Updated Jan 9, 2023
A recurring invoice automatically creates and sends an invoice to your client at regular intervals. Recurring invoices are best used for subscription services where payments are ongoing and prices stay the same.
In this article:
Create a recurring invoice
Setting up the first recurring invoice is a manual process for each client within their project. After you set up the first invoice, all the following invoices are automatic!
Go to Projects.
Click on the client to open the project.
Click on Invoices.
Click on the Recurring Invoices tab.
Click Add.
Fill out the three sections:
Click Start Recurrence to initiate the recurring invoice.
Set up the recurrence frequency
Set up the recurring frequency under Recurrence Settings.
Autopay: Determines if you want clients to enroll in automatic payments. For more information, see autopay enrollment settings.
Send Every: Sets an interval of weeks, months, or years as the billing cycle.
Starts on: Marks the date that your first invoice is created and sent. Using a start date of the 31st will bill on the 1st for days without 31 days.
Ends on (optional): Marks the date that invoices will stop sending. Choose an end date that is one day after the date of the final invoice.
Set up the invoice and recurrence email
Invoice
Set up your first recurring invoice:
Change the Title to edit the invoice name that your client sees in the client portal. If left blank, the client portal defaults to “Invoice”.
Click New Line Item.
Add the Invoice Item Name.
Add a description (optional).
Enter a quantity and price per billing cycle. The price you set in the invoice is the price that appears on all future invoices.
If you are charging $100/month, write a quantity of 1 and a price of $100.
Enter a tax percentage (optional).
Select a category (optional).
Click Save Item.
👋 Here's a tip... Create an invoice template under Templates >> Packages. Easily pull up the invoice template by clicking the Packages button!
Recurrence email
Your client gets an email alerting them of each new invoice. Edit the default email for all recurring invoices in Templates >> Canned Emails >> Edit Templates >> Send Invoice.
Set up due dates and reminder emails (optional)
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 to your clients for overdue invoices.
👋 Here's a tip... Create a payment plan template for all recurring invoices under Templates >> Payment plans.
Due dates
To set a due date for your invoices:
Click Create payment plan.
Click Add installment.
Click (TBD) - Click to set due date. Additional due date options appear.
Under Due Date, select Relative.
Don’t choose Fixed or TBD dates for recurring invoices — they will not alert you to overdue invoices!
Select 0 day(s) after payment plan applied to invoice to have the invoice due the day the invoice is created (based on the recurrence frequency you set).
Only use after payment plan applied to invoice — the other options won’t function properly with recurring invoices.
Under Amount Due, select Percentage and type in 100%.
Payment reminders
To add payment reminders for your invoices:
Under Reminders, click Add reminder.
Under Send date, select the length of time after the due date for a reminder email to send.
Only use after due date for recurring invoices. Using before due date will create email errors.
Under Select an email, choose a canned email template or write a new canned email.
Edit the default payment reminder email in Templates >> Canned Emails >> Edit Templates >> Payment Plan Reminder.
Newly written emails will save in Templates >> Canned Emails.
Click Apply.
Click Save.
Repeat steps 1 to 5 to add as many email reminders as you’d like.
Edit or end a recurring invoice
Once you click Start Recurrence, recurring invoices can’t be edited in order to protect clients from surprise billing changes.
To make edits, you must first end the current recurring invoice:
Go to the client’s specific project in Projects.
Click Invoices >> Recurring Invoices.
Click to open the invoice you want to change.
Select End Recurrence.
Create a new recurring invoice with your updates.
If your client was enrolled in autopay, they must re-enroll with the new invoice.
View recurring invoices
In each individual project, click the Invoice List tab or Recurring Invoices 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.
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?
How do I edit the invoice email that gets sent out to clients?
Edit the default email for all recurring invoices in Templates >> Canned Emails >> Edit Templates >> Send Invoice.
Can I create multiple installments on a payment plan?
Yes, but the best practice for recurring invoices is to have one payment plan installment that charges 100% of the amount due. Review the difference between recurring invoices and payment plans.