This is what happens in the video
If you create subscriptions in Business Central with similar invoice lines, you can save time by building templates and copying them to new subscriptions. You create a subscription from a template using the Copy Document function, not a separate template selection like you know from item or customer templates.
Subscription templates are assigned to a dummy customer because Business Central does not allow subscriptions without a customer number. When you copy a template to a real subscription, you replace the dummy customer with the actual one.
The Copy Document function copies a standard sales blanket order behind the scenes, so the document type must always be set to Blanket Order when you copy a subscription.
Keep the next invoicing date blank on the template itself so the template never gets invoiced. Run a periodic check filtered on the dummy customer number to confirm that only template subscriptions, and no active customer subscriptions, are assigned to it.
Why subscription templates are assigned to a dummy customer
If your subscriptions look alike in terms of the lines you are invoicing, it is a good idea to create templates. In this example there are three templates, and they are all assigned to a dummy customer.
The reason is simple: Business Central does not allow you to create subscriptions without a customer number. So a dummy customer is used to hold the templates until you copy them to a real subscription.
How to create a subscription from a template with Copy Document
Creating a new subscription from a template works differently from item or customer templates. With those, you are prompted to select a template directly. For subscriptions you use the copy function instead.
Click New and then go to the Copy Document function. The name might seem odd, because it does not feel like you are copying a document. You might expect it to be called something like “copy subscription”. But this functionality is built on standard features, and you are actually copying a standard sales blanket order. That is why it is called Copy Document.
Because of this, the document type must always be set to Blanket Order when you copy a subscription. The copy function remembers what you did last time, including the document type, the last template you copied, and the options and filters you used. You can change any of these as needed.
Select the template you want, for example a basic template. Make sure to include the header so all the fields are copied along with the lines. Confirm, and the new subscription is created with all the lines from the template.
Replacing the dummy customer with the real customer
The first thing you do after copying is to select the correct customer, since the template was assigned to the dummy customer. Choose the right customer and confirm the prompts to update the lines.
Now the new subscription has the correct customer and all the lines copied from the template, so you do not have to enter them manually. If you have subscriptions with many lines, this is where you really save time.
You are not limited to copying templates. If you want to, you can copy an existing subscription for the same customer. Just be aware of dates and other details that you need to adjust afterwards.
Setting up the new subscription
Once the lines are in place, you can do the setup for the specific subscription. For example, you can apply a discount, set the start date (such as the first of August), and choose the invoicing frequency, such as yearly invoicing.
You also set the next invoicing date. This is the field that you always leave blank on the template, so you never accidentally invoice the template itself. After you connect the lines, the subscription is ready.
Checking that no real subscriptions sit on the dummy customer
It is worth going through your subscriptions regularly to make sure you do not have active subscriptions for actual customers that were wrongly left on the dummy customer number.
To check this, set a filter based on the Sell-to Customer No. field. If you have just one dummy customer, filter on that specific customer number and confirm that only template subscriptions are assigned to it. You can also look into the different blocking options for the customer number and the other settings available for that purpose.
Q&A
Why are subscription templates assigned to a dummy customer in Business Central?
Business Central does not allow you to create subscriptions without a customer number. A dummy customer is used to hold the templates until you copy them to a real subscription.
How do you create a subscription from a template?
Click New, then use the Copy Document function. Select your template, include the header, and confirm. The lines are copied to the new subscription. Unlike item or customer templates, you are not prompted to select a template directly.
Why is the function called Copy Document instead of copy subscription?
The functionality is built on standard features and actually copies a standard sales blanket order behind the scenes. That is why it is called Copy Document.
What document type should you use when copying a subscription?
The document type must always be set to Blanket Order when you copy a subscription, because the function builds on standard sales blanket order functionality.
How do you prevent a template from being invoiced?
Always leave the next invoicing date blank on the template. This ensures the template itself never gets invoiced.
How do you check that no real subscriptions are stuck on the dummy customer?
Set a filter on the Sell-to Customer No. field for the dummy customer number and confirm that only template subscriptions are assigned to it. You can also use blocking options on the customer number.