Creating Recurring Invoices

You may have heard of the term “recurring billing/invoicing.” It is a way for your customers to pay you automatically without having to manually enter their payment details every time they buy something from you.

This can be very useful if you sell products on a subscription basis; you may want to send them an invoice every month or so for the amount due in advance.

This article will show you how to set up and use a simple recurring invoice.

Step 1: Create a New Recurring Invoice

Navigate to Payments > Invoices & Estimates > From the dropdown select Recurring Invoices
Click + New in the top right and select New Recurring Invoice

This will navigate you to the Recurring Invoice Builder. Once you are there you can click on New Recurring Invoice at the top of your screen to rename this template if you choose to.

Step 2: Customize the Invoice to be Sent to Your Client

Under Business & Customer Information:

Click on the pencil icon to add your business information.

Click on “Business Logo” in the blue box to Select a File to upload your logo to the invoice.

Press Select Customer and select which of your existing clients you want to send the invoice to, or create a new client by clicking on + Add Customer

The Client’s information will auto-populate on the invoice preview on the right side.

Under Add Products:

Press + Add Product to select the product(s) that your client will be billed for
- You can edit the price and quantity once the item is selected by clicking on these parameters when they appear

Step 3: Customize the Recurring Invoice’s Frequency Settings

Customize the Frequency Settings to determine how often you want the invoices to be sent.
- Select if you want the invoices to go out Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly, and select the relevant days or dates that you want the invoices to be sent.
  - You can also select to have invoices sent in intervals of days, weeks, months, or years.
  - For example, if you want to have an invoice sent every 3 days, you would select Daily and then specify every 3 days.
- Select the start date for your invoices to begin to be sent
- Select the ending parameters for invoices to stop being sent
  - These options are Never, By, and After
    - If you select Never, Invoices will be sent at your chosen frequency indefinitely
    - If you select By, you will need to specify a date for the invoices to end by. On that specified date, no invoices will be allowed to be sent and the Recurring Invoice will end.
    - If you select After, you will need to specify a date for the invoices to end after. This will allow invoices to be sent on that specified date, and then the Recurring Invoices will end. If there are not any invoices that would normally be sent on the selected date, then no invoices will be sent and the Recurring Invoice will end.
- Select how many days in advance for the invoices to be sent or leave this section blank to have invoices sent the same day they’re due
  - For example, if a weekly invoice is due on Mondays, you can send it 2 days in advance so your customer has 48 hours to review

Under Additional Options:

Press Add Notes/Terms at the bottom of the invoice section to add any notes or terms that you want your client to see on the invoice.

Additionally, Users can attach up to 10 files, with a total size limit of 20MB, to estimates, invoices, and recurring invoices. Attachments offer flexibility for users to include important documents like terms, specifications, or visuals directly with estimates or invoices.

The attachments will be included in the email sent along with the estimate or invoice.

Note: Attachments are sent only with the initial email when the estimate or invoice is first sent, not with the ones that are subsequently scheduled.

Step 4: Save and/or Schedule your Invoice

In the top right of this page, press Save
- If you would like to Save and not schedule the Recurring Invoice yet, you can either press Save and then < Back in the top right, or press the drop-down arrow next to the Save button and then select Save and Close. Both of these options will save your Recurring Invoice as a Draft
Once you are ready to finalize your Recurring Invoice, select Schedule in the top right of your screen and Press Send in the confirmation window that will appear

In the confirmation window, you will also see Auto Payment options. These can be set up here or after your Recurring Invoice is scheduled. For a detailed overview of setting up Auto Payments, see our article “Auto Payments in Recurring Templates”

Now your Recurring invoice is set up and your clients should be able to automatically send their invoices!

Managing Active/Scheduled Recurring Invoices

Businesses can easily modify existing recurring invoices, offering the flexibility to adjust billing frequency, service dates, and the products or services listed. This ensures that invoicing remains accurate and aligned with changing client needs and agreements without the need to create new invoices from scratch.

How to Use:

To make changes, go to the Recurring Invoices section, select the active or scheduled invoice you wish to modify

Adjust the frequency, dates, or products/services as needed. After making the changes, save the invoice to apply them.

To customize email notifications, go to Invoice Settings, select Customer Notifications, and edit the "Auto Payment Amount Changed" notification to update the subject, message, and details sent to clients regarding any changes.

Setup Fee in Recurring Invoices This enables users to include a setup fee alongside a recurring charge within a single invoice. Previously, two separate invoices were required for products with both an initial setup fee and a monthly recurring charge. With this, users can streamline the billing process by consolidating these charges into one invoice. For the first invoice, both the setup fee and the recurring charge will be listed, while subsequent invoices will only include the recurring charge.

How to Use:

Go to Payments > Products section and create a product with the price type set to recurring.

Enter the original price in the Compare Price field. This will show customers the original price and highlight the discount, making it clear they are getting a good deal.
In the same pricing section, select the billing period for your product.
You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly billing periods, or set a custom duration based on your needs.
Add a setup fee to the product.
Create a recurring invoice from the Invoices section.

Add the product that includes the setup fee to the invoice.
Two line items will appear for the product: one for the setup fee and one for the recurring charge.

