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Invoices
Recurring Invoices

Recurring Invoices

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Overview

Automate your billing with recurring invoices in Akili Apps. Set up templates that automatically generate and send invoices on a schedule - perfect for subscriptions, retainers, rent, and regular services.

What You'll Learn

  • Creating recurring invoice templates
  • Setting invoice frequency and schedule
  • Managing recurring invoice series
  • Pausing and resuming recurring invoices
  • Editing recurring templates

What Are Recurring Invoices?

Recurring Invoices automatically generate new invoices based on a template and schedule you define.

Perfect For:

  • Monthly retainers
  • Subscription services
  • Rent payments
  • Regular maintenance contracts
  • Fixed monthly services
  • Membership fees

Benefits:

  • Save time on repetitive billing
  • Never miss a billing cycle
  • Consistent invoice numbering
  • Professional, timely billing
  • Automated email delivery (optional)

Creating a Recurring Invoice

Step 1: Navigate to Recurring Invoices

  1. Go to Invoices page
  2. Click Recurring tab or Create Recurring Invoice button
  3. Recurring invoice form opens

Step 2: Enter Client and Invoice Details

Same as regular invoice:

  • Client: Select from client list
  • Line Items: Services/products with rates
  • Due Date: Days after invoice date (e.g., "Net 30")
  • Notes: Payment terms or service description

Amounts:

  • Subtotal calculated automatically
  • Tax calculated based on your province
  • Total shown

Step 3: Set Recurrence Schedule

Frequency Options:

  • Weekly: Every X weeks
  • Monthly: Every X months (most common)
  • Quarterly: Every 3 months
  • Yearly: Annual invoices

Interval:

  • Set the interval (1 = every period, 2 = every other period, etc.)
  • Examples:
    • Frequency: Monthly, Interval: 1 = Every month
    • Frequency: Weekly, Interval: 2 = Every 2 weeks
    • Frequency: Monthly, Interval: 3 = Every 3 months

Start Date:

  • When to generate first invoice
  • Can be today or future date
  • First invoice generated on this date

End Date (Optional):

  • When to stop generating invoices
  • Leave blank for indefinite
  • Or set end date for fixed-term contracts

Step 4: Configure Auto-Send

Auto-Send Option:

  • ☐ Do Not Auto-Send: Generate invoices as drafts
  • ☑ Auto-Send: Automatically email invoices to client

Recommended:

  • Enable auto-send for hands-free billing
  • Invoices automatically emailed on generation date
  • Payment reminders still sent if unpaid

Step 5: Review and Create

  1. Review all details
  2. Double-check frequency and dates
  3. Click Create Recurring Invoice
  4. Template saved, ready to generate invoices

Managing Recurring Invoices

View All Recurring Invoices

  1. Go to Invoices > Recurring tab
  2. See list of all recurring invoice templates
  3. Each shows:
    • Client name
    • Amount
    • Frequency (e.g., "Monthly")
    • Next invoice date
    • Status (Active, Paused, Ended)
    • Generated invoice count

View Recurring Invoice Details

Click on any recurring invoice to see:

Template Information:

  • All invoice details (line items, amounts, notes)
  • Recurrence schedule
  • Start and end dates
  • Auto-send setting

Generated Invoices:

  • List of all invoices created from this template
  • Links to each invoice
  • Payment status of each
  • Dates generated

Forecast:

  • Upcoming invoice generation dates
  • Projected revenue from this recurring invoice

Editing Recurring Invoices

What You Can Edit

  • Line items (descriptions, rates, quantities)
  • Amounts (will affect future invoices only)
  • Frequency or interval
  • End date
  • Auto-send setting
  • Client (if needed)
  • Invoice notes

Apply Changes To

When editing, choose:

Future Invoices Only (recommended):

  • Changes apply to next and future invoices
  • Already generated invoices unchanged
  • Maintains historical accuracy

All Invoices (use carefully):

  • Updates already generated draft invoices
  • Sent/Paid invoices not changed
  • Use for correcting errors

How to Edit

  1. Open recurring invoice detail
  2. Click Edit button
  3. Make desired changes
  4. Select application scope (future or all)
  5. Click Save Changes
  6. Updated schedule and amounts shown

Pausing and Resuming

Pause a Recurring Invoice

When to Pause:

  • Client on temporary hold
  • Service suspended
  • Waiting for contract renewal
  • Seasonal pause

How to Pause:

  1. Open recurring invoice
  2. Click Pause button
  3. Confirm pause
  4. Status changes to "Paused"
  5. No new invoices generated while paused

Resume a Recurring Invoice

  1. Open paused recurring invoice
  2. Click Resume button
  3. Confirm resume
  4. Status back to "Active"
  5. Next invoice generated on next scheduled date

Note: Pausing doesn't catch up missed dates. Invoices resume from next scheduled occurrence.

Ending Recurring Invoices

Setting End Date

Add End Date:

  1. Edit recurring invoice
  2. Set End Date field
  3. Save changes
  4. Invoices generate until end date
  5. Series automatically ends

When Series Ends:

  • Status changes to "Ended"
  • No more invoices generated
  • Template preserved for records

Cancelling Recurring Invoice

Permanent Cancellation:

  1. Open recurring invoice
  2. Click Cancel or Delete
  3. Choose what to do with generated invoices:
    • Keep all generated invoices
    • Delete draft invoices only
    • Delete all invoices (use carefully!)
  4. Confirm cancellation
  5. Template marked as "Cancelled" or deleted

Generated Invoices

Automatic Generation

When Invoices Generate:

  • System runs daily at midnight (your timezone)
  • Checks all active recurring invoices
  • Generates invoices due that day
  • Assigns next invoice number in sequence

What Happens:

