Updated Jan 31, 2023

You have the option to require your clients to enroll in automatic payments for recurring invoices. Once enrolled in autopay, your client is automatically charged on the date of each invoice!

For information on payment plans, please see autopay on payment plans.


In this article:


Edit autopay settings

Change your autopay setting in Settings >> Receive Money. For detailed information, see autopay enrollment settings.

Heads up! Changing autopay enrollment settings won’t interrupt or change active enrollments. Changes only affect future enrollments.

arrow pointing to settings icon

Autopay eligibility

The following are required for autopay to work on recurring invoices:

Heads up! Clients can bypass a required autopay by paying with a bank account or PayPal. To prevent clients from bypassing autopay, only allow Accept Credit Card Payments.

accept credit card payments checked

What stops autopay on a recurring invoice

If autopay is stopped, both you and your client will get an email. The email is auto-generated by Dubsado and can’t be edited.

The following actions will turn off autopay. Your client must manually re-enroll to go back on autopay:

arrow pointing to end recurrence button that will stop autopay
  • Your client’s credit card fails for two consecutive overdue invoices. See failed payments.

  • Your client manually stops autopay.

how to stop autopay on an invoice on a client's view

Manage client payments

Jump to:

Recurring invoice changes

If autopay is set to Required, the following changes occur on the client’s recurring invoice:

  • The client can’t type in a custom amount to pay

  • The Pay Now button next to an installment is removed

  • Tipping is disabled

  • Clients must accept the autopay enrollment terms before they can pay

    • If you set autopay to Optional, the autopay enrollment terms will appear, but the client is not required to accept the terms to pay

autopay enrollment terms on an invoice

Change payment method

Your client can go to an invoice at any time and click Change payment method to update the credit card on file. Payment changes won’t disrupt or cancel autopay.

arrow pointing to where to change payment method on an invoice

Failed payments

Please see what happens with failed payments while on autopay.


Autopay emails and notifications

To customize your emails, go to Templates >> Canned Emails >> Edit Templates.

  • Send Invoice: Emails client of each new recurring invoice.

  • Autopay Failed: Emails client if an automatic payment fails.

  • Autopay Enrollment Confirmed: Emails client after enrolling in autopay.

Both you and your client will get an email if autopay is stopped on a recurring invoice. The email is auto-generated by Dubsado and can’t be edited.

example of canceled recurring invoice email

Notification settings

Change your system notifications under Settings >> Notifications.

arrow pointing to notification settings

Client autopay status

Client autopay status appears inside the client’s project under Invoices >> Recurring Invoices.

location that shows clients on autopay

Override brand settings

You have the option to override the autopay preference you chose in Settings. Override is useful if you want specific invoices to differ from the overall brand setting.

To override a recurring invoice within a project:

  1. go to Projects.

  2. choose your specific client.

  3. click on Invoices.

  4. click on the Recurring Invoices tab.

  5. click Override.

where to override autopay in individual invoices

Reset back to brand settings

If you no longer need an overridden invoice or payment plan, you can revert it back to what you have set in Brand Settings.

  1. Go to the section containing the overridden autopay.

  2. Click Edit.

  3. Check Reset to brand setting.

  4. Click Update autopay.

box indicating the checkbox to reset to brand setting

FAQ

Why isn’t there an option for autopay on a payment plan within the recurring invoice?

Payment plans added to a recurring invoice are mainly used to create reminder emails and due dates to the client-facing invoice — not for setting up payment installments.

If you want a payment plan for the purpose of having payment installments, please go to autopay on payment plans instead.

What if I have additional questions?

Please see our autopay enrollment settings FAQ page or send us a chat message!

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