For all subsequent invoices, only the recurring charge will be included.
Select Invoice Start Date:
Choose the date you want to send the invoice for the first time.
Set the frequency to "every single month" or select another appropriate option.
Enter the start date (e.g., today) to begin invoicing.
Configure Invoice Settings:
Ensure the settings from the actual product are applied (e.g., "send this five times" for a recurring invoice).
Set the advance notice period (e.g., send the invoice 3 days in advance).
Add Client Details:
Add your client's information to ensure the invoice can be saved.
Save Invoice:
Scroll back up and click Save.
Confirm that the recurring invoice settings (e.g., every 4 months) have been saved.

Enhanced Features

Product Description Management

Users have the option to add and edit product descriptions directly on their invoices, a feature adjustable within the invoice settings.

Autofilling for Enhanced Efficiency

Autofilling of card and contact information is supported by various auto-filling extensions and browsers, ensuring accuracy and speed in payment processing.

Prominent Invoice Naming

A dedicated text box on the Send Invoice popup allows for direct editing of the invoice name, promoting accuracy and mindfulness in invoice management.

CC and BCC Integration

CC and BCC fields are included to facilitate comprehensive stakeholder communication when an invoice is sent.

Usage Instructions for Enhanced Features

Managing Product Descriptions

When creating or editing an invoice, opt to import product descriptions.

Customize these descriptions as needed before sending the invoice.

Utilizing Autofill

Configure autofill settings appropriately in your browser or extension.
Payment links and invoice fields will automatically populate, expediting the payment process.

Editing Invoice Names

Use the new invoice name text box to update the name before sending an invoice.
Ensure the name accurately reflects the specific transaction or billing period.

Viewing Sent Invoices and Payment Status

Here’s a description of what each status means:
- Sent: The invoice was successfully sent to the customer
- Overdue: The invoice was successfully sent on time but has not been paid by the customer
- Paid: The customer has paid for the invoice
- Not Sent: There was a system error in delivering the invoice to the customer and the invoice needs to be resent.
Invoice statuses can also be checked from inside the builder once the recurring template is Scheduled.
You can also view invoice history by clicking on the three vertical dots on the particular invoice and clicking View History

Pro Tip: You can also set up Autopayments in the Recurring Invoice builder both when and after you publish your recurring invoice. This will make it so that your client’s credit card will be automatically charged when you send their invoice. For information on how to set this up, see our article, “Auto Payments in Recurring Invoices”.

How to Stop Sending (Cancel) Future Invoices

Recurring invoices that are active or scheduled may be canceled/stopped from sending out future invoices. There are two ways to stop sending these invoices:
- Select the End option from the Actions dropdown on the Recurring Invoices page, and confirm the message in the popup window.

The other way is within the builder. Click the 3-dot dropdown menu to end the recurring invoice and confirm the message in the popup window.

PayPal Payment Method Support for Recurring Invoices

PayPal is available as a payment option for recurring invoices, giving customers more flexibility to choose their preferred payment method. This feature helps businesses cater to diverse client preferences, improving overall customer satisfaction and streamlining payment processes.

How to Use:

Ensure PayPal integration is active in your system.
Set up recurring invoices and include PayPal as a payment method.

Special Requirements/Limitations:

Auto-payment must be disabled for PayPal to be used with recurring invoices.
PayPal integration must be configured in the system settings.

Additional Pro Tips:

The list shown on the Recurring Invoices page represents the recurring templates created by the user, which are creating and sending individual invoices to the defined customer as per the frequency settings defined in them individually. Put simply, the list shows the parent invoice creator, which creates and sends out invoices per the frequency settings and customer details specified inside them.
Various notifications for recurring invoices can be automatically set up using Workflows
Canceled and Completed invoices can only be deleted if no invoice has been sent to the customer, or if the invoice was marked as complete manually.
Deleted recurring templates are not shown in the standard list view on your Invoices page.
Only one-time and recurring products are eligible for the recurring invoices. For recurring products, only the price for the recurring product is used and the frequency needs to be defined inside the invoice frequency setting. (For example, if you charge $500.00 one-time upfront for a service and then $50.00/month for an ongoing service, the recurring, ongoing $50.00 is eligible for the recurring invoices.)

FAQs for Recurring Invoices

1. How can I create a new recurring invoice?

Navigate to Payments > Invoices & Estimates > Select Recurring Invoices from the dropdown. Click + New and choose New Recurring Invoice to start building your invoice.

2. How do I set the frequency for my recurring invoices?

In the Recurring Invoice Builder, you can select the frequency of your invoices under the Frequency Settings. You can choose Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly, and specify the exact days or intervals between invoice deliveries.

3. Can I include a setup fee along with the recurring charge?

Yes, you can add a setup fee to the product in your Products section. This setup fee will appear on the first invoice, and subsequent invoices will only display the recurring charge.

4. How do I stop sending future invoices for a recurring invoice?

To stop future invoices from being sent, you can either select End from the Actions dropdown on the Recurring Invoices page or use the three-dot menu in the Recurring Invoice Builder to cancel the sequence.

5. How can I view the status of my recurring invoices?

You can check the status of recurring invoices by navigating to the Recurring Invoice Builder and selecting Show Invoice History at the bottom of the Frequency Settings. This will display statuses such as Sent, Overdue, Paid, or Not Sent.

6. How many files can I attach to an invoice and what is the maximum file size?

You can attach up to 10 files per invoice, with the total size for all attachments combined not exceeding 20MB.

7. Will clients receive notifications if I modify a recurring invoice?

Yes, when auto-payment is enabled, an automatic email notification will be sent to the client informing them of any changes to the recurring invoice. Remember to modify the subject, message body, and other details for the notifications to update the clients accordingly.