To set up recurring billing for a client, agree the amount, the schedule and the payment terms in writing, then create the first invoice and repeat it automatically, every week, month or year, until you stop it. In an invoicing tool this is a single setting; by hand it is a calendar reminder and a copied invoice.
Recurring invoices suit any work that repeats: retainers, maintenance plans, subscriptions, rent, memberships and payment plans. Below is when to use them, what to agree with the client, and how to set one up without surprises.
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When recurring invoices make sense
It is not a good fit for work that changes in size every month. For that, create each invoice by hand from the hours or the usage.
- A monthly retainer for ongoing work, such as support, marketing or bookkeeping.
- Maintenance or hosting plans with a fixed price.
- Rent for a space, a studio or equipment.
- Memberships, coaching programs and subscriptions.
- A payment plan, such as 12 monthly installments of a larger project.
What to agree with the client first
Recurring billing only works smoothly if the client expects it. Write these down in your quote, contract or email:
| Point | Example |
|---|---|
| What is included | 10 hours of support a month, answered within one business day |
| Amount | $800 per month |
| Schedule | Invoiced on the 1st of each month |
| Payment terms | Net 15; see the guide to payment terms |
| Length | 12 months, then month to month |
| Changes and ending | 30 days written notice to cancel; price changes with 30 days notice |
| Unused hours | Do not roll over, or roll over for one month |
How to set up recurring invoices by hand
With a spreadsheet or a template, the steps are simple but easy to forget, and the method works for two or three clients. With more, the risk of forgetting one, or reusing an invoice number, goes up quickly. The steps:
- Make the invoice for the first period, with the client, the lines and the price.
- Create a calendar reminder for the day you will send the next one.
- Each period, copy the invoice, change the date and the period in the description, and give it the next number. See invoice numbering.
- Send it and watch for payment. Follow up when it is late.
How to set it up in an invoicing app
In Jiffy, a recurring invoice starts as a normal invoice. You turn on “Recurring invoice”, choose how often (every few days, weeks, months or years), the day it goes out (the same day each time, the 1st, the 15th, the last day or another), and when it ends: never, on a date, or after a set number of invoices. Then you send the first one, and the next ones follow on schedule, each with a new number and date. You can choose whether they are sent automatically or prepared as drafts for you to check first, and you can pause, resume or stop the series.
New recurring series are on the Ultra plan; see the pricing and the page about recurring invoices for what is included.
A sample retainer invoice
Maple Street Studio
Bill to: Juniper Bakery
Invoice date: December 1, 2026 Due: December 16, 2026 (Net 15)
Monthly design support, December 2026 (up to 10 hours) $800.00
TOTAL DUE: $800.00
Pay by bank transfer or card using the link below.
This is invoice 3 of 12 under the agreement dated October 1, 2026.
Keep recurring billing healthy
- Put the period in the description (“December 2026”), so that each invoice is clear on its own.
- Review the series once or twice a year. Check the price, the scope and whether the client still needs it.
- Give notice before a price change, and update the series from that date.
- Send a short heads-up for the first recurring invoice, so that the client expects it.
- Still chase late payments with a reminder. A schedule does not make clients pay on time.
- Decide what happens if the client misses payments: pause the work after a set number of days, for example.
Recurring invoices and taxes
Each recurring invoice is a separate invoice, with its own date and number, and it counts as income when you are paid or when you invoice, depending on the accounting method you use. If you charge sales tax, apply the right rate on each one. Ask your accountant about cash or accrual methods and your state's rules before you automate a lot of billing. The free invoice generator is good for the first invoice, and templates help you decide on a layout.