The Cloud Service Agreement (v2) has two date fields that often get set to the same value - but they control different things. Understanding the difference helps you structure deals where signing, access, and billing happen on different timelines.
What each field controls
Effective Date is when the legal framework of the agreement takes effect. This includes obligations like confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and other baseline legal protections. It appears in the Key Terms section of the Cover Page.
Order Date is when your customer's access to the Cloud Service begins and when the business terms kick in - including the subscription period and billing. It appears in the Order Form section of the Cover Page.
Both fields default to the date of the last signature on the agreement. In most deals, you can leave them both at the default and they'll be identical.
When to use the same date
For the majority of deals, keeping both fields at their default (date of last signature) is the right call. The agreement takes effect, access begins, and the subscription period starts all at once when both parties sign. If that matches your deal structure, there's nothing to change.
When to use different dates
Use different dates when signing and access - or signing and billing - happen at different points in time.
Legal coverage starts at signing, access starts later
The most common scenario: you want confidentiality and other legal protections to apply as soon as both parties sign, but the customer won't get access to the product until a later date - for example, after onboarding is complete or a go-live milestone is reached.
In this case:
Leave Effective Date at its default (date of last signature)
Set Order Date to the specific future date when access and billing should begin
The legal terms start at signing. The subscription clock starts on the Order Date.
Access and billing start on a specific future date
If you've agreed that the subscription starts on a set calendar date - for example, June 1 - set Order Date to that date regardless of when the agreement is signed. The subscription period and any billing tied to it will begin on that date.
Access is tied to an event, not a fixed date
For deals where access depends on something happening - such as "the date we notify you in writing that the service is available" - select Other for Order Date and enter a plain-language description of that trigger.
NOTE: If you use the Other option, MagicBill cannot automatically create a Stripe subscription. MagicBill requires a fixed date to set up billing. You'll need to manage billing for that agreement separately, or update the Order Date to a fixed date once the trigger occurs.
A quick way to think about it
If someone asks "are we covered from the moment we sign?" - the answer is yes for legal protections (Effective Date), but not necessarily for product access (Order Date). Use Order Date to control exactly when the customer can start using the service and when the subscription period begins.
For more on how billing ties to these dates, see MagicBill - Automatic Billing.