> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flexprice.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Subscription Billing Workflows

> Choose the billing workflow that matches your business model. Each workflow controls who owns the subscription, who receives the invoice, and how usage is tracked.

## Which workflow do I need?

Every Flexprice subscription has a `subscription_type` that controls billing ownership. Use the table below to pick the right workflow before you start.

| Workflow                                                                           | Your situation                                                                       | Who gets invoiced              | `subscription_type`                                  |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| [Standalone](/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/standalone)                     | Each customer is independent: their own plan, invoice, and wallet                    | Subscription owner             | `standalone`                                         |
| [Consolidated Billing](/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/consolidated-billing) | One parent contract covers multiple child entities; one invoice to HQ                | Parent customer                | `parent` (HQ) + `inherited` (children, auto-created) |
| [Delegated Invoicing](/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/delegated-invoicing)   | Each customer has their own subscription, but a third party pays all the bills       | Delegated payer                | `standalone` with invoicing redirect                 |
| [Grouped Invoicing](/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/grouped-invoicing)       | Multiple separate subscriptions for the same company; Finance wants a single invoice | Parent subscription's customer | `grouped_invoicing` (children) + `parent`            |

<Tip>
  If none of these match, start with **Standalone**. It is the default and works for the majority of direct B2B and B2C billing scenarios.
</Tip>

## Key concept: hierarchy lives on subscriptions, not customers

Flexprice keeps customer records flat. There are no parent or child fields on a customer. All billing relationships are configured on the **subscription**. This means:

* You can mix billing workflows per customer without restructuring your customer data
* Switching a customer from standalone to grouped invoicing is a subscription operation, not a customer edit
* Two customers can be related for billing purposes while remaining independent entities in your system

## Workflows at a glance

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Standalone" icon="user" href="/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/standalone">
    Default. One customer, one subscription, one invoice. No configuration needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Consolidated Billing" icon="building-columns" href="/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/consolidated-billing">
    Enterprise HQ buys one plan. Subsidiaries generate usage. One consolidated invoice.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delegated Invoicing" icon="arrow-right-arrow-left" href="/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/delegated-invoicing">
    Reseller model. Each end customer has their own subscription. One party pays all invoices.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Grouped Invoicing" icon="layer-group" href="/docs/subscriptions/billing-workflows/grouped-invoicing">
    Multi-product company. Three separate subscriptions. Finance wants one monthly invoice.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Mutual exclusion

The four `inheritance` fields on Create Subscription are mutually exclusive. You can only specify one billing relationship per subscription:

| Field                                           | Cannot be combined with                                                                                     |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `external_customer_ids_to_inherit_subscription` | `invoicing_customer_external_id`, `subscriptions_ids_for_grouped_invoicing`, `parent_subscription_id`       |
| `invoicing_customer_external_id`                | `external_customer_ids_to_inherit_subscription`, `subscriptions_ids_for_grouped_invoicing`                  |
| `subscriptions_ids_for_grouped_invoicing`       | `external_customer_ids_to_inherit_subscription`, `invoicing_customer_external_id`, `parent_subscription_id` |
| `parent_subscription_id`                        | `external_customer_ids_to_inherit_subscription`, `subscriptions_ids_for_grouped_invoicing`                  |