# Set Action Locking & Payment Scheduling Periods

A template term's *action locking period* is the time between when an action is tracked by impact.com and when it locks (or can no longer be updated). During this period, you should perform any necessary action modifications or reversals, since the action can't be updated once this period has passed.

A template term's *payment scheduling period* is the amount of time between when an action locks and when the partner is paid out for driving the action. During this period, you should ensure that your account has enough funds to cover both the amount recorded on the Statement of Invoices (SOI) and any impact.com invoices.

### Configure your locking period

You can define when an order becomes final and can no longer be reversed by using a fixed *days* locking period or a dynamic `month + day` locking period. 

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="The 27-day day-only limit" %}
If you configure your locking period using *days* only, the maximum value is 27 days. This limit ensures:

* **Standardization:** Calendar months vary (28, 29, 30, or 31 days). A 27-day window is the longest duration that is guaranteed to fit within *every* month of the year.
* **Preventing cycle drift:** By using a sub-28-day cadence, we ensure that costs and conversions always lock within their intended monthly cycle. This prevents "overlapping" or "drift," where a transaction from one month might inadvertently lock in a different fiscal period due to a short month like February.
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Dynamic month-based locking" %}
If you require a locking period longer than 27 days, you should use a `Month + Day` configuration. Unlike fixed day counts, month-based locking adjusts based on the month when the order occurs.

If you set up a 1-month + 15-day locking period, the platform calculates the total duration by looking at the specific month:

| If the month is...                | The lock duration will be... |
| --------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Feb (Standard)                    | 43 Days (28 + 15)            |
| Feb (Leap Year)                   | 44 Days (29 + 15)            |
| Apr, Jun, Sep, Nov                | 45 Days (30 + 15)            |
| Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Oct, Dec | 46 Days (31 + 15)            |
| {% endtab %}                      |                              |
| {% endtabs %}                     |                              |

1. From the top navigation bar, select ![](/files/2qeX6EqajzdOPiwzfeV5) **\[User profile] →** [**Settings**](https://app.impact.com/secure/advertiser/account-settings-flow.ihtml?execution=e6s1).
2. In the left column, under *General*, select **Template Term Rules**.
3. In the *Rule Enforcement* section, select the ![](/files/pJsLBrBDVoHbzf2iiL1a) **\[unchecked box]** below **Application of the rules**.
4. In the *Template Term* section, ![](/files/OoA2qxPalfCYKZvmxuU6) **\[Toggle on]** **Action Locking** and configure the setting as needed.
   * In this example, the setting is configured to `Actions are locked 0 months and 27 days after the end of the month`:
5. Next, ![](/files/OoA2qxPalfCYKZvmxuU6) **\[Toggle on]** **Payment Scheduling** and configure the setting as needed.
   * In this example, the setting is configured to `Actions are paid 0 months and 20 days after the end of the month they lock`:
6. Select **Save**.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Example**: If you configured your action locking and payment scheduling periods as shown above, and your partners drove actions during the month of January, all actions will lock on 28 February. Come 2 March, you'll receive an SOI from impact.com tallying up all partner invoices. At this point, you should begin the process to fund your account sufficiently to cover these invoices *and* your impact.com invoice. Finally, your account will be debited on 20 March so that your partners can be paid.
{% endhint %}


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