Why Doesn't My Monthly Payment Run on the Same Day Every Month?

Topic

Billing Cycle

For

Front Office Team

Read Time

~3 minutes

Short answer

Smile Advantage monthly memberships are set to process every 30 days, not on the same calendar date each month. Because months have different numbers of days, the billing date may shift slightly over time.

How the 30-day billing cycle works

When a patient enrolls in a monthly membership:

• The first payment runs on the signup date.
• The next payment runs 30 days later.
• Each future payment runs every 30 days after that.

Since calendar months range from 28 to 31 days, the billing date may drift forward or backward slightly depending on the month.

Example:

• January 25 → next payment runs February 24 (30 days later)
• February 24 → next payment runs March 26 (30 days later)

Nothing is running early. It is simply following a consistent 30-day interval.

Why we use a 30-day cycle

Using a 30-day recurring structure:

• Keeps billing intervals consistent
• Aligns with standard recurring payment logic
• Prevents complications caused by short months (like February)
• Maintains predictable automation across all memberships

This is a common structure used across subscription-based services.

”But my patient expected it on the 25th…”

This is the most common scenario we see. Sometimes patients expect their card to be charged on the same calendar date every month. When February has fewer days, or when the month has 31 days, the 30-day structure can cause a 1 to 2 day shift.

For most patients, this goes unnoticed. For patients who track their paydays or deposits closely, even one day can matter.

Is this a system error?

No. If a charge runs 30 days after the previous payment, the system is functioning correctly. If you ever see a payment running outside of the 30-day interval, please contact Support so we can investigate.

Can we set a specific calendar date instead?

Yes. If your practice prefers payments to run on a specific date (for example, the 15th or the 25th of every month), we can create a custom plan such as “1x Monthly Payment (25th of the Month)”.

Important considerations

• Your team will need to intentionally select the correct plan when enrolling new members.
• Having multiple billing-date plans requires team awareness to avoid enrolling patients into the wrong one.

If you would like specific run-date plans added to your dashboard, contact Support and let us know your preferred date(s).

Best practice recommendation

If your team receives recurring questions about billing dates:

• Educate patients at enrollment that payments run every 30 days
• Consider offering annual payment options
• Or request a custom fixed-date plan if your patient base prefers it