Schedule Pattern Types

AccuArk provides nine schedule pattern types for recurring bills. Each pattern determines how the system calculates the date for the next bill in the sequence. This guide explains each pattern in detail.

The Nine Pattern Types

1. Monthly (Specific Day)

Generates a bill on a specific day of every month. The pattern option dropdown shows ordinal day numbers from 1st through 31st. If you select the 15th, a bill is generated on the 15th of each month.

For months that do not have the selected day (for example, selecting the 31st when February has only 28 days), the system uses the last available day of that month.

The first bill date sets the starting month, and the pattern option is automatically set to match the day of the first bill date.

2. Every Number of Days

Generates a bill at a fixed interval of days. The pattern option lets you choose a number from 1 to 100. For example, selecting 14 generates a bill every 14 days from the first bill date.

This pattern is useful for vendors who bill on a fixed-day cycle that does not align with calendar months.

3. Weekly (Specific Day)

Generates a bill on a specific day of every week. The pattern option shows the seven days of the week: Monday through Sunday. If you select Wednesday, a bill is generated every Wednesday.

This is ideal for weekly service bills such as cleaning services, weekly deliveries, or recurring weekly subscriptions.

4. Every Number of Weeks

Generates a bill at an interval measured in weeks. The pattern option lets you choose from 1 to 52 weeks. For example, selecting 4 generates a bill every 4 weeks.

Note that every 4 weeks is not the same as monthly. A 4-week cycle always falls 28 days apart, while monthly follows calendar months that vary from 28 to 31 days.

5. Every Number of Months

Generates a bill at an interval measured in months. The pattern option lets you choose from 1 month to 12 months. For example, selecting 2 generates a bill every 2 months.

This pattern follows calendar months, so a bill starting on January 15 with a 2-month interval generates on March 15, May 15, July 15, and so on.

6. Every Number of Years

Generates a bill at an interval measured in years. The pattern option lets you choose from 1 to 10 years. This is useful for annual insurance premiums, license renewals, or other yearly recurring costs.

7. Biweekly/Semimonthly

Offers two options:

• Every 2 weeks — Generates a bill every 14 days, equivalent to a biweekly schedule
• Twice a month — Generates two bills per month, typically on the 1st and 15th or other specified dates

Select the appropriate option from the pattern dropdown based on your vendor's billing cycle.

8. Quarterly

Generates a bill every 3 months. This is a shortcut equivalent to selecting "Every 3 Months" from the monthly pattern. The quarterly pattern pre-sets the interval so you do not need to configure it manually.

9. Last Day of the Month

Generates a bill on the last day of every month. The system automatically calculates the correct last day for each month, including February in leap years. The first bill date is adjusted to the last day of its month when this pattern is selected.

This is ideal for vendors who bill at month-end regardless of the specific day number.

Preview Grid

After selecting a pattern and clicking Create Schedule, the form displays a preview grid showing all the bills that will be generated. Each row includes:

Review the preview grid before saving to verify the dates and amounts are correct.

Editing a Schedule

You can modify schedule parameters and regenerate the preview before saving. Change the pattern, amount, first bill date, or due days, then click Create Schedule again to see the updated preview.

What to Read Next

• Recurring Bill Schedules Overview — High-level overview of the recurring system
• Bills Report — Detailed and Summary Views — View generated bills in reports
• Understanding Bill Statuses — Status of auto-generated bills