Recurring Invoices
A recurring invoice is a template that automatically generates real invoices on a schedule — weekly, monthly, quarterly and so on. Use it for retainers, subscriptions and any billing that repeats. Each generated invoice behaves like a normal invoice once it is created.
Where to find it
How to set up a recurring invoice
- Open the Add Recurring Invoice form.
- Fill in the same core details as a normal invoice: Client (Contact), optional Project, Currency, Calculate Tax, Bank Account, line items, Discount and Note.
- Set the recurring options (see below): Billing Frequency, Start Date and Total Count.
- Choose any of the optional toggles (allow client to stop, show shipping address, auto-pay, immediate invoice).
- Click Save.
Recurring options
| Field | Meaning | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Billing Frequency | How often a new invoice is generated | Yes |
| Start Date | When the schedule begins | No (defaults to today) |
| Total Count | How many invoices to generate | Yes |
| Allow client to stop | Lets the contact stop the recurring invoice themselves | No (on by default) |
| Show shipping address | Includes a shipping address on generated invoices | No |
| Enable auto-pay | Charges the contact automatically each cycle | No (only available when the PayFast gateway is active) |
| Immediate invoice | Generates the first invoice right away | No |
Billing Frequency options
- Daily
- Weekly
- Bi-weekly (every two weeks)
- Monthly
- Quarterly (every three months)
- Half-yearly (every six months)
- Annually (yearly)
The form previews the next generation date as you choose a frequency.
Total Count (number of cycles)
- Enter a positive number to generate that many invoices and then stop.
- Enter a negative number to run indefinitely (unlimited recurring) with no end.
Immediate invoice
When you tick Immediate invoice, the start date is locked to today and the first real invoice is created and marked as sent straight away, in addition to scheduling the rest.
How generated invoices behave
- Each scheduled run creates a normal invoice with its own number, dates and payment status.
- The due date on each generated invoice is the start/issue date plus your "due after" days.
- Generated invoices appear in your normal invoice list and can be paid like any other invoice.
Managing a recurring invoice
A recurring invoice has an overall status of Active or Inactive:
| Action | Notes |
|---|---|
| Change status | Switch the schedule between Active and Inactive to pause or resume generation. |
| Edit | Update the schedule, line items or details. |
| View generated invoices | See all invoices produced by this schedule on its detail tab. |
| Delete generated invoices | Remove individual invoices the schedule has created (with the right permission). |
| Delete | Remove the recurring invoice itself. |
Permissions
Recurring invoices use the same invoice permissions:
- View / Add / Edit / Delete invoices — manage the recurring invoice.
- Delete repeat invoices — remove individual generated invoices.
- Link invoice bank account — choose a bank account on generated invoices.
Tips
- Use Total Count with a positive number for fixed-term contracts (for example, 12 for a one-year monthly retainer).
- Use a negative Total Count for open-ended subscriptions you'll cancel manually.
- Set the recurring invoice to Inactive to pause billing without deleting the schedule.
- Auto-pay only works with the PayFast gateway — if you don't use PayFast, contacts pay each generated invoice manually.