Require or offer automatic payments on recurring invoices so your clients are charged on the date of each invoice without lifting a finger.
Autopay eligibility and supported payment processors
Autopay on recurring invoices works with a connected payment processor. The processor you use determines which payment methods your clients can enroll with.
Dubsado Payments supports both credit card and ACH autopay.
Square supports credit card autopay only.
PayPal does not support autopay. PayPal lets clients bypass required autopay, so if you want to require autopay enrollment, turn off PayPal as a payment option in your workspace payment settings.
If your recurring invoice includes a payment plan, the payment plan must have no more than one installment for autopay to work. For payment plans with multiple installments, use autopay on a standard invoice instead.
To prevent clients from bypassing required autopay, turn off PayPal as a payment option in your workspace payment settings.
Edit your workspace autopay setting
Your workspace autopay setting is the default that applies to every new invoice. Changing it takes effect on the next invoice you send and does not disrupt existing autopay enrollments.
Navigate to Invoicing ➔ Settings ➔ Payment settings, or go to Settings ➔ Payments.
Find the Default autopay setting section.
Click Edit autopay.
In the Edit brand autopay setting dialog, choose one of the three options:
Disabled — Autopay will be turned off. Clients currently enrolled in autopay are not affected.
Optional — Clients will be able to enroll in autopay.
Required — Clients must pay via autopay. For current invoices, clients will be required to enroll in autopay the next time they make a payment.
Click Update setting to save.
For more on how the workspace setting affects enrollment behavior across Dubsado, see autopay enrollment settings.
Override autopay on a specific recurring invoice
You can override the workspace autopay setting on any individual recurring invoice. This is useful when one client should follow a different rule than the rest of your workspace.
Set an override
The autopay controls live inside the schedule editor on the recurring invoice, so you'll open the editor first and then adjust the autopay setting from there.
Navigate to the Invoicing page and select the Recurring invoices tab, or open the project, click the Invoicing tab, and select the Recurring invoices tab.
Open the recurring invoice.
Click Edit on the schedule section.
Next to Autopay, click Override. If an override is already set, this link reads Edit instead.
In the Autopay settings dialog, turn off the Follow brand settings toggle.
Select Disabled, Optional, or Required.
Click Save, then save the schedule editor.
The recurring invoice detail view reflects the current autopay state — either your workspace default, or the overridden setting (Disabled, Optional, or Required) on this recurring invoice.
Reset back to your workspace setting
If you no longer need an override, you can return the recurring invoice to your workspace default at any time.
Open the recurring invoice and click Edit on the schedule section.
Next to Autopay, click Edit.
Turn the Follow brand settings toggle back on.
Click Save, then save the schedule editor.
What stops autopay on a recurring invoice
A few specific actions cancel autopay enrollment on a recurring invoice. When autopay is cancelled, the client must re-enroll to resume automatic payments.
The following actions cancel autopay:
You disconnect or switch your payment processor.
An automatic payment fails.
The client stops autopay from their invoice.
You stop the recurring invoice by clicking Stop.
Editing a recurring invoice does not cancel autopay. You can edit the schedule, line items, and payment plan on an active recurring invoice without disrupting autopay enrollment. If the client is enrolled in autopay, a Continue to Edit? dialog appears, reminding you that your client is currently enrolled in autopay and asking you to notify them about any changes that may affect their automatic payments. Click Continue to proceed or Cancel to back out.
When autopay is stopped, both you and your client receive an email so everyone knows the enrollment is no longer active.
Disconnecting your payment processor stops all autopay enrollments immediately. All enrolled clients receive an email about the change.
Client view of a recurring invoice with autopay
Your client's invoice page changes based on the autopay setting in effect. The behavior is the same whether the setting comes from your workspace default or an override on that specific recurring invoice.
When autopay is set to Required:
The client cannot type in a custom amount to pay.
The Pay Now button next to an individual installment is removed.
Tipping is disabled.
The client must accept the autopay enrollment terms before they can pay.
When autopay is set to Optional, the autopay enrollment terms appear on the invoice, but the client is not required to accept them to pay.
Your client can click Change payment method on their invoice at any time to update the credit card or bank account on file. Changing the payment method does not cancel autopay.
View autopay status
You can check whether a client is enrolled in autopay directly from the recurring invoices list.
Navigate to the Invoicing page and select the Recurring invoices tab, or open the project, click the Invoicing tab, and select the Recurring invoices tab.
Look at the Autopay column. The value reads On if the client is enrolled and Off if they are not.
Autopay emails and notifications
Several email templates and one notification setting control how you and your client are kept in the loop about autopay activity.
Customizable email templates
Navigate to Messages ➔ Default templates to edit any of the following:
Send Invoice — Sent to the client for each new recurring invoice.
Autopay Failed — Sent to the client if an automatic payment fails.
Autopay Enabled — Sent to the client after they enroll in autopay.
Autopay Cancelled — Sent to the client when autopay is stopped.
Notification settings
Navigate to Settings ➔ Notifications. Under the Invoices category, the Automatic payment failed notification controls whether you receive an alert when an autopay charge fails.
FAQ
Can I edit a recurring invoice after it has started without cancelling autopay?
Yes. You can edit the schedule, line items, and payment plan on an active recurring invoice, and editing does not cancel autopay. If the client is enrolled in autopay, a Continue to Edit? dialog reminds you to notify the client about any changes that may affect their automatic payments.
What happens if an automatic payment fails?
For recurring invoices, autopay stays on for future invoices in the recurrence even after a failure. Both you and your client receive an email about the failed payment.
Can my client use PayPal with required autopay?
No. PayPal does not support autopay. Clients can bypass required autopay by making a one-off payment with PayPal. If you want to require autopay enrollment, turn off PayPal as a payment option in your workspace payment settings.
Why can't autopay be set up on my recurring invoice?
If the recurring invoice contains a payment plan with two or more installments, autopay can't be enabled. Make sure the payment plan has no more than one installment, or use autopay on a payment plan on a standard invoice instead.