A recurring invoice automatically creates and sends an invoice to your client at regular intervals. Recurring invoices are ideal for subscription services where payments are ongoing and prices remain consistent over time.
What are recurring invoices used for?
Recurring invoices help you:
Automate billing for subscription-based services
Create a predictable income stream
Save time by eliminating manual invoice creation for regular clients
Manage all recurring schedules from one centralized location
Viewing and managing recurring invoices
Dubsado provides a centralized workspace where you can view and manage all recurring invoice schedules across your entire business. You no longer need to navigate into individual projects to manage recurring invoices.
Accessing your recurring invoices
Navigate to the Invoicing section in the main left sidebar.
Click Recurring Invoices.
From this centralized view, you can see all recurring invoices with key information including the amount, status, project, contact, start date, end date, next send date, number of invoices sent, and autopay settings.
Filtering and organizing recurring invoices
Use the available tools to quickly find the recurring invoices you need:
Use the quick filters above the table to view All, Draft, Active, or Completed schedules.
Click the Sort dropdown to organize the list by Start Date, Next Date (the next scheduled send date), or Number Sent.
Click the Display settings icon (three horizontal lines) on the right side of the page to:
Toggle between Table view and Board view
Group your invoices by no grouping, client, or project
Show or hide groups with no entries
Customize which properties appear in your table by clicking the eye icons
Understanding recurring invoice statuses
Recurring invoices have three distinct statuses:
Draft: The recurring invoice has been created but not yet started. Draft recurring invoices can be edited, started, or deleted.
Active: The recurring invoice is currently running and generating invoices. Active recurring invoices can be edited or stopped.
Completed: The recurring invoice has reached its end date or been manually stopped. Completed recurring invoices cannot be edited or deleted.
Creating a recurring invoice
You can create recurring invoices from two locations in Dubsado:
Creating from the Invoicing section
Navigate to Invoicing in the main left sidebar.
Click Recurring Invoices.
Click + New Recurring Invoice in the top right corner.
Select an existing Contact and Project from the dropdowns (you can create new ones directly within these dropdowns if needed).
Click Create Recurring Invoice.
Creating from within a project
Navigate to the Projects page.
Choose a project.
Click the Invoices tab.
Click Create new ➔ Recurring invoice.
After creating your recurring invoice, you'll need to configure three main sections:
Set up the recurrence schedule
Configure the invoice details and line items
Set up due dates and reminder emails (optional)
Set up the recurrence schedule
In the Recurring Invoice detail view, locate the Schedule section and click Edit to configure:
Recurrence interval: Select the number and interval (e.g., every 1 Month(s), Week(s), or Year(s)).
Start date: Choose when your first invoice will be created and sent.
Using a start date of the 31st will bill on the 1st for months without 31 days.
End date: Set when invoices will stop sending, or check Never ends to run indefinitely.
If setting an end date, choose a date that is one day after the final invoice to ensure it's created and sent.
Autopay settings: By default, autopay uses your workspace settings. Click Override to customize for this specific recurring invoice:
Disabled: Autopay will be turned off
Optional: Client can choose to enroll in autopay
Required: Client must pay via autopay
Click Save when finished.
Invoice details and line items
Below the schedule section, configure your invoice template:
Setting invoice details
Add a title for invoices created by the recurrence.
Add any notes that should appear on all invoices (optional).
Adding line items
Click +Add Item.
Add the Item Name.
Add a description (optional).
Enter a quantity and price per billing cycle. The price you set is the price that appears on all future invoices.
Enter a tax percentage (optional).
Select a category (optional).
Repeat steps 1-6 for additional line items.
Keep in mind that the grand total of your recurring invoice should be the amount you want your client to pay with each recurrence. For example, if your recurring invoice has two line items totaling $500, the client will be sent an invoice for $500 each week/month/year.
You can also use your package templates to add line items. Click the Select a package button to quickly apply any package template you've already created.
Recurrence email
Your client receives an email alerting them of each new invoice. The client receives an email each time the recurrence repeats, based on your schedule settings.
You can edit the default email template for all recurring invoices by heading to Messages → Default templates and choosing the Send invoice template.
Set up due dates and reminder emails
Although not required, adding a payment plan to a recurring invoice is useful to visibly show a due date on your client-facing invoice and send payment reminders for overdue invoices.
Due dates
To set a due date for your invoices:
Click Add installment in the Payment plan area.
Click TBD to edit the due date settings and choose Relative.
Do not choose Fixed or TBD dates for recurring invoices. These options will not properly set the due date after the first recurrence.
Select 0 day(s) after payment plan applied to invoice to have the invoice due the day the invoice is created.
Only use after payment plan applied to invoice—the other options won't function properly with recurring invoices.
