> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Recurring invoices — automated billing schedules
> Set up recurring invoice templates that automatically generate and send invoices on a daily, weekly, monthly, or custom schedule.
Recurring invoices let you automate your billing for ongoing services. Instead of manually creating and sending an invoice every month, you create a template once and the HoopAI Platform generates a new invoice document on your chosen schedule — daily, weekly, monthly, or any custom interval you define.
Recurring invoices require a connected payment gateway to accept online payments. Go to **Payments → Payment Integrations** to connect Stripe before setting up recurring billing with auto-payment.
***
## Recurring invoices vs subscriptions
These are two distinct billing methods in the HoopAI Platform, and choosing the right one depends on whether you want to send your customer a formal invoice document each cycle.
| Feature | Recurring invoices | Stripe subscriptions |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Invoice document sent** | Yes — a new invoice is generated each cycle | No — charge happens silently |
| **Customer must act** | Only if auto-payment is off | Never (charged automatically) |
| **Formal billing record** | Yes, with a unique invoice number | Transaction record only |
| **Best for** | Retainers, project billing, service contracts | SaaS-style recurring charges |
| **Late fees** | Configurable per invoice | Not available |
| **Payment reminders** | Automated email/SMS reminders | Not available |
### When to use recurring invoices
Use recurring invoices when you want to:
* Send clients a formal invoice document every billing cycle (e.g., a monthly retainer invoice for coaching)
* Maintain an auditable billing history with sequential invoice numbers
* Offer payment flexibility — customers can pay manually or you can enable auto-payment
* Apply late fees to overdue recurring invoices
* Configure automated payment reminders for unpaid invoices
Use Stripe subscriptions instead when the charge should happen silently without generating an invoice document — for example, a monthly software subscription where the customer expects a background charge.
***
## Creating a recurring invoice template
Go to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates**, click **+ New**, and select **New Recurring Template** from the dropdown.
This opens the recurring invoice builder, which shares the same layout as the standard invoice editor but includes additional recurrence settings.
Give the template a clear internal name that identifies the customer and billing purpose — for example, "Acme Corp — Monthly Retainer". This name appears in your recurring invoice list.
* Use the **Select customer** dropdown to attach a contact from your CRM.
* Click **+ Add more products** to add line items from your product catalog.
* Edit quantity and price inline, or add additional line items using the **+** icon.
* Apply a **discount** (percentage or fixed amount) and **tax** as needed.
* Add **terms and conditions**, **notes**, or **attachments** in the additional options section.
In the **Recurrence** section, choose how often the invoice should be generated:
| Option | Description |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| **Daily** | A new invoice every day |
| **Weekly** | Every 7 days |
| **Every 2 weeks** | Bi-weekly billing |
| **Monthly** | Same date each month |
| **Every 3 months** | Quarterly billing |
| **Every 6 months** | Semi-annual billing |
| **Annual** | Once per year |
| **Custom** | Set a specific interval in days |
Then set the **start date** — the date on which the first invoice is generated.
You can leave the recurring template **open-ended** so it continues until you manually pause or cancel it. Alternatively, set an **end date** to stop generating invoices after a specific date, or set a **fixed number of occurrences** to stop after a set number of invoices.
For a 6-month retainer arrangement, set 6 occurrences at monthly frequency rather than an end date — this ensures exactly the right number of invoices regardless of which day of the month billing started.
* **Auto-send**: the system emails the generated invoice to the customer immediately when each cycle runs.
* **Save as draft**: the invoice is created in draft status; you review and send it manually. Use this if you want to adjust line items or notes before each invoice goes out.
Scroll to **Additional options**:
* **Late fees** — configure a flat or percentage late fee with a grace period; this applies independently to each generated invoice
* **Payment reminders** — add a reminder schedule so each generated invoice automatically has follow-up reminders for unpaid balances
Click **Save** to create the template. The first invoice will be generated on the start date you specified, and subsequent invoices will follow the schedule automatically.
***
## Enabling auto-payment on recurring invoices
Auto-payment lets the system charge the customer's saved card automatically when each recurring invoice is generated — removing the need for the customer to act on every invoice.
Auto-payment requires the customer to have a saved payment method on file. A card is saved when the customer pays a previous invoice and checks the "Save card for future payments" option at checkout. You cannot enable auto-payment on a contact who has not yet provided a card.
Go to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring** tab. Click the three-dot menu on the template and select **View**.
In the Invoice Builder, click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and select **Manage auto payment**.
Toggle the auto-payment switch **on**. Then choose the payment method to charge:
* **Customer card** — the card the customer used to pay a previous invoice
* **Saved card** — any card saved to the contact's profile
* **New card** — enter new card details manually
Click **Update**. From the next billing cycle onward, the system will automatically charge the selected card when each invoice is generated. The customer receives a payment confirmation, and the invoice is marked as paid.
***
## Invoice numbering for recurring invoices
Each invoice generated by a recurring template receives a unique, sequential invoice number from your account's global invoice number sequence — for example, INV-001, INV-002, INV-003. This keeps your billing records consistent and auditable regardless of whether an invoice was created manually or auto-generated.
The invoice name in each generated invoice is derived from the template name plus the generation date for easy identification in your invoice list.
***
## Managing recurring templates
Navigate to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring** to see all your active and paused templates.
