About prior configuration of contracts

A contract template serves as the base for a contract and provides it with the default settings.
For each type of contract (such as a service agreement or support plan) your company has with its customers, you can set up a contract template. Then, when you create a contract, you select the appropriate contract template, which causes the default settings to be filled in.
A contract template may also provide a list of products and services that you want to sell.
These services and products are represented by contract items, which you configure separately.

The customer account that you select for a contract provides the invoicing and location details that are specific to the customer.
When you create a contract, in addition to specifying the contract template, you specify the customer account, which causes the system to fill in appropriate settings that are specific to the customer.

If you want to give the customer a discount for services provided recurrently through the contract, you should configure a discount code, which determines the discount rate, the application rules, and the non-stock items it is applied to.
You can later specify this discount code when you create a contract.

For details on configuring discounts, see: Manage discounts.