Revenue Schedule Software for B2B SaaS on QuickBooks Online
A revenue schedule that stays right when billing, service periods and contracts do not line up. TrueRev builds a month-by-month schedule for each contract, showing what is recognized, what is still deferred and what is unbilled, product by product. Your books stay in QuickBooks Online.
A 14-day free trial is available. Official QuickBooks Partner. Intento closes its books in 2 days instead of 10. Perch recognizes hardware, SaaS and services revenue on different schedules (customer stories).
What is a revenue schedule, and what is a revenue waterfall?
A revenue schedule shows how the revenue from a contract is recognized over time, month by month. Revenue schedule software builds that schedule from the contract instead of from a spreadsheet formula. TrueRev is revenue schedule software for B2B SaaS finance teams that use QuickBooks Online.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Revenue schedule | The plan for how a contract’s revenue is recognized across its term |
| Deferred balance | The part of what you have invoiced that you have not yet earned |
| Unbilled | Revenue you have earned but not yet invoiced |
| Revenue waterfall | A view that shows how deferred or contracted revenue steps down into recognized revenue, period by period |
In TrueRev, each contract’s schedule runs month by month, and the deferred balance steps down until it reaches zero. If you need a consolidated waterfall layout across all of your contracts, bring that layout to the demo and we will show you what TrueRev reports today.
How TrueRev builds a revenue schedule
Add the contract
Enter the deal, or import closed-won deals from HubSpot. If you have already sent invoices from QuickBooks, you can create the contract with those invoices.
Choose how each product is recognized
Add each product to the revenue schedule and pick its method. Ratable spreads revenue across a period. All-at-once recognizes it on a single date.
Set the dates
Fill the start and end dates from the contract term or from the invoice, or enter the actual service period.
Read the schedule
The Report section shows three rows by month: Revenue, Deferred and Unbilled.
Bring a contract whose billing does not match its service period.
Daily or monthly: choose how each month is calculated
TrueRev gives you two revenue bases. The default is daily: revenue for a month depends on the number of days in that month, so it varies. The alternative is monthly with proration: every full month gets the same amount, and a part month is prorated by days.
Example A: a $12,000 annual subscription starting 1 January, in a 365-day year.
| Month | Daily basis | Monthly with proration |
|---|---|---|
| January (31 days) | $1,019.18 | $1,000.00 |
| February (28 days) | $920.55 | $1,000.00 |
| March (31 days) | $1,019.18 | $1,000.00 |
| Full year | $12,000 | $12,000 |
The year total is the same either way. The basis changes when revenue shows up, not how much. Choose the one that matches your revenue policy. CampusOptics’ CEO notes that true daily revenue recognition is hard to do in Excel (customer story).
Illustrative example, not customer data. Rounding may differ by a cent. Which basis applies is a decision for you and your accountant.
What happens when billing and service do not line up
An amount counts as deferred revenue once its invoice is marked Sent. A scheduled invoice that has not been sent does not count. If you earn revenue before an invoice goes out, the amount shows as unbilled until the invoice is sent and associated.
Example B: a $12,000 annual subscription starting 1 January, billed quarterly at $3,000, with the second-quarter invoice missed on 1 April.
| Month-end | Recognized in the month | Deferred | Unbilled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 January | $1,000 | $2,000 | $0 |
| 28 February | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| 31 March | $1,000 | $0 | $0 |
| 30 April, second invoice not yet issued | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
| 30 April, after the invoice is issued and associated | $1,000 | $2,000 | $0 |
The last two rows show the same month before and after the invoice is associated. The unbilled amount clears and the deferred balance picks up the unearned part of the new invoice. This is how finance catches missed invoices before month-end close.
Illustrative example, not customer data. Which recognition method applies, and how each amount is treated, is a decision for you and your accountant.
Renewals and contract changes on the same schedule
Renewals as new terms
A renewal is a new term linked to an existing contract, which extends the original agreement. You can duplicate the previous term, and the renewal’s start date follows the end date of the term before it. If the renewal has the same products and values, its revenue is recognized automatically. If the values differ, you set up a revenue schedule for the difference. A contract that is unrelated to an existing one is a new contract instead.
When the contract value changes
When a customer adds value mid-term, you update the product’s quantity or price on the contract, set up a revenue schedule for the added value with its own method and dates, and associate the invoice for the added value once it exists. The original schedule stays as it was, and the added value gets its own line. Upgrades, cancellations and expansions are also recorded as contract events with history.
