How Billing Offset in Work 365 Works

Modified on Mon, Nov 3 at 1:17 PM

Applies To: Work 365 (Billing Contracts)
Audience: Billing Managers, Finance, System Admins

Overview

A Billing Offset—shown as Invoice Generation Offset (days)—shifts when an invoice record is created relative to a Billing Contract’s Next Invoice Date. Use it to add review/approval time or align with staffing/holidays without changing the coverage period, proration, taxes, or charges.

In Advance contracts: Next Invoice Date = cycle start.
In Arrears contracts: Next Invoice Date = cycle end.
Offset is per Billing Contract (not global).

Key Concepts

Term	What it means
Next Invoice Date	Anchor date for invoice creation (cycle start for Advance; cycle end for Arrears).
Invoice Generation Offset (days)	Integer days applied to the anchor date: positive = after, negative = before.
Scope	Controls creation timing only; does not alter billed period or amounts.
Time zone	Execution follows your environment’s job schedule and environment time zone.

How It Works

Formula:
Invoice Date = Next Invoice Date ± Offset (days)

Positive offset → generate after the Next Invoice Date.
Negative offset → generate before the Next Invoice Date.

Examples (Monthly)

In Advance

Cycle starts on 1st (Next Invoice Date = 1st).
Default behavior (typical): generate on 2nd (system default ~+1 day).
+3 days → generate on 4th.
–3 days → generate on 28th/29th of prior month (month-length dependent).

In Arrears

Cycle end = last day of the month (Next Invoice Date = month end).
–3 days → generate on 28th/29th (3 days before month end).
+2 days → generate on 2nd of the next month.

The offset only moves the creation date; it does not change coverage, proration math, taxes, or amounts.

When to Use It

Build review/approval time before posting/emailing invoices.
Align invoice creation with staffing, holidays, blackout windows.
Coordinate with payment runs or ERP exports.

Configuration Steps (Per Billing Contract)

Go to Work 365 → Billing Contracts and open the contract.
In Billing / Automation (or Invoicing section), find Invoice Generation Offset (days).
Enter the number of days (negative = before; positive = after).
- If your version offers Before/After, choose accordingly.
Save the contract. Future invoice jobs will honor the new offset.

Security: You need permissions to edit Billing Contracts.

Quick Reference

Contract policy	Reference point (Next Invoice Date)	Offset value	Resulting invoice date
In Advance (Monthly)	1st of month	+3	4th of month
In Advance (Monthly)	1st of month	–3	28th/29th of prior month
In Arrears (Monthly)	Last day of month	–2	2 days before month end
In Arrears (Monthly)	Last day of month	+1	1st of next month

Best Practices

Mind the month boundary: Negative offsets can create invoices in the prior month—confirm posting periods and downstream accounting impacts.
Test first: Offsets interact with your invoice job schedule and time zone. Pilot with one contract.
Consistency: Keep offsets aligned across a customer’s contracts to avoid staggered invoice days.
No date drift: Changing the offset does not change Next Invoice Date.
Arrears tip: Remember your anchor is the cycle end.

FAQs / Common Questions

Does changing the offset modify the billed period, proration, or amounts?
No. It only changes when the invoice record is created.

Does the offset change the Next Invoice Date?
No. Next Invoice Date remains the anchor; the offset applies around it.

What if the offset pushes the invoice into a closed accounting period?
Adjust the offset or posting routines. Coverage is unchanged, but the creation date may fall in a prior month.

Can I set different offsets per customer or contract?
Yes. Offset is per Billing Contract.

How does time zone affect this?
Invoice creation follows your environment time zone and the scheduled job timing; validate in non-prod if timing is critical.