What Is a Recurring Invoice?
A recurring invoice is a new invoice generated on a repeat schedule for an agreed product or service. Repeating the bill does not mean automatically collecting the payment.
Explore Automate Recurring Invoices for the product workflow.
Recurring invoice versus recurring payment
An invoice asks a customer to pay; a payment moves money. A recurring invoice schedule repeats the request. Automatic card charges or bank debits require a separate payment arrangement and are not provided by SimpleInvoicePDF’s recurring schedules.
When repeating invoices are useful
Consider recurring invoices for fixed monthly maintenance, ongoing freelance services, consulting retainers or annual service fees. Agree on scope, amount, currency and timing with the client first. Variable work still needs review; a fixed schedule cannot decide how many hours you worked.
Choose dates with the customer in mind
Pick a frequency and a billing date that match your agreement. Monthly billing on the 31st needs a short-month rule; Last day expresses month-end intent directly. Set the timezone and keep the payment due term separate from the generation date.
Keep each period identifiable
Use clear line descriptions and update notes when an agreement changes. SimpleInvoicePDF generates a new number for each invoice, but you should not assume it automatically writes a custom service-period description into every line.
Review and pause when services change
Review the next scheduled run before saving. Pause the schedule when work stops and edit it when fees change. Optional customer email attaches generated PDFs; it is delivery of an invoice, not a charge to the customer.