A recurring invoice creates a new invoice on a schedule from one template. Turn on Repeat when you create an invoice, choose how the client pays, and start the plan. Clients either pay each invoice with a link, or turn on autopay so their saved card is charged on each date (autopay needs Stripe). Recurring invoices are available on every plan.

Before you start

The client needs an email address (or a mobile number, if the plan's Delivery includes text).
To offer autopay, connect Stripe first. Without it, recurring invoices still send on schedule, and clients pay with a Pay button or the bank details on your invoice.
To create and start a plan you need the Invoices permission at the edit level. Sending an invoice early, sending a pay link, retrying a charge and copying client links also need Share invoices.

Set up a recurring invoice

The Repeat switch is on new invoices only. An invoice you have already saved can't be turned into a plan.

Open Invoices and start a new invoice, or choose Recurring and then New recurring invoice.
On Details, name the invoice, choose the client, add at least one item, and set the due terms. The total must be more than zero.
Turn on Repeat (Repeat this invoice on the Repeat tab). On a phone, the repeat settings are part of Details.
Under Every, choose the count and unit (weeks, months or years, from 1 to 12) and the day it falls on. Weekly plans use a weekday. Monthly plans use a day from 1 to 28, or the last day of the month. Yearly plans follow the first invoice's date.
Set First invoice.
Set Ends to Never, After a number of invoices or On a date.
Under How the client pays, choose Autopay or Pay link.
Under Sending, choose Send automatically or Review drafts first.
Check the Upcoming list, which shows each date and how it will be collected.
Select Save draft to keep it without starting, or Start plan and confirm.

After you start, the page says when the first invoice goes out. The client and currency can't change once the plan has started.

Schedules, first send and end

A start date in the past isn't back-billed. The first invoice goes out on the next schedule date from today.
If the first date is off the schedule's day, it still goes out on that date. Starting on October 15 with a monthly plan on the 1st sends on October 15, then November 1, then December 1.
If the first invoice is dated today, it goes out when you start the plan.
A plan that ends after a number of invoices or on a date creates its last invoice normally. It then shows as ended once that invoice is paid or void.
An ended plan can't be restarted. Use Start a new plan like this.

What each invoice copies

Each generated invoice copies the items, notes, terms, tax, discount and online page design from Details. It also copies the terms and conditions attachment and the PDF template, and keeps the client's currency and linked project. Other attachments aren't repeated. The invoice is named after the plan with the period, and the due date follows the due terms you set.

A recurring template has no Payment tab, so payment plans and deposits don't apply to it. A generated invoice can't be deleted and its client can't change. Make changes from the plan.

Automatic sending or drafts

Send automatically: each invoice is created on its date. With Pay link it is emailed with a Pay button. With autopay on, it isn't emailed. The card is charged and the client gets a receipt.
Review drafts first: each invoice is drafted 3 days early as a Draft, and nothing is sent or charged until you open the plan and select Review and send. For an autopay plan the draft can be made earlier, so the client's upcoming-charge notice can still go out in time.

Each invoice email uses 1 email credit per recipient. If an invoice can't be emailed, for example because you are out of credits, the plan shows the problem and you can send it another way.

Autopay

Autopay charges a card the client has saved. It is card only: bank transfers aren't used for autopay, and an invoice with cards turned off can't use it.

You choose Autopay on the plan.
The client gets the first invoice by email, with the autopay box on the invoice page. It isn't ticked for them.
The client ticks Pay future invoices for this plan automatically when they pay the first invoice. The button then reads "Pay $X and turn on autopay", and the card is saved with that payment. Nothing is charged for later invoices unless they tick the box. The page records the exact terms they agreed to.
From then on, each invoice is charged to that card on its date.

If the client pays without ticking the box, the next invoice goes out with a Pay button. You can use Send autopay link on the plan to email them a link to turn autopay on, or Copy autopay link for client to share it yourself.

