If you create new subscriptions regularly in Business Central, you can save a lot of time by setting up templates that you copy each time you need a new subscription order. This article walks through how subscription templates work, what to be aware of when you set them up, and the one field that determines whether the system tries to invoice your template by mistake.
To create a subscription template, you make a subscription order and assign it a template number using manual numbering. You then copy that template whenever you need a new subscription of the same type.
You must add a customer to the template, even though it is just a template. The recommended approach is to create a dummy customer, for example number 99999, with no information filled out. That way the system does not copy address, sell-to details, or postcode into your new subscription orders.
Leave the next invoicing date blank on every template. A blank next invoicing date tells the system to skip the template when you run the create invoice job. If you fill it out, the system will try to invoice the template itself.
Leave start and end dates blank as well so your employees actively choose the correct dates when they create each new subscription.
Why subscription templates make sense
For many companies it makes sense to create different templates for new subscriptions. Instead of entering manual lines every time, you copy a template and adjust the details. The more lines you have on a subscription, the more time the template saves you, because you avoid entering each line manually.
A practical example: you might already have a template for a basic subscription and one for an online portal. If you also offer a premium club membership, you create a third template for that. Keeping the template names similar, for example “TEMP PREMIUM”, makes them easy to find and recognise later.
How to set up a subscription template in Business Central
You create a template the same way you create a normal subscription order, because a template is essentially just a subscription order that you copy. To set one up:
- Allow manual numbering in the number series, then give the template a recognisable number such as “TEMP PREMIUM”.
- Add a customer to the template. You always need a sell-to customer on a subscription order, and templates are no exception.
- Add the lines you want to copy, for example a premium membership item plus any extra items that belong on that subscription type.
- Enter the quantity, typically one of each, and let the price pull through from the item if there is one.
- Set the invoice frequency on the lines.
- Add a VAT code where relevant.
The lines are the main reason to use templates. They are what you really want to copy, and they are where the time saving comes from.
Use a dummy customer to keep templates clean
Because a subscription order requires a sell-to customer, your template needs one too. The trick is to create a dummy customer specifically for this purpose, for example number 99999, and leave its details blank.
When you copy the template into a real subscription order, the system has nothing to copy from the dummy customer card, so it does not pull in an address, postcode, or sell-to information that you would otherwise have to remove. You then assign the real customer to the new order.
If a template always uses the same salesperson, you can add that to the template so it copies across as well.
Leave the next invoicing date blank to avoid accidental invoicing
The most important field to get right on a template is the next invoicing date. It must be blank.
A blank next invoicing date is how you tell the system not to invoice the template when you run the create invoice job. The system reads the blank date as “nothing to invoice here” and skips the template. If you leave a date in that field, the system will treat the template as a live subscription and try to invoice it.
How to handle start and end dates on templates
For start and end dates, you have two options.
You could enter fixed dates, for example 1 January to 31 December for a yearly subscription, and keep one template per year. That works, but it means maintaining a new template each year and making sure the dates stay correct.
In practice, most customers prefer to leave the dates blank on the template. That forces employees to consider and enter the correct dates when they create each new subscription, which reduces the risk of copying outdated dates by mistake.
Copying the template for a new subscription order
Once your templates are set up, you have a set of ready-made starting points. In the example above, that means three templates: basic, online portal, and premium. When you need a new subscription, you copy the relevant template, assign the real customer, set the correct dates, and you are ready to go.
Q&A
How do I create a subscription template in Business Central?
You create a subscription template the same way you create a subscription order, because a template is essentially a subscription order that you copy. Allow manual numbering in the number series, give the template a recognisable number, add a customer, and fill in the lines you want to copy. You can then copy the template each time you need a new subscription of that type.
Why should I use a dummy customer on a subscription template?
A subscription order always requires a sell-to customer, so the template needs one too. If you use a dummy customer with no details filled out, for example number 99999, the system has nothing to copy from the customer card. That means it does not pull in an address, postcode, or sell-to information that you would otherwise have to delete when you assign the real customer.
How do I stop the system from invoicing my subscription template?
Leave the next invoicing date blank on the template. A blank next invoicing date tells the system there is nothing to invoice, so it skips the template when you run the create invoice job. If you fill in a date, the system will treat the template as a live subscription and try to invoice it.
Should I enter start and end dates on a subscription template?
It depends on your preference. You can enter fixed dates, such as 1 January to 31 December for a yearly subscription, but then you need one template per year and have to keep the dates current. Most customers prefer to leave the dates blank so employees actively enter the correct dates each time they create a new subscription.
When is a subscription template most worth setting up?
Templates save the most time when your subscriptions have many lines. Instead of entering each line manually every time, you copy the template and adjust the details. The more lines involved, the bigger the time saving.