Under Amount Due, leave this setting as 1 of 1 equal payments or select Percentage and type in 100%. Either way, the goal is for the client to pay the entire invoice amount with each recurrence.
Payment reminders
To add payment reminders for your invoices:
Under Reminders, click the empty area and then click +Add reminder.
In the When setting, select the length of time after the due date for a reminder email to send.
Based on the due date you selected, make sure your reminder is set to send out after the invoice is created. For example, if the due date is set to "5 days after payment plan applied to invoice," a reminder of "7 days before due date" is impossible—since the invoice won't yet exist.
Under Email template, choose a canned email template to use as your reminder email.
You can edit the default payment reminder email by heading to Templates → Emails → Default templates → Payment Plan Reminder.
Click Apply.
Repeat steps 1 to 4 to add as many email reminders as you'd like.
Starting the recurring invoice
Once you've configured all settings:
Click Save draft to save your configuration.
Review your recurring invoice settings.
Click Start recurrence to initiate the recurring invoice.
The recurring invoice must have a start date configured and at least one line item added before it can be started.
Editing active recurring invoices
One of the most significant improvements in Dubsado is that active recurring invoices can now be edited without stopping the schedule. This means you can make changes to pricing, line items, or schedules without disrupting your client's autopay enrollment.
To edit an active recurring invoice:
Navigate to Invoicing → Recurring Invoices.
Click on the active recurring invoice you want to edit.
Click Edit on the section you want to modify (Schedule, Invoice, or Payment Plan).
Make your necessary changes (e.g., updating line items, recurrence dates, or payment plan).
Click Save.
Important: If the client is currently enrolled in autopay, a warning will appear reminding you to notify the client about any changes that may affect their automatic payments. Be sure to communicate with your client before clicking Continue to save the edits.
Managing recurring invoice statuses
The actions available for a recurring invoice depend on its current status:
Draft invoices
Open the draft recurring invoice and use the actions menu to:
Start the recurrence
Delete the recurring invoice entirely
Active invoices
For active recurring invoices, you can:
Edit any section of the invoice
Stop the recurrence via the actions menu
Completed invoices
These schedules have run their course based on the defined end date. Completed invoices cannot be edited or deleted, but remain viewable for your records.
Viewing generated invoices
All individual invoices generated by a recurring schedule are visible within the recurrence detail view:
Open any recurring invoice from your list.
Look at the right sidebar under Created Invoices.
This list shows the invoice date, invoice number, and current status (e.g., Paid, Unpaid, In Progress).
Click any listed invoice to open the individual invoice detail view.
You can also view invoices within individual projects by clicking the Invoices tab to see all invoices associated with the project, or go to the Recurring Invoices sub-tab to view recurring invoices for a specific client.
FAQ
Can I add a discount to a recurring invoice?
No. Recurring invoices can't be discounted because the same invoice amount is sent each time.
Can my client update their credit card on a recurring invoice that has already started?
Yes. There is a Change payment method link on all client-facing invoices. Payment changes won't disrupt recurring invoices or autopay.
What if my client's autopay payment fails?
Please see what happens to failed payments for more information.
Can I edit the time a recurring invoice is sent?
No. The time that you click Start Recurrence is the time that all future invoices are sent.
Can I start a recurring invoice from a workflow or proposal?
No. You cannot start a recurring invoice from a proposal or workflow.
How do I edit the invoice email that gets sent out to clients?
Edit the default email for all recurring invoices in Messages → Default templates → Send Invoice.
Can I have multiple installments on a recurring invoice payment plan?
While multiple installments are possible within a recurring invoice's payment plan, we highly recommend only having one installment that charges 100% of the amount due. If you find yourself needing to add multiple installments, you might be better off creating a non-recurring invoice with a payment plan.
Why can't I edit a recurring invoice?
Check the status. If the status is Completed (meaning the defined end date has passed or the schedule has completed), the schedule is final and cannot be edited. Draft and Active recurring invoices can be edited.
Why can't I delete a recurring invoice?
Only Draft recurring invoices can be deleted. If the status shows Active or Completed, deletion is not allowed. Individual invoices created by a recurrence can still be closed or deleted.
My client is enrolled in Autopay. Can I still edit the recurring invoice?
Yes, you can edit active recurring invoices even if the client is enrolled in Autopay. The system will prompt a warning message reminding you to notify the client of any changes that might affect their automatic payments.
How do I find recurring invoices related to a specific project?
Navigate to the Projects section, select the project, and go to the Invoicing tab. Recurring invoices associated with that project will be listed there under the Recurring Invoices sub-tab. You can also filter the main recurring invoices list by selecting a specific project or client.
I can't start my recurring invoice. What's wrong?
Before a recurring invoice can be started, ensure that:
The recurring invoice has a valid start date configured
The invoice template contains at least one line item with pricing set