 60. The next time you run Create Invoice, the system invoices 60 units. This keeps your subscription clean with a single line, but the line no longer records the previous quantity.
Splitting the change into two lines to keep the history
To preserve the history of the change, keep the original line and add a new one for the new period. The steps are:
- On the original line, adjust the dates and leave the next invoicing date blank so it is no longer picked up for invoicing.
- Set the end date on the original line to the last day of the period it covers. For example, if the 50 applies for the first two months of the year, set the end date to the end of February.
- Create a new line for the same item with the new quantity, for example 60.
- Set the start date on the new line to the beginning of the next period, for example the third month of the year.
- Set the end date on the new line to the end of the agreement, for example December.
- Make sure the new line has the correct next invoicing date so it gets invoiced going forward.
This way the top line shows the first part of the year with the original quantity, and the new line covers the rest of the year with the updated quantity. The original line stays in place as a record, and because you cleared its next invoicing date, it won’t be invoiced again.
Remember to add a price on the new line
When you create the new line, make sure to add a price. If the price is missing, the invoice won’t be correct. This is easy to overlook when you copy the item onto a new line, so check it before you run Create Invoice.
Q&A
How do I change the quantity on a subscription line in Business Central?
You can edit the quantity directly on the existing subscription line. The next time you run Create Invoice, the system uses the new quantity. This is the quickest method, but the line no longer shows the previous quantity.
How do I keep the history when a subscription quantity changes?
Keep the original line and set an end date on it for the period it covers, then clear its next invoicing date so it isn’t invoiced again. Create a new line for the same item with the new quantity, set its start date to the beginning of the next period, set its end date, and give it the correct next invoicing date.
Why isn’t my new subscription line invoicing correctly?
Check that the new line has a price. If the price is missing, the invoice won’t be correct. Also make sure the next invoicing date is set on the line you want to invoice and left blank on the line you have closed.
Should I edit the line directly or create a new line for each change?
It depends on how much history you want. Creating a new line for each change gives you a full record of every period, but frequent changes lead to many lines that are harder to overview. Editing the line directly keeps the subscription clean but loses the detail of the change on the line.