---
title: "Prepaid plans: Subscriptions docs | Chargezen"
description: "Set up prepaid subscription plans in Chargezen: charge once for several deliveries, choose when prepaid customers are billed and when orders ship."
url: "https://chargezen.com/docs/subscriptions/prepaid-plans"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-10-18"
---

Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/docs/subscriptions/prepaid-plans

# Prepaid plans

Set up prepaid subscription plans in Chargezen: charge once for several deliveries, choose when prepaid customers are billed and when orders ship.

Last updated: 2026-10-18

A prepaid plan charges the customer once for several deliveries, for example three months of coffee paid up front and shipped monthly. You get paid sooner and customers have fewer charges to think about. There's no separate prepaid switch: a plan is prepaid when its billing interval is a longer multiple of its delivery interval. Set it up in **Subscriptions → Catalog → Subscription Plans**.

## Set it up

1

#### Create or open a plan

Choose **Create plan**, or open an existing plan.

2

#### Set billing longer than delivery

In a selling plan, set **Billing rules → Interval** to the prepaid period (for example 3 Month(s)) and **Delivery rules → Interval** to how often it ships (for example 1 Month(s)). Use the same unit for both.

3

#### Name it clearly

Say the prepaid period in the selling plan **Name** and **Plan selector label**, so customers know what they're paying for at checkout.

4

#### Optional: set prepaid billing cycles

In **Subscriptions → Billing & automation → Subscription settings → Billing**, use **Prepaid billing cycles (optional)** to control when prepaid customers are charged.

5

#### Save

Save the plan. Contracts on it show a **Prepaid subscription** badge.

## Prepaid settings

*   **Prepaid billing cycles (optional)**: charge prepaid customers **Every week** or **Every N weeks**, or in a set week of each month, for all selling plans or one. Changing it changes when prepaid customers are charged.
*   **Ship day**: when set, orders ship on the first ship day on or after the charge. It doesn't change when orders are released for fulfillment.

## What you see on a prepaid subscription

*   A **Prepaid subscription** badge and the billing frequency.
*   **Delivery frequency** instead of Frequency, and **Next renewal** instead of Next billing date.
*   When you change the frequency, you set **Deliver every** and **Charge every** separately.
*   Paid shipments are listed under the order's **Shipments**, where you can **Reschedule** one or **Release early**.

What prepaid renewals don't support

Dynamic shipping rates and one-time product changes aren't available for prepaid renewals. Prepaid subscriptions use a fixed recurring shipping charge.

## Importing prepaid subscriptions

When you create or import a contract on a prepaid plan with weekly, monthly or yearly deliveries, the **Recurring delivery anchor date** sets the delivery weekday, day of month or month and day. Leave it blank to keep the plan's schedule. See [CSV import template](https://chargezen.com/docs/subscriptions/migration-csv-template).

## Troubleshooting

### My plan doesn't show as prepaid

Billing must be a longer multiple of delivery in the same unit. For example, 3 Month(s) billing with 1 Month(s) delivery is prepaid. Mixing units, like weeks for billing and months for delivery, can give a schedule you didn't expect.

### I can't choose Dynamic shipping

Dynamic rates aren't available for prepaid renewals. Set a fixed recurring shipping charge in **Edit delivery details**.

### I can't add a one-time product

One-time product changes aren't available for prepaid renewals. Add it to a separate order instead.

## Related

*   [Prepaid subscriptions](https://chargezen.com/subscriptions/prepaid-subscriptions): get paid up front for several deliveries.
*   Glossary: [prepaid subscription](https://chargezen.com/glossary/prepaid-subscription), [quarterly subscription](https://chargezen.com/glossary/quarterly-subscription), [deferred revenue](https://chargezen.com/glossary/deferred-revenue).

### Related Articles

[

#### Create subscription plans

Billing and delivery rules



](https://chargezen.com/docs/subscriptions/create-product)[

#### Billing schedule

Billing hour, billing day and prepaid cycles



](https://chargezen.com/docs/subscriptions/billing-schedule)[

#### Shipping and delivery

Shipping on recurring orders



](https://chargezen.com/docs/subscriptions/shipping-and-delivery)

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