If you do the same work for the same clients every week or month, recreating the same invoice manually each time is wasted effort. Recurring invoices automate this — the system generates and sends the invoice on schedule without you having to do anything.
Here's how recurring invoices work and when you should use them.
What Is a Recurring Invoice?
A recurring invoice is a template that automatically generates a new invoice on a set schedule — weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or any other frequency. The new invoice is a copy of the template, with the date and invoice number updated automatically.
You set it up once and the system handles it from then on.
When Should You Use Recurring Invoices?
Recurring invoices are ideal for:
- Retainer clients — a consultant on $3,000/month, a social media manager invoicing the same client weekly
- Subscription services — monthly website hosting, ongoing maintenance, software subscriptions you resell
- Regular service contracts — monthly lawn care, weekly cleaning, regular delivery routes
- Rent and space hire — regular desk rental, regular room or equipment hire
If you're writing the same invoice with the same line items more than once, recurring invoices will save you time.
When NOT to Use Recurring Invoices
Recurring invoices work best when the amount is the same each period. They're not suited to:
- Hourly billing where the hours vary each period
- Project work with variable milestones
- Jobs where materials costs differ each time
For variable work, you still need to create individual invoices — but you can speed this up using templates or duplicating a previous invoice.
Setting Up a Recurring Invoice in MyBillDash
In MyBillDash, you can create a recurring invoice from any existing invoice:
- Create your invoice as normal with the correct line items and amount
- Enable recurring from the invoice settings
- Set the frequency (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, etc.)
- Set the start date and optionally an end date
- Choose whether to send automatically or review before sending
Each generated invoice gets its own invoice number in your sequence, so your records stay clean and sequential.
Review Before Send vs Auto-Send
Most recurring invoice systems give you a choice:
Auto-send: The invoice generates and emails automatically on the scheduled date. Zero involvement from you. Best for fixed retainers where the amount never changes.
Review before send: The invoice is created and saved as a draft, but you get a notification to review and approve before it sends. Useful if amounts vary slightly or if you want to add a personal note.
For true recurring amounts (same invoice every month), auto-send saves the most time. For clients where there might be variations, review-first protects you from sending incorrect amounts.
Communicating Recurring Invoicing to Clients
When you set up recurring invoices for a client, let them know upfront:
"I'll set up automated monthly invoicing so you'll receive invoice #[next number] on the first of each month. Payment is due within 14 days. Let me know if you'd like these sent to a specific email address or with a PO number included."
This sets expectations, prevents surprise invoices, and shows you run a professional operation.
Tracking Recurring Invoice Payments
Even with recurring invoices, you still need to track payments. Each generated invoice will show in your dashboard as sent, paid, or overdue — the same as any other invoice.
Check your dashboard weekly to spot any recurring invoices that haven't been paid on time. Clients on retainers sometimes forget to update payment details or miss a payment — catching it early prevents it becoming a large overdue amount.
The Cashflow Benefit of Recurring Clients
Beyond saving time, retainer clients with recurring invoices provide something invaluable: predictable income. You know that $X is coming in on the first of every month, which makes budgeting, planning, and reducing financial stress much easier.
If you're building a freelance business, converting project clients to retainer arrangements (where the work supports it) is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make.
Try MyBillDash free for 1 month — set up your first recurring invoice and see how much admin you save each month.