### Recurring template columns
| Column | Description |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Recurring invoice name** | The template's internal name |
| **Customer** | The contact billed by this template |
| **Last issued on** | Date the most recent invoice was generated |
| **Frequency** | The billing interval |
| **Amount** | The invoice total per cycle |
| **Status** | Active or cancelled |
### Available actions
Click the three-dot menu on any template to access:
* **View history** — see a full list of every invoice generated from this template
* **View** — open the template editor to review or edit the setup
* **Pause** — suspend invoice generation without deleting the template; resume it at any time
* **End** — permanently stop future invoices from being generated (the template remains visible but inactive)
* **Delete** — permanently remove the template (only available if no invoices have been sent yet)
* **Clone** — duplicate the template to use as a starting point for a similar arrangement
* **Convert to template** — save as a reusable invoice template for manual invoices
***
## What happens each billing cycle
When the scheduled date arrives, the HoopAI Platform runs the following sequence automatically:
1. A new invoice is created using the template's line items, discounts, and tax settings
2. The invoice is assigned the next sequential invoice number in your account
3. If **auto-send** is enabled, the invoice is emailed to the customer immediately
4. If **auto-payment** is enabled, the saved card is charged immediately
5. If auto-payment is off and auto-send is on, payment reminder schedules begin (if configured)
6. If **draft mode** is selected, the invoice sits in Draft status until you review and send it
***
## Pausing and resuming a template
If you need to temporarily stop billing a customer — for example, during a project pause or holiday — you can pause the recurring template:
1. Go to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring**
2. Click the three-dot menu on the template and select **Pause**
3. The template status changes to Paused and no new invoices will be generated
4. To resume, click the three-dot menu again and select **Resume**
Pausing a template does not affect invoices that have already been generated. Any outstanding unpaid invoices remain active and will continue to trigger payment reminders.
***
## Editing a recurring template
You can edit a recurring template at any time to update the line items, price, schedule, or settings. Changes apply to **future invoices only** — invoices that have already been generated are not modified.
To edit:
1. Go to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring**
2. Click the three-dot menu and select **View**
3. Make your changes in the template editor
4. Click **Save**
If you change the billing amount mid-cycle, verify the change took effect by checking the template's View History and confirming the next generated invoice reflects the updated amount.
***
## Using recurring invoices for common billing scenarios
### Monthly retainer
A consultant billing a client \$2,000/month for ongoing advisory services:
* **Frequency**: Monthly
* **Start date**: First of next month
* **End date**: Open-ended (or set 12 occurrences for an annual contract)
* **Auto-send**: On
* **Auto-payment**: On (after client pays first invoice and saves card)
* **Late fees**: 5% after 10-day grace period
### Quarterly maintenance plan
An IT company billing clients \$500/quarter for maintenance coverage:
* **Frequency**: Every 3 months
* **Start date**: Beginning of the next quarter
* **End date**: End of contract year (e.g., 4 occurrences)
* **Auto-send**: On
* **Auto-payment**: Off (clients prefer to review and pay manually)
* **Payment reminders**: 7 days before, on due date, 5 days after
### Weekly cleaning service
A cleaning business billing residential clients \$150/week:
* **Frequency**: Weekly
* **Start date**: Next service date
* **End date**: Open-ended
* **Auto-send**: On
* **Auto-payment**: On
***
## Recurring invoices and taxes
Taxes configured on the recurring template apply to every generated invoice automatically. If your tax rate changes mid-contract:
1. Open the recurring template
2. Update the tax configuration in the line items or tax section
3. Save — the updated tax applies to all future generated invoices
The HoopAI Platform does not retroactively update tax on invoices that have already been generated. Only future invoices reflect the updated rate.
***
## Frequently asked questions
Recurring invoices generate a new formal invoice document each cycle. The customer either pays it manually or has auto-payment enabled. A Stripe subscription charges the customer's card automatically in the background without generating an invoice document on the HoopAI Platform. Use recurring invoices when your customers expect a formal invoice; use subscriptions when you want a silent, automatic charge.
Yes. Open the recurring template, edit the line items or price, and save. The change applies starting with the next generated invoice. Any invoices that have already been sent for the current or previous cycles are not affected.
The system will retry the charge. If all retry attempts fail, the invoice moves to Unpaid status and both you and the customer are notified by email. You can manually retry the charge from the invoice, or ask the customer to update their payment method and pay the invoice directly.
Yes. Go to the Recurring tab, click the three-dot menu on the template, and select Pause. No new invoices will be generated while the template is paused. Click Resume when you are ready to restart the billing cycle.
Yes. When creating or editing the template, set a fixed number of occurrences in the recurrence settings. The template will automatically stop generating invoices once that number is reached. You can also set an end date if a specific calendar date is more practical.
Yes. Each invoice generated by a recurring template is treated as a standalone invoice for all notification purposes. Payment reminders, overdue alerts, and payment confirmations all behave identically to manually created invoices. If you configure reminders on the recurring template, each generated invoice inherits that reminder schedule automatically.
Yes. You can create and activate a recurring template for any contact. However, you cannot enable auto-payment until the contact has a saved payment method on file. The contact can save a card by paying their first invoice through the online payment link and selecting the save card option.
Go to Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring, click the three-dot menu on the template, and select View History. This shows every invoice generated from that template with its date, amount, and payment status.