Delivery controls
Runs and interval
Last updated by The PanelCompare editorial team
Why does runs and interval matter to a buyer?
These two numbers decide both the shape and the cost of the order, and only one of them is obvious. Interval controls how natural the curve looks; runs controls how much you are actually buying. A panel that charges 10× what you expected has not overcharged you — it has multiplied quantity by runs exactly as documented.
Interval choice has a practical floor and ceiling. Very short intervals reassemble into a spike and defeat the purpose; very long ones stretch an order past the point where a refill window is useful, since the refill clock generally starts at order completion rather than at each run.
How does runs and interval show up in a price list?
Both are order-form fields rather than catalogue columns, and both are optional parameters on the API add action for Default and Drip-feed order types.
Interval is always expressed in minutes, so a daily drip is an interval of 1,440. Panels usually enforce a minimum interval per service, which is not exposed in the catalogue and only surfaces as an error at order time.
Think this definition is wrong?
Terminology in this market is set by the panels that use it, and it moves. If a panel uses runs and interval to mean something other than what is written here, send us the listing and we will either correct the definition or record the variant. The process is on the about page.