Example C: the $12,000 subscription from Example A, with $3,000 of added value from 1 July to 31 December, recognized ratably.
| Month | Original schedule | Added value | Total recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
| July | $1,000 | $500 | $1,500 |
| December | $1,000 | $500 | $1,500 |
| Full year | $12,000 | $3,000 | $15,000 |
Illustrative example, not customer data, using the monthly-with-proration basis. How an upgrade is treated is a decision for you and your accountant.
Recognition dates and ARR stay separate
The revenue start and end dates you set on a schedule affect only the revenue schedule report. They do not change MRR, SaaS metrics or booking dates, so adjusting when revenue is recognized does not distort your recurring revenue metrics.
Five checks when a schedule does not look right
Is the invoice marked Sent?
A scheduled invoice that has not been sent does not count as deferred.
Is the invoice associated to the right product?
An unassociated invoice leaves earned revenue showing as unbilled.
Do the dates match the service period?
The schedule follows the revenue start and end dates, not the invoice date.
Which revenue basis is selected?
Daily and monthly with proration give different amounts month by month.
Does the renewal or added value have its own schedule?
When values change, the difference needs its own schedule.
From schedule to journal entries and month-end
The schedule feeds the month-end revenue report and the journal entries prepared for QuickBooks Online, ready for your accountant to review. TrueRev supports your process. Your accountant decides how ASC 606 applies to each contract. See also revenue recognition and deferred revenue.
Excel revenue schedules vs. TrueRev
| Task | Excel and QuickBooks alone | With TrueRev |
|---|---|---|
| Building a schedule | Formulas written and checked by hand for each contract | Products added to the contract’s revenue schedule |
| Daily or monthly calculation | A different formula for each policy | One choice of revenue basis |
| Deferred balance | Reconciled against invoices by hand | Moves when an invoice is marked Sent |
| Missed invoices | Found at month-end, if at all | Shown as unbilled until the invoice is associated |
| Renewals | New tabs or copied rows | A renewal term on the same contract |
| Value added mid-term | Formulas rewritten | Added value gets its own schedule with its own dates |
| Versions | Multiple files and versions | One platform |
Five questions to ask any revenue schedule tool
How is each month calculated?
Daily and monthly-with-proration give different monthly numbers. TrueRev lets you choose.
Can each product follow its own method?
In TrueRev you set the method for each product on the contract.
What makes an amount deferred: the invoice or the payment?
In TrueRev it is the invoice date, once the invoice is marked Sent.
What happens when an invoice is missing or a contract changes?
TrueRev shows earned revenue as unbilled until the invoice is associated, and gives added value its own schedule.
What layouts do you get, and what does it cost?
TrueRev provides month-by-month Revenue, Deferred and Unbilled rows for each contract. If you need a consolidated waterfall, bring it to the demo. Plans are on the pricing page, and a 14-day free trial is available.
Who TrueRev fits, and who should look elsewhere
TrueRev fits when: you are a B2B SaaS company on QuickBooks Online; revenue schedules and deferred revenue live in spreadsheets; billing dates and service periods often differ; you want each product on a contract to follow its own recognition method.
Look at other options when: you need multi-entity consolidation or enterprise ERP revenue accounting; most of your revenue is metered usage; you need a revenue subledger across several billing systems.
Not sure? Bring your current schedule to a demo and we will say plainly whether TrueRev fits.
What finance teams say
Revenue schedule questions
Can I use invoices I have already sent from QuickBooks?
Yes. You can create a contract in TrueRev that includes invoices you have already sent, then associate them to the contract’s products.
When does an amount count as deferred revenue?
Once its invoice is marked Sent. Scheduled invoices that have not been sent are not counted as deferred. Earned revenue with no invoice yet shows as unbilled.
Do the revenue dates change my ARR or MRR?
No. The revenue start and end dates affect only the revenue schedule report, not MRR, SaaS metrics or booking dates.
Does TrueRev have a revenue waterfall report?
TrueRev’s revenue schedule report shows revenue, deferred and unbilled totals month by month for each contract, so you can watch the deferred balance step down to zero. If you need a consolidated waterfall layout across all contracts, bring it to a demo.
What is the difference between a renewal and a new contract?
A renewal is a new term linked to an existing contract that extends the original agreement. A contract that is unrelated to an existing one is set up as a new contract.
What happens when a customer adds value mid-term?
You update the product on the contract, set up a revenue schedule for the added value with its own method and dates, and associate the invoice for the added value once it is available. Your accountant decides how the change is treated.
How long does setup take, and what does it cost?
Connecting QuickBooks Online takes minutes, and loading contracts depends on how many you have. A 14-day free trial is available, and current plans are on the pricing page.
See your revenue schedules built from your own contracts
Bring a few real contracts, including one where billing and service do not line up, to the demo. A 14-day free trial is available.