Getting paid

Recurring invoices: bill the same client every month without the busywork

When to repeat an invoice, how to pick the schedule and date, what to check before it goes out, and what to do when a month is different.

2 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

One invoice set to repeat every month. Each new one arrives on its date, with the next number in your series.

Some customers get the same invoice every month: a design retainer, office rent, a software subscription, a cleaning or maintenance contract, monthly bookkeeping, a gym membership. Typing it out again each time is slow, and it is easy to forget one, or to send it a week late and get paid a week late. A recurring invoice does the copying for you, on a schedule you set.

When a recurring invoice makes sense

Repeat an invoice when the customer, the work and the price are mostly the same each time. Good examples:

Retainers. A studio in Austin billing a client $2,400 a month for design support.
Rent and leases. A landlord in Dubai billing a shop unit every quarter.
Subscriptions and memberships. A coworking space in Lisbon billing desks at €250 a month.
Maintenance contracts. A plumber in Leeds checking a building's boilers every month.
Regular services. Weekly cleaning, monthly accounting, yearly website hosting.

If the amount changes a lot every time, like hours worked or goods delivered, a recurring invoice can still help, but have it saved as a draft so you fill in the real numbers before it goes out.

Pick the schedule and the invoice date

Most repeat invoices run every month, but weekly, quarterly and yearly all have their place. Match the schedule to what you agreed with the customer, not to what is easiest for you.

Bill at the start for work ahead. Retainers, rent and subscriptions are usually billed on the 1st for the month to come, so the money arrives while the work is happening.
Bill at the end for work done. Maintenance visits and services charged by use are usually billed after the month, when you know what was done.
Line it up with when they pay. Many companies pay suppliers on fixed days. If your client pays on the 25th, an invoice dated the 1st with 15 days to pay fits neatly before it.
Avoid the 29th to the 31st. Not every month has them. The 1st or the 28th is the same every month.

Put the period on the invoice, for example “Design support, November 2026”, so nobody wonders whether two invoices are for the same month.

Keep one number series

A repeat invoice is a normal invoice. It takes the next number in your usual series, just like one you made by hand, so your numbers stay in order with no gaps and no duplicates. Do not start a separate series for repeat invoices unless your accountant asks for it. Tax offices in most countries expect one unbroken run per year, and a second series only makes checking harder.

On any invoice: pick how often, the next date, and whether it is issued for you or saved as a draft to check.

Check before you send

Even a repeat invoice deserves a quick look before the customer sees it. Check that:

the price is still right, after any rise you agreed at the start of the year;
the tax is still right, if the rate changed or the customer moved;
the period and dates match the month you are billing;
the customer's contact and billing details are still current.

If you want to check every one, have them saved as drafts. If the invoice is truly the same every time, let it be issued for you and just glance at it as you send it.

When a month is different

Extra work, a missed visit or a discount for one month should not mean stopping the repeat. Change that one invoice and leave the schedule alone. If the repeat is saved as a draft, add or remove the line before you issue it. If it was already issued and billed for work that was not done, the clean fix is a credit note against that invoice rather than editing or deleting it. Our guide on what to do when a client pays less covers the common cases.

A month with extra work: the repeat is saved as a draft, you add the extra line, then issue it.

If the contract ends or the price changes for good, stop the repeat or change it, so next month's invoice is right from the start.

Why it helps your cash flow

Most late payments start with a late invoice. An invoice that goes out on the same day every month gets paid on roughly the same day every month, and your customer's accounts team learns to expect it. You know what money is coming, you spot a missed payment straight away, and you stop losing the first week of each month to paperwork. For more on this, see how to get paid faster.

In Openn InvoiceOpen any invoice and choose Set up repeat. Pick every week, month, quarter or year, and the next invoice date. With “Issue it for me” on, each new invoice is issued on its date with the next number in your series; with it off, it is saved as a draft for you to check. The due date follows your payment terms, and you can change or stop the repeat at any time. If the app was not opened for a few days, the missed invoices are caught up. If your plan has ended, they are saved as drafts. Sending is still up to you: share each invoice and its reminders from your own WhatsApp or email in one click. Nothing is sent to your customer automatically.

The short version

Repeat an invoice when the customer, the work and the price are mostly the same each time.
Bill at the start for work ahead, at the end for work done, and pick a date that exists in every month.
Put the period on each invoice, and keep repeat invoices in your normal number series.
Check the price, tax and dates before sending, or have them saved as drafts.
Change one month without stopping the repeat; use a credit note to fix an invoice already issued.
Invoices that go out on time get paid on time.