Charge clients automatically on each payment plan installment due date by enrolling them in autopay. This article walks through how autopay works on payment plans, how to override the workspace setting per plan, and what cancels autopay enrollment.
If you are working with a recurring invoice instead of a standard invoice, see autopay on recurring invoices for setup specific to that flow.
Autopay eligibility on payment plans
Before a client can enroll in autopay on a payment plan, a few things need to be in place across your workspace and the plan itself.
The following are required for autopay to work on payment plan installments:
A connected payment processor accepting credit card payments. Dubsado Payments and Square both qualify, and Dubsado Payments also supports ACH.
Two or more installments on the payment plan.
A resolved due date on every installment. Autopay does not work on TBD due dates or relative due dates that have not been mapped yet.
No more than one overdue installment.
Even when autopay is set to Required, clients can bypass it by paying with PayPal. To enforce required autopay, do not connect PayPal as a payment option in your workspace.
Edit your workspace autopay setting
Your workspace autopay setting is the default that applies to every payment plan unless an individual plan overrides it.
Navigate to Invoicing ➔ Payment settings, or go to Settings ➔ Payments.
On the Default autopay setting card, click Edit autopay.
In the Edit brand autopay setting dialog, choose one of the following:
Disabled — Autopay is turned off. Clients currently enrolled in autopay are not affected.
Optional — Clients can choose to enroll in autopay.
Required — Clients must pay via autopay. For current invoices, clients are required to enroll the next time they make a payment.
Click Update setting.
Edits to the workspace setting only affect future enrollments. They do not interrupt clients who are already enrolled.
Override autopay on a payment plan
Each payment plan can override the workspace autopay setting with its own Disabled, Optional, or Required value. The override is part of the payment plan itself, so it travels with the plan whether you apply it as a template, attach it to a proposal, or send it through a flow.
The current autopay state appears on the invoice as Autopay: Optional, Autopay: Required, or Autopay: Disabled, reflecting either the per-plan override or the workspace setting if no override is set.
On a payment plan template
Use this path when you want every invoice that applies the template to inherit the same autopay rule.
Navigate to Invoicing ➔ Payment Plans and open the template you want to override.
In the Autopay section, click Override. If an override is already set, the link reads Edit instead.
In the Autopay settings dialog, turn the Follow brand settings toggle off.
Select Disabled, Optional, or Required.
Click Save.
An override on a payment plan template flows with the template at the moment it is applied. Each invoice that applies the template inherits the override at apply time, but later edits to the template do not retroactively change invoices that already have it applied.
On an invoice's payment plan
Use this path when you want to override autopay on a single invoice without touching the underlying template.
Navigate to the Invoicing page and open the invoice, or open the project and click the Invoicing tab, then open the invoice.
In the Payment plan section, click Edit.
Next to Autopay, click Override (or Edit if an override is already set).
In the Autopay settings dialog, turn the Follow brand settings toggle off.
Select Disabled, Optional, or Required.
Click Save.
On a proposal or flow
To set an autopay rule on a payment plan inside a proposal or flow, apply an existing payment plan template that already has the override you want. The template carries its autopay setting with it, so you do not need to configure autopay separately in the form or flow editor.
Reset back to your workspace setting
If you want a payment plan to follow your workspace default again, open the Autopay settings dialog and turn the Follow brand settings toggle back on. Click Save. The plan's display updates to match your workspace setting.
For more on payment plans, see payment plans.
Edit a payment plan without disrupting autopay
You can edit a payment plan, change the invoice (line items, discounts, applied payments), update or remove the project date, or remove a signed contract without cancelling the client's autopay enrollment. The client stays enrolled, and autopay continues to charge the remaining installments.
When the client is currently enrolled in autopay, a confirmation dialog titled Continue to Edit? appears the first time you make a change. Click Continue to proceed, or Cancel to back out.
Editing a payment plan does not cancel autopay, but your client is still being charged automatically. Notify them about any change to amounts, dates, or schedule before saving so they are not surprised by a different charge.
What cancels autopay
Once a client is enrolled, only a small set of actions cancels their enrollment. When autopay is cancelled, the client must re-enroll on the public-facing invoice to resume automatic payments.
The following actions cancel autopay on a payment plan:
You apply a new payment plan template to an invoice that already has autopay active.
You disconnect or switch the payment processor (Dubsado Payments or Square).
An automatic payment fails.
You or the client manually stops autopay from the invoice.
When autopay is cancelled, the Autopay Cancelled email is sent to the client.
Disconnecting your payment processor stops every autopay enrollment in your workspace immediately. Each enrolled client receives a cancellation email.
How clients see autopay
Most of the autopay experience plays out on the public invoice your client opens to pay. The behavior they see depends on the autopay setting on the payment plan.
When autopay is Required on the payment plan:
The client cannot enter a custom payment amount.
Tipping is disabled on the invoice.
The client must accept the autopay enrollment terms before they can pay.
When autopay is Optional, the autopay enrollment terms appear on the invoice but acceptance is not required to pay.
Your client can click Change payment method on the invoice at any time to update the credit card or bank account on file. Changing the payment method does not cancel autopay.
Custom partial payments are blocked when autopay is Required. They are allowed when autopay is Optional or Disabled.
If an automatic charge fails, autopay is cancelled and the Autopay Failed email goes to the client. The client must re-enroll on the public invoice to resume automatic payments.
The autopay setting also shows on the invoice in your dashboard. In the Payment plan section, the value displays as Autopay: Optional, Autopay: Required, or Autopay: Disabled, reflecting either the per-plan override or your workspace setting.
Autopay emails and notifications
Dubsado sends a small set of emails to your clients around autopay events, and you can choose how you are notified about failed automatic payments.
To customize the client-facing email templates, navigate to Messages ➔ Default templates:
Payment Plan Reminder — the installment reminder sent before or after each due date. For setup, see automated payment reminders.
Autopay Enabled — sent to the client after they enroll in autopay.
Autopay Failed — sent to the client if an automatic charge fails.
Autopay Cancelled — sent to the client when autopay is stopped, whether by you, the client, a failed payment, or a processor change.
To control your own notifications, 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 a client pay gratuity while on autopay?
Only when autopay is set to Optional or Disabled. When autopay is Required, tipping is turned off on the invoice. For more on tipping, see accept tips from clients.
Can I edit a payment plan after my client is enrolled in autopay?
Yes. Editing the payment plan, the invoice, line items, the project date, or removing a signed contract does not cancel autopay. A Continue to Edit? confirmation dialog appears as a heads-up. Notify your client about any change to amounts or dates so they are not surprised by a different charge.
Can I enroll a client in autopay myself?
No. Autopay enrollment requires the client to accept the enrollment terms on the public-facing invoice. You cannot enroll on their behalf.
What happens if my client's automatic payment fails?
The failed charge cancels autopay and sends the client the Autopay Failed email. The client must re-enroll on the public invoice to resume automatic payments.
I'm using a recurring invoice — how do I set up autopay?
Autopay on a recurring invoice that contains a payment plan only works when the plan has a single installment. For invoices with multi-installment payment plans that need to recur, use a standard invoice with autopay instead. See autopay on recurring invoices for the full setup.