The client receives:

An upcoming-charge email (or text, if the plan's Delivery includes it) 3 days before each charge (7 days for yearly charges and the first charge after a pause of a month or more). If it hasn't gone out in time, or the amount went up, the charge moves later so the client hears first.
A receipt after every charge.
An email when autopay is turned on or off.

Every receipt links to the client's autopay page. There they can see the next charge, use Update card, or switch off Pay automatically and confirm Turn off autopay. When they turn it off, you are notified, and later invoices go out with a pay link.

When the client must confirm a payment

Sometimes the client's bank asks them to approve a charge. The client is emailed a link and the plan shows Needs client. The invoice stays open until they select Confirm payment or pay another way. While it waits, no other autopay charge runs on that plan.

On the plan you can use Copy confirmation link to share the link yourself, or Send pay link to collect another way.

Failed payments and card expiry

A soft decline, such as insufficient funds, is retried automatically on day 3 and day 7 after the first attempt. The plan shows Payment failed with the next try date. You can change the days in Settings under Online Payments, Autopay, Retry failed charges.
After the last try, the invoice stays open with its pay link, and later invoices go out as pay links until the client saves a working card. The plan shows New card needed.
An expired, lost or closed card is never retried. The client is emailed right away to update it, and the plan shows New card needed.
30 days before a saved card expires, the client is asked to update it. You can turn this off with Card expiring email on the same tab.
When the client saves a new card, autopay comes back on by itself.
If Stripe is disconnected, autopay can't charge and invoices go out as pay links until you reconnect.

To act yourself, use Retry now, Send pay link, Ask for a new card or Copy card link on the plan. Retry now can't run while another charge is in progress.

In notification settings, the Recurring invoices group has Payment failed, Autopay received, Client must confirm, Autopay turned off and Draft ready to review. In Workflows, the Autopay payment succeeded and Autopay payment failed triggers are in Workflow triggers.

Pause, edit and stop a plan

Open Invoices, choose Recurring, and open the plan.

Pause: choose Until a date and a Restart date, or Until I resume it. Invoices in that time are skipped, not billed later, and nothing is charged. It keeps its autopay or pay link setting. Select Resume to restart. Invoices already sent aren't affected.
Skip next invoice: skips only the next date.
Edit plan: opens the same editor. Changes apply from the next invoice. Invoices already sent never change.
Change amount: sets a new amount from a date. Nothing is prorated. On an autopay plan, the client gets a heads-up first, so the charge may move later.
Send next invoice now: creates the next invoice now. The schedule after it stays the same.
End plan: choose Now, or after the next invoice. Nothing else is created or charged. Sent invoices stay as they are.
Delete draft: removes a plan that hasn't started. A started plan must be ended.

See upcoming and past invoices

Before you start: the Upcoming list on the Repeat tab.
Invoices, Recurring: every plan with its next invoice, how it is collected and its status. Next 30 days shows what is due soon. Needs attention and Autopay watch show plans that need you.
On a plan: Timeline shows each invoice, charge, retry and message. Invoices lists those sent, and Payments lists what was collected.
Accounting, Reports, Recurring revenue shows recurring revenue across plans.

Troubleshooting

No Repeat tab: the invoice is already saved or paid. Start a new invoice.
The plan doesn't start: add an email to the client, choose items with a total above zero, and connect Stripe if you chose Autopay.
Autopay says it needs cards: turn on Cards and wallets for the invoice first.
Later invoices aren't charged: autopay starts only when the client ticks the autopay box while paying the first invoice. Use Send autopay link if they didn't.
A draft is waiting: the plan shows Draft ready. Open it and select Review and send.
An invoice wasn't sent: check the client's contact details, the plan's Delivery and your email credits, then use Send next invoice now or resend from the plan.

Continue to Create, send, and track an invoice for the standard invoice workflow, Payment plans, credits, and retainers for installments and retainers, and Invoices and payments for collecting payment.

Recurring invoices and autopay