  1. New invoice created from template
  2. Invoice number auto-assigned (INV-YYYY-MM-XXX)
  3. Issue date = today
  4. Due date = today + due terms
  5. If auto-send enabled: Email sent immediately
  6. If not: Invoice saved as draft
  7. Next generation date calculated

Viewing Generated Invoices

From Recurring Invoice Detail:

  • See "Generated Invoices" section
  • Shows all invoices created from template
  • Click any to view/edit
  • See payment status

From Main Invoice List:

  • Generated invoices appear in main list
  • Indicated with "Recurring" badge
  • Linked back to parent template

Editing Generated Invoices

Draft Invoices:

  • Fully editable
  • Changes don't affect template
  • Edit before sending if needed

Sent Invoices:

  • Can edit (creates audit trail)
  • Changes independent of template
  • Use for one-off adjustments

Recurring Invoice Examples

Example 1: Monthly Retainer

Setup:

  • Client: ABC Company
  • Service: "Monthly Marketing Retainer"
  • Amount: $2,500/month
  • Frequency: Monthly
  • Interval: 1
  • Start Date: 1st of next month
  • Due Date: Net 15 (15 days after invoice)
  • Auto-Send: Yes

Result: Invoice generated on 1st of each month, automatically emailed, due 15 days later.

Example 2: Quarterly Maintenance

Setup:

  • Client: XYZ Corp
  • Service: "Quarterly Equipment Maintenance"
  • Amount: $800/quarter
  • Frequency: Quarterly (or Monthly with Interval: 3)
  • Start Date: January 1, 2025
  • End Date: December 31, 2026 (2-year contract)
  • Auto-Send: Yes

Result: Invoices generated every 3 months for 2 years, then automatically ends.

Example 3: Bi-Weekly Service

Setup:

  • Client: Local Business
  • Service: "Bi-weekly Cleaning Service"
  • Amount: $150
  • Frequency: Weekly
  • Interval: 2 (every 2 weeks)
  • Start Date: Next Monday
  • Auto-Send: No (review before sending)

Result: Invoice generated every 2 weeks, saved as draft for review before sending.

Upcoming Invoices Forecast

View Forecast

  1. Go to Invoices > Recurring > Forecast
  2. Or click View Forecast on recurring invoice detail

Forecast Shows:

  • Next 90 days of scheduled invoices
  • Which recurring templates will generate
  • Projected invoice amounts
  • Total projected revenue

Use Cases:

  • Cash flow planning
  • Revenue projections
  • Ensuring billing schedule correct

Notifications

Recurring Invoice Notifications

You receive notifications when:

  • ✅ New invoice generated successfully
  • ✅ Invoice auto-sent to client
  • ⚠️ Invoice generation failed (rare)
  • ⚠️ Email sending failed
  • 📅 Recurring invoice ending soon (30 days before)

Notification Settings:

  • Configure in Settings > Notifications
  • Choose email and/or in-app notifications
  • Set preferences for each type

Best Practices

Setting Up Recurring Invoices

  1. Test First: Create one-time invoice to client first, ensure details correct
  2. Clear Descriptions: Include billing period in description (e.g., "Services for [Month]")
  3. Reasonable Start Date: Allow time for setup before first invoice
  4. Set End Dates: For fixed contracts, set end date to avoid over-billing
  5. Review Generated: Check first few generated invoices for accuracy

Managing Ongoing

  1. Monthly Review: Review all recurring invoices monthly
  2. Update Rates: Update template when rates change
  3. Client Changes: Pause if client requests hold
  4. Clean Up: Cancel ended contracts promptly
  5. Track Payments: Monitor payment status of generated invoices

Communication

  1. Notify Client: Tell clients about recurring billing setup
  2. Payment Terms: Clear payment terms in invoice notes
  3. Rate Changes: Communicate before updating template amounts
  4. Ending Series: Notify before ending recurring series

Troubleshooting

Invoice Didn't Generate

Check:

  • Recurring invoice status (must be "Active")
  • Schedule date (is today a scheduled generation date?)
  • End date (has series ended?)

Solution:

  • Verify dates in recurring invoice detail
  • Manually generate if missed: Click "Generate Now"
  • Check system notifications for errors

Wrong Amount Generated

Cause: Template edited but change not applied

Solution:

  • Edit template, ensure "Apply to Future" selected
  • Delete incorrect draft invoice
  • Generate new invoice manually

Email Not Sent

Check:

  • Auto-send enabled?
  • Client has valid email address?
  • Email sending errors in notifications?

Solution:

  • Enable auto-send if disabled
  • Verify client email
  • Resend invoice manually if failed

Common Questions

Q: Can I have multiple recurring invoices for same client?

Yes! You can have as many as needed for different services/products.

Q: What happens if client pays late?

Payment reminders still sent automatically. Doesn't affect next invoice generation.

Q: Can I skip one occurrence?

Pause the recurring invoice before that date, then resume after. Or delete the generated draft invoice.

Q: How far in advance are invoices generated?

On the scheduled date at midnight. For example, monthly invoices for March 1st generate on March 1st at 12:00 AM.

Q: Can I backdate a recurring invoice series?

Start date can be past date. Past-due invoices will generate immediately (be careful!).

Q: Do recurring invoices respect holidays?

No, they generate on exact schedule. Manually adjust if needed for holidays.

Q: Can I change the invoice number format?

Invoice numbers follow your account's global format. Can't customize per recurring invoice.

Q: What if I need to update just one invoice in the series?

Edit the generated invoice directly. Changes won't affect template or other invoices.

Related Articles

Need Help?

For recurring invoice assistance:

Akili Apps - Intelligent Expense Tracking for Canadian Businesses

Invoice StatusPayment Reminders