How Deferred Billing Works for a Retail Membership

What is a deferred membership?

A deferred membership has a future start date. When a patient enrolls, their payment method is saved but no charge is made at enrollment. The membership enters a "Deferred" state and the first charge fires automatically on the membership start date.

What happens when a patient enrolls

• The patient completes enrollment and saves a payment method (credit card or ACH).
• No charge appears on their statement at this point — this is expected.
• On the patient's payment screen, the membership shows as Deferred with the saved payment method visible.

When is the first charge made?

The first charge fires on the membership start date, not the enrollment date.

Example: A patient enrolls on May 10. The membership start date is June 8. No charge occurs in May. On June 8, the first monthly charge processes automatically.

What clinicians see on the patient's payment screen

While the membership is in the deferred period, the payment screen displays the membership status as Deferred. The saved payment method is visible on the patient's payment screen. This confirms enrollment completed successfully even though no charge has occurred yet.

Common question: Why wasn't the patient's card charged?

If a patient asks why their card wasn't charged after enrolling in a deferred membership, this is the correct behavior. The charge will process on the start date shown in their membership details. No action is needed.