Renewal date vs the calculated renewal date
The renewal date is the figure you entered; the calculated renewal date is the next real renewal after any automatic roll-forwards.
On a software record you will see two related dates: the Renewal date and the Calculated renewal date. They usually match, but they answer different questions.
The Renewal date is simply the date you typed in. It never changes on its own. Think of it as the anchor for the current term.
The Calculated renewal date is the next renewal that is genuinely still ahead of you. StackTrackr works this out from the stored renewal date, the billing cycle and whether the tool auto-renews.
If a tool auto-renews and its renewal date has already passed, StackTrackr rolls that date forward by whole billing cycles (one month for monthly, three for quarterly, twelve for annual) until it lands in the future. That rolled-forward date is the real next renewal, so you are always looking at the upcoming commitment rather than a date that has already gone by.
If a tool does not auto-renew, or it is a one-off purchase, nothing rolls. The calculated renewal date is just the stored renewal date, because there is no automatic next term to work towards.
One thing to note: the anchor date and the billing cycle together decide the rolled date. If your quarterly tool renewed in the past, the calculated date steps forward in three-month jumps, not to an arbitrary point. Keep the billing cycle accurate so the roll-forward matches your real contract.
A quick tip: if the two dates differ, that is your signal the original renewal date is now historic and the tool has auto-renewed at least once. Editing the renewal date to the current term keeps both figures tidy.