Recurring Invoices
Recurring invoices let you bill the same client on a schedule without making each invoice by hand: Due On Time creates the next invoice weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly, then emails it to the client or saves it as a draft for you to check. Recurring invoices are on Starter and Pro.
Starter has a 7-day free trial. Card needed.
How it works
Make the first invoice
Create the invoice as usual, with the client, the lines, tax, currency and notes. Its invoice date is the start of the schedule.
Turn on repeat
Choose weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly, and when it ends: never, after a number of invoices, or on a date.
Choose send or draft
Email each new invoice to the client by itself, or save it as a draft so you can check it first.
Pause or stop any time
Pause, resume or stop the schedule from the invoice page.
What does each new invoice contain?
Each new invoice copies the client, the line items, tax, discount, currency, notes and style from the first one. It gets the next invoice number, its own invoice date, and a due date with the same gap as the first invoice: if the first was due 15 days after its date, so is every new one.
If you set reminders on the first invoice and the new invoices are emailed automatically, the reminders are copied to each new invoice too.
Send automatically or check first?
Pick "email it to the client by itself" for invoices that never change, such as a monthly retainer. Pick "save it as a draft" when the amount changes, for example hours that differ each month: you get an email and a notification when the draft is ready, and you send it after a quick check.
If the client has no email address, the new invoice is saved as a draft.
When are recurring invoices created?
On each scheduled day, after your send hour in your own time zone. Monthly schedules that start on the 29th, 30th or 31st move to the last day of shorter months. If a schedule was paused, it does not create the invoices it missed; it carries on from the next date.
Who are recurring invoices for?
Anyone who bills the same client the same way again and again:
- Monthly retainers for consultants, designers and developers
- Weekly or monthly cleaning, maintenance and support
- Website hosting, care plans and subscriptions you bill yourself
- Yearly licences or memberships
What it does not do
- Recurring invoices do not charge the client's card automatically. The client pays each invoice, for example with Pay now.
- Recurring invoices are not on the Free plan. If you move to Free, your schedules pause until you upgrade and resume them.
- A stopped schedule cannot be restarted; set up a new one instead.
Which plans include it?
| Plan | Price | Recurring invoices |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Not included |
| Starter | $12/month or $120/year | Unlimited recurring schedules |
| Pro | $27/month or $264/year | Unlimited recurring schedules |
Prices in US dollars. See everything each plan includes on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a recurring invoice?
A recurring invoice is an invoice that is created again on a schedule, such as every month, for the same client and the same work. It saves you making the same invoice by hand each time.
How often can recurring invoices repeat?
Weekly, monthly, quarterly (every 3 months) or yearly. A schedule can run with no end, stop after a number of invoices, or stop on a date.
Are recurring invoices sent automatically?
If you choose. Each schedule either emails the new invoice to the client by itself or saves it as a draft and tells you it is ready.
Do recurring invoices charge the client automatically?
No. Due On Time sends the invoice; the client pays it. With Pay now turned on, they can pay by card from the invoice in a few clicks.
How many recurring invoices can I have?
As many as you need on Starter ($12/month) and Pro ($27/month). Recurring invoices are not on the Free plan.
What invoice number does each new invoice get?
The next number in your series, for example INV-2026-015 after INV-2026-014, with the year of the new invoice date.
Related
- Cleaning invoice template
- Consulting invoice template
- Invoice payment terms
- Automatic Payment Reminders
- Pay Now: Online Invoice Payments
Compare Due On Time with FreshBooks, Wave, HoneyBook, Invoice Simple and Bonsai.