Recurring contract models
Flat monthly billing (28-day cycles) vs per-visit billing after service. Monthly smooths cash flow; per-visit matches actual skips during drought or vacation.
Document skip policies in writing before auto-charging cards — disputes spike when clients expect pause weeks without calling.
- Monthly flat rate — best for dense residential routes
- Per-visit auto-invoice — best when skip frequency is high
- Seasonal contracts — spring start, winter pause dates preset
- Commercial per-occurrence with PO numbers
Card-on-file best practices
Housecall Pro emphasizes payments natively; Jobber integrates processors cleanly. Collect cards at signup with explicit authorization language.
Retry failed cards automatically on day 3 and day 7 — then call. Silent failures cost thousands in unbilled summer revenue.
Syncing visits to invoices
Recurring schedules should generate visit instances crew complete in the field, then invoice rules fire. If billing is decoupled from completion, you invoice properties you never mowed.
Pair billing setup with QuickBooks integration so deposits reconcile nightly.
Seasonal pauses and proration
Set winter pause dates for snow-only or dormant turf markets. Configure proration for mid-month starts — new clients hate full-month charges for half service.