When a discount brings an invoice total to $0.00, Kilo GMS treats it as a settled invoice: it is marked Paid the moment it is created, no charge is attempted, and it can never become Past Due. This applies to a 100% discount code and to a fixed-amount discount equal to or greater than the price, on the Sales Portal, the athlete web checkout, and the point of sale. The invoice is kept on record so your discount usage report and the athlete's billing history show the redemption.
What you can do with $0.00 discounted invoices
Give away a package or retail item with a 100% discount code and no payment step
Let leads and athletes complete a free purchase without entering a card, and nothing will be charged later
Collect a card on a first-month-free offer so later installments can be charged
Assign a fully discounted package at the point of sale without charging any payment method
Track every free redemption on the discount usage report
What happens when a discount brings an invoice to $0.00?
The invoice is marked Paid immediately, with a payment date equal to the moment it was created, and no charge is attempted against any payment method. No payment processor is contacted, including Tap to Pay. If a card was entered during checkout, it is saved to the athlete's profile but never charged for this invoice.
How this plays out depends on where the $0.00 total comes from:
A new purchase or package assignment: the invoice is created as Paid at $0.00.
A retail or fees cart: the cart completes without a payment step and produces a Paid $0.00 invoice.
A discount added to an existing invoice from the invoice drawer: the invoice is marked Paid at the moment the discount brings it to $0.00. Because it is now Paid, the discount can't be removed afterwards, as with any other Paid invoice.
Future installments in a plan where the discount applies to all invoices: each $0.00 installment stays Upcoming until its due date, then is marked Paid on that date. It never becomes Past Due and never attempts a charge.
This only applies when the invoice total, after discount and tax, is exactly $0.00. An invoice that totals $0.01 or more is a normal invoice: a payment method is required, the charge is processed, and a receipt is sent.
When is a payment method still required at a $0.00 total?
A payment method is requested only when something on this purchase will be charged later, such as a following installment, a renewal, or a follow-up package. When nothing will ever be charged, no card is requested, even if the billing plan is set to require a payment method.
What will be charged later on this purchase | Payment method requested? |
|---|---|
Nothing: a single payment with no auto renew and no follow-up package, or a retail or fees cart | No |
The following installments, because the discount covers only the first one | Yes |
A renewal (auto renew is on) or a follow-up package | Yes |
What do athletes and leads see at checkout?
On the Sales Portal and the athlete web checkout, the summary shows Due today $0.00 and the button reads Confirm purchase. When no card is requested, no payment fields appear. The code confirmation shows the full amount saved, including tax.
A package whose billing plan is priced at $0.00 is a free package. Free packages never create an invoice and keep their own payment method rules.
What happens at the point of sale?
The invoice is marked Paid when you save, and nothing is charged, whatever payment method you choose.
The payment method field stays on the form, because it also controls auto pay and renewals for any packages that follow. You can choose any method, including Cash or Check, and the $0.00 invoice settles without using it. If you select Tap to Pay, no terminal payment is started.
A retail or fees cart that totals $0.00 completes without a payment step.
Frequently asked questions
Will a $0.00 invoice ever show as Past Due?
No. A $0.00 discounted invoice is marked Paid when it is created, or on its due date for a future installment, so it never enters Past Due or Payment Failed. No past due or failed payment notifications can be sent for it.
What if I see a $0.00 discounted invoice in Past Due?
It is marked Paid automatically, and the athlete receives no notification. Kilo GMS settles any discounted invoice that is due and totals $0.00 during its regular invoice collection, without attempting a charge. You don't need to do anything.
Does the athlete get a payment receipt for a $0.00 invoice?
No payment successful email or SMS is sent, because no payment was made. The upcoming invoice reminder is also skipped for future $0.00 installments. Package purchased and package started notifications send as usual, so the athlete still knows the package is theirs. If you send the invoice email or PDF yourself, it shows the discount rows and the $0.00 total like any discounted invoice.
Why was the athlete asked for a card if their total was $0.00?
Something on the purchase will be charged later. A card is requested when the discount covers only the first installment, when auto renew is on, or when a follow-up package is attached, because those later charges fail without a payment method on file. The checkout message tells the buyer when and why the card will be used.
Purchases in the Kilo app always ask for a payment method at checkout. The invoice itself still settles as Paid at $0.00 with no charge or receipt.
Do free redemptions count on the discount usage report?
Yes. A $0.00 invoice counts as one use, like any discounted invoice, and its savings count toward Total Saved. The redemption counts as soon as the discounted invoice exists. A one-time-use code is used up at that same moment, so the athlete can't redeem it again.
How do I undo a free package I gave with a 100% discount?
Delete the package. A Paid $0.00 invoice can't be voided or refunded like any Paid invoice. A refund isn't offered on it because no money was collected.
Where do $0.00 invoices appear in reports?
A settled $0.00 invoice appears in Total Revenue with a $0.00 amount and in the Invoices list as Paid. It doesn't appear in Pending Payments or Past Due Payments. A future $0.00 installment appears in Upcoming Revenue with a $0.00 amount until its due date.
What happens with a first-month-free code on a monthly plan?
The first installment is marked Paid at $0.00 right away, and the following installments are billed normally. A card is requested at checkout, and the checkout message names the amount and date of the next charge. If the card fails on a later installment, that installment follows normal past due handling. The $0.00 first installment stays Paid.
What if only one item in the cart is discounted to $0.00?
The rule looks only at the invoice total. If another item in the cart still has a price, the invoice totals more than $0.00 and payment is collected as usual.
Does this work for gyms outside the US?
Yes. The rule applies whenever the total after discount and tax is $0.00, in any currency and with either tax model. In gyms with tax-inclusive pricing, a 100% code applies to the tax-inclusive total, so the invoice still reaches $0.00.
Helpful tips
Turn off auto renew on packages you give away with a 100% code if you want the purchase to complete without a card.
Use a first-month-free code when you do want a card on file. The checkout message tells the buyer exactly when they'll be charged.
Let buyers on a first-month-free offer know when their next charge falls, since checkout shows only the $0.00 due today.
To take back a free package, delete the package. Paid $0.00 invoices have no Refund option.
When this feature is most helpful
Running a free trial or giveaway with a 100% discount code on the Sales Portal
Offering a first month free on a recurring membership
Giving a complimentary package or retail item at the front desk
Fully discounting an existing invoice from the invoice drawer
Measuring how many people redeemed a free promotion
If you have questions about $0.00 discounted invoices in Kilo GMS, our Support team is happy to help. Reach us at hello@usekilo.com.