Payment plans let you split an invoice into one or more installments, each with its own due date, amount, and automated reminders. You can save a configuration as a reusable template or build a one-off plan directly on a single invoice.

A payment plan divides an invoice total into one or more installments, each with a due date and an optional reminder email. Payment plans are useful for large engagements, long-running projects, and any work where you want clients to pay over time. They are also necessary for Dubsado to recognize when a payment is late so overdue invoices show up in your reporting.

There are two ways to build a payment plan. You can save a reusable template under Invoicing ➔ Payment Plans and apply it to invoices, or you can build a one-off plan directly on a single invoice when you do not plan to reuse the configuration.

This article focuses on creating payment plans, configuring installments, and applying plans to invoices. For specific recipes (deposit-and-balance, milestone billing, equal monthly payments, and more), see payment plan examples. For autopay behavior, see autopay on payment plans. For setting up reminder emails, see automated payment reminders.

Templates let you save a payment plan configuration once and reuse it across any invoice or project. Use a template whenever you expect to apply the same installment schedule to more than one client.

To create a payment plan template:

Changes save automatically as you go, so there is no Save button to click.

Each template's header bar has icon buttons for duplicating and deleting the template. Use Duplicate when you want a new template based on an existing one, and use Delete to remove a template you no longer need. Template-level actions live in the header of the open template, not on the template list itself.

Installments are the building blocks of a payment plan. Each installment has three settings — a due date, an amount, and optional reminders — plus an autopay setting that applies to the whole plan rather than to individual installments.

To add a new installment to a payment plan, click Add installment. A new installment row appears that you can configure with a due date, an amount, and reminder emails. Click Add installment again for each additional installment you want to add.

Each installment's due date determines when payment is expected. You have three options: Fixed, Relative, and TBD.

A Fixed due date is a specific calendar date you choose. Fixed dates are best for one-time events or specific holiday offers where the date is known in advance.

A Relative due date calculates automatically based on a trigger event you select. Relative dates are ideal for templates because the due date adapts to each project's timeline.

The available triggers are:

Triggers can be set in days, weeks, or months. If a trigger relies on a project date or a signed contract that does not yet exist, the installment's due date displays as TBD until the project date is set or the contract is signed.

A TBD due date is a placeholder you fill in manually on the invoice when you are ready. TBD is useful for milestone-driven work where you do not know the exact deadlines at booking.

Each installment's amount can be set in one of three ways: Divide equally, Percentage, or Fixed.

Divide equally splits the invoice total evenly across all installments and recalculates automatically if the invoice total changes. This is a good default choice because it adapts to edits made later. For example, on a $3,000 invoice with three equal installments where the first $1,000 has been paid, adding $500 of work redistributes the remaining balance evenly across the two unpaid installments.

Percentage sets each installment as a percentage of the invoice total. Percentages can vary across installments, but they must sum to 100%. A common pattern is a 25% deposit followed by a 75% balance.

A Fixed amount is an exact dollar value that does not change with the invoice total. This is helpful for non-refundable deposits and other amounts that should stay the same regardless of the rest of the invoice.

You can mix and match amount types within a single payment plan. For setup recipes that combine these types, see payment plan examples.

Reminders are optional emails that notify your client when an installment is coming due. Without a reminder, your client receives no payment notice from Dubsado for that installment.

To add a reminder to an installment, click + Add reminder and configure when the email should send relative to the due date. You can edit the default reminder template at Messages ➔ Default templates ➔ Payment Plan Reminder.

For more on configuring reminders and how they send, see automated payment reminders.

Each installment row has a three-dot menu (...) with Duplicate and Delete options. Use Duplicate to copy an installment with all of its settings, and use Delete to remove it from the payment plan.

Autopay charges your client automatically on each installment's due date. By default, payment plan templates use your workspace-level autopay setting, but you can override that setting on any template or applied plan.

The autopay editor on a payment plan has a Follow brand settings toggle that controls whether the plan uses the workspace default or its own override. When you override, you can choose:

Autopay requires at least two installments with resolved due dates. It is not available on single-installment payment plans or on installments with TBD due dates.

Your workspace-level autopay preference is managed at Invoicing ➔ Payment settings or Settings ➔ Payments. For full eligibility rules, what cancels autopay enrollment, and how autopay interacts with payment processors, see autopay on payment plans and autopay enrollment settings.

A payment plan ends up on an invoice in one of three ways: you apply a template manually, you build a one-off plan directly on the invoice, or you apply a template through a proposal or flow. The starting point in each case is the invoice itself, which you can open from the Invoicing page or by opening a project and clicking the Invoicing tab.

To apply an existing template to an invoice:

Edits you make to the applied plan stay on this invoice and do not change the original template.

You can also build a payment plan directly on an invoice without selecting a template. This is best for one-off arrangements you do not expect to reuse.

Payment plan templates can also reach an invoice through a proposal or a flow. When a client completes a proposal, the payment plan template attached to that proposal applies to the invoice automatically. The same goes for flows that include a payment plan step.

To attach a payment plan to a proposal or flow, apply an existing payment plan template — there is no inline payment plan builder inside the proposal or flow editor.

You can edit a payment plan after it has been applied to an invoice. Edits you make on the invoice affect only that invoice's plan, never the original template.

If your client is enrolled in autopay when you edit an installment, you will see a Continue to Edit? confirmation dialog. The client stays enrolled in autopay through the edit, but you should let them know about anything that changes their charge — the amount, the due date, or the schedule.

Clients view the payment plan directly on their invoice page. Each installment displays its due date and amount, with a Pay now button next to the installment and another Pay now button for the full balance. If autopay is enabled and the client is enrolled, charges happen automatically on each due date with no action needed from the client.

When autopay is Optional or Disabled, clients can also enter a custom amount next to the Pay now button at the bottom of the invoice to make a partial payment. When autopay is Required, custom payments are not permitted.

Once an installment is paid, it locks. Adding gratuity or editing other parts of the invoice does not change a paid installment.

Yes. Edits to the applied plan do not affect the original template. If your client is enrolled in autopay, you will see a Continue to Edit? confirmation prompt — the client stays enrolled, but you should notify them about anything that changes their charge.

No. Templates and applied payment plans are independent. Edits to a template only apply to new invoices going forward.

No. Paid installments lock and cannot be edited or deleted. Adding gratuity or editing other parts of the invoice does not change a paid installment.

Percentage lets you set different proportions for each installment, such as a 25% deposit followed by a 75% balance. Divide equally splits the invoice total evenly across all installments and recalculates automatically if line items change — useful when the final invoice amount might shift before the work is done.

No. Autopay requires at least two installments with resolved due dates. For full eligibility rules, see autopay on payment plans.

Remaining reminders for that installment stop sending automatically. For more on how reminders are configured and sent, see automated payment reminders.