# Service Dates 

Tracking service dates on invoices help provide clarity to customers regarding what date range service 
is being provided for.

They are also needed to accurately calculate revenue recognition and help identify when your business 
provided services to your customers. 

## Enable service dates

To enable service dates in ChargeOver: 

1. Go to the `Products` list in ChargeOver, and find the product you want to enable service dates for
2. Click the product, and then click the `Service Dates` tab 
3. Choose your service date calculation, and whether or not to show service dates on customer-facing invoices 

![Enable service dates](service-dates.png)

## Service date calculation 

ChargeOver supports several different methods of service date calculation. 

### Service starts on the date of the invoice 

This is for products with service dates that start on the date of the invoice 
(often referred to as "billing in advance"). 

For example, for a _monthly_ invoice created on `April 1, 2025`...

* Service dates will be `April 1, 2025` to `April 30, 2025` 
* Next invoice on `May 1, 2025`

### Service starts on the 1st of this month 

This is for products with service dates that start on the first day of the month, in the month 
the invoice is created in.

For example, for a _monthly_ invoice created on `April 20, 2025`...

* Service dates will be `April 1, 2025` to `April 30, 2025`
* Next invoice on `May 20, 2025`

### Service starts on the 1st of next month 

This is for products with service dates that start on the first day of _next_ month.

For example, for a _monthly_ invoice created on `April 20, 2025`...

* Service dates will be `May 1, 2025` to `May 31, 2025`
* Next invoice on `May 20, 2025`

### Service _ends_ on invoice date (arrears) 

This is for products with service dates that _end_ on the invoice date (often 
referred to as "billing in arrears").

For example, for a _monthly_ invoice created on `April 1, 2025`...

* Service dates will be `March 1, 2025` to `March 31, 2025`
* Next invoice on `May 1, 2025`

### No service dates

Choose this option if you do not want to track service dates for this product.

## Showing service dates on invoices 

ChargeOver will let you track service dates, even if you don't want to show them directly to 
your customers. 

To make service dates visible to your customers, make sure you enable this option. See 
[how service dates show on customer-facing invoices](/docs/invoices/service-dates/#showing-service-dates-to-your-customers).

![](service-dates-on-invoices.png)

## Related topics 

* [View and edit service dates on invoices](/docs/invoices/service-dates/)