The short answer: card-on-file for mowing subscriptions, refundable design deposit for project work. Mowing subscriptions bill recurring via Stripe; design-install jobs collect $300-$1,500 design deposit at the portal + 30-50% material deposit at contract signing. Both run through Stripe via Landscape Launch's customer portal.
Mowing subscriptions — card-on-file recurring
The subscription model is what makes lawn care economics work — recurring revenue with low monthly churn. The right billing structure:
- Card-on-file at signup via Stripe at the customer portal. No upfront deposit.
- Bill per-visit or monthly fixed. Per-visit charges day-of-service; monthly fixed charges on the day the homeowner picks at signup.
- Auto-renew at season end for cold-weather markets; year-round for warm markets.
Card-on-file dramatically improves subscription economics: AR drops to near-zero (bills paid the day they're generated, not 30-60 days later) and churn drops because cancellation friction is higher. Card-on-file subscriptions churn at 4-8%/year vs invoice-based at 15-25%.
Design-install jobs — deposit + milestone
- Refundable design deposit ($300-$1,500) at the customer portal before the on-site design consultation. Filters tire-kickers.
- Material + labor deposit (30-50% of contract) at contract signing.
- Balance at install completion — released after walkthrough.
- For multi-week projects, some contractors split into draws: 30% contract, 40% mid-project, 30% completion.
Snow plowing — card-on-file + seasonal flat
Snow plowing has two common billing models:
- Per-push billing via card-on-file — charge each plow event automatically.
- Seasonal flat fee — fixed monthly billing across the snow season regardless of plow count.
Most contractors offer both; homeowners pick based on their comfort with seasonal uncertainty. Card-on-file required for either path.
How Landscape Launch automates deposit + card-on-file
- Homeowner scans postcard QR. Lands on customer portal with rendered yard + subscription tier options.
- Stripe card-on-file flow integrated. Homeowner taps "Start my subscription" and enters card.
- Subscription confirmed. Recurring schedule generates automatically; first visit scheduled within 7 days.
- For design-install, the portal collects a refundable design deposit via Stripe before the consultation.
- Refund button available in the CRM if needed.
Common billing mistakes
- Invoice billing for mowing subscriptions. Drives 3× the churn of card-on-file and significant AR drag.
- No design deposit on big projects. $10K-$30K design-install jobs without pre-consultation deposit get tire-kicked.
- Slow refund processing. Drives reviews; refund within 7 business days automatically via Stripe.
- Skipping the seasonal auto-renew prompt. Manual renew at season end loses 15-30% of subscribers who would have renewed if auto-rolled.
Subscription card-on-file + design deposits. Automated.
Free account, free rendering, $1 per mailed landscape quote. Stripe card-on-file and design deposits on every customer portal.
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