How to create a new recurring invoice

Start creating a new recurring invoice by creating an invoice template. In the template, you can specify the invoice recipients, invoice rows, and invoice sending interval, among other things. Once the template is ready, it is activated, and invoices are created and sent according to the invoice template settings.

1. Select New recurring invoice to open a blank recurring invoice template.
   
   
   
2. First, specify the basic information for the invoice template.
   
   
   
   • Invoice template name: The unique name of the invoice template. A sequential identification number is automatically generated for the invoice template, which cannot be edited.
   • Start date: The date on which invoicing begins. It cannot be the current date or a date in the past.
   • End: The date or number of repetitions after which invoicing ends.
     • Valid until further notice: Invoicing continues until the invoice template is ended.
     • Date: Invoicing continues until a specