---
title: "Limit Periods"
description: "Understand the daily, weekly, monthly, rolling 30 days, and lifetime period options for customer limits."
contentType: "docs"
locale: "en"
localized: true
source: "https://orderrules.com/docs/customer-rules/limit-periods"
slug: "customer-rules/limit-periods"
---
## Choose the Right Time Period

When you create a customer limit, you choose a time period that determines how long the limit applies before it resets. OrderRules supports five period types.

## Daily

The limit resets every day at midnight in your store's timezone.

```
Example: Max 1 order per customer per day

Monday 9 AM:  Customer places order -- OK
Monday 3 PM:  Customer tries again -- Blocked
Tuesday 8 AM: Limit reset, customer can order again
```

**Best for:** Businesses that fulfill daily (meal delivery, bakeries) and want to ensure fair distribution each day.

## Weekly

The limit resets every Monday at midnight.

```
Example: Max 3 orders per customer per week

Monday:    Order 1 -- OK
Wednesday: Order 2 -- OK
Friday:    Order 3 -- OK
Saturday:  Order 4 -- Blocked
Next Monday: Resets to 0
```

**Best for:** Weekly production schedules, subscription boxes, or services with weekly capacity.

## Monthly

The limit resets on the 1st of each month at midnight.

```
Example: Max 5 orders per customer per month

Week 1: 2 orders -- OK (2/5)
Week 2: 2 orders -- OK (4/5)
Week 3: 1 order  -- OK (5/5)
Week 3: Another order -- Blocked
1st of next month: Resets to 0
```

**Best for:** Monthly subscription caps, high-value items where you want to spread demand across the month.

## Lifetime

The limit never resets. Once a customer hits the limit, they cannot purchase more, ever.

```
Example: Max 1 unit of Limited Sneakers per customer (lifetime)

Order 1: Customer buys 1 pair -- OK
Order 2 (any future date): Customer tries again -- Blocked forever
```

**Best for:** Limited releases, collectibles, exclusive items, or anything where you want a permanent cap per person.

## Rolling 30 Days

Instead of resetting on a fixed calendar date, a rolling period counts backwards 30 days from the moment of checkout. The customer's allowance frees up gradually as their older orders age out of the window.

```
Example: Max 40 lb per customer, rolling 30 days

Mar 3:  Customer buys 40 lb -- OK (40/40 used)
Mar 20: Customer tries to buy 10 lb -- Blocked (Mar 3 still counts)
Apr 3:  The Mar 3 order ages out -- the full 40 lb is available again
```

**Best for:** Fair-share allocation, shipping and packaging budgets, and [weight-based limits](/docs/customer-rules/weight-based-limits) -- anywhere a hard calendar reset would let a customer buy twice within two days at the month boundary.

## Choosing the Right Period

| Period | Resets | Best For |
|--------|--------|----------|
| Daily | Every midnight | Daily production, same-day delivery |
| Weekly | Every Monday | Weekly schedules, subscription services |
| Monthly | Every 1st | Monthly quotas, high-demand items |
| Rolling 30 days | Continuously | Fair-share allocation, weight and shipping budgets |
| Lifetime | Never | Limited editions, one-time purchases |

## How Resets Work

All time-based resets happen automatically at midnight in your configured timezone. There is no manual step required.

- **Daily:** Midnight every night
- **Weekly:** Midnight Sunday to Monday
- **Monthly:** Midnight on the 1st
- **Rolling 30 days:** No fixed reset -- each order ages out 30 days after it was placed

Lifetime limits have no reset -- the count accumulates indefinitely.

## Tips

- Start with a weekly or monthly period if you are unsure -- these are the most common
- Use lifetime limits sparingly and only for truly limited products
- You can change the period later without losing existing count data

## Related

- [Per-Customer Order Limits](/docs/customer-rules/per-customer-order-limits)
- [Per-Customer Quantity Limits](/docs/customer-rules/per-customer-quantity-limits)
- [Automatic Counter Resets](/docs/order-limits/auto-reset)