If you invoice the same clients for the same amount regularly — monthly retainers, subscription services, ongoing maintenance — you’re wasting time creating each invoice from scratch. Recurring invoices automate the repetitive work, so you get paid without lifting a finger.
What Are Recurring Invoices?
A recurring invoice is one that your accounting software generates and sends automatically on a schedule you set. You create it once, choose how often it repeats, and the software handles the rest.
Every week, month, or quarter, your client receives a fresh invoice with the correct date, a new invoice number, and all the right details. You don’t have to remember, you don’t have to do anything — it just happens.
When to Use Them
Recurring invoices work perfectly for:
- Retainer agreements — monthly fees for ongoing services
- Subscription products — software, memberships, regular deliveries
- Rent or hire charges — equipment rental, space hire
- Maintenance contracts — regular servicing, support packages
- Instalment payments — spreading a large project fee over several months
Essentially, any situation where the amount, client, and frequency stay the same.
Setting Up a Recurring Invoice
The exact steps vary by software, but the process is similar everywhere:
1. Create the invoice as normal. Add the client, description, amount, and VAT as you would for any invoice.
2. Set it to repeat. Look for options like “Make recurring,” “Schedule,” or “Repeat.” Choose your frequency — weekly, monthly, quarterly, or custom intervals.
3. Choose start and end dates. When should the first invoice go out? Should it run indefinitely or stop after a certain number of invoices (useful for fixed-term contracts)?
4. Decide on sending options. Most software lets you choose whether to send automatically or save as a draft for you to review first. Auto-send is convenient, but drafts give you a chance to check before each one goes out.
5. Save and forget. The software takes over from here.
Features to Look For
Good recurring invoice tools include:
- Automatic invoice numbering — each invoice gets the next number in your sequence
- Email notifications — you get alerted when an invoice is sent (or fails)
- Client reminders — automatic payment reminders for overdue recurring invoices
- Flexible scheduling — options like “first Monday of the month” not just fixed dates
- Easy editing — change the amount or pause the schedule without starting over
Most popular accounting software — Sage, QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent — includes recurring invoices as standard.
Tips for Getting It Right
Check the first one carefully. Before setting it to auto-send, generate the first invoice as a draft and review it. Once you’re happy, switch to automatic.
Use clear descriptions. Something like “Monthly SEO retainer — January 2026” helps clients see exactly what they’re paying for. Some software auto-updates the date in descriptions.
Review regularly. Set a reminder to check your recurring invoices every few months. Prices change, contracts end, clients leave. A quick audit prevents embarrassing mistakes.
Tell your clients. Let clients know they’ll receive automatic invoices. No surprises means fewer queries and faster payments.
Don’t forget VAT changes. If VAT rates change, you’ll need to update recurring invoices. Software doesn’t always catch this automatically.
The Time You’ll Save
If you send just 10 recurring invoices monthly, that’s 120 invoices a year you don’t have to create manually. At even five minutes each, you’re saving 10 hours annually — plus the mental load of remembering to do it.
Set them up once, and invoicing takes care of itself.
Most accounting software includes recurring invoices — check your settings or help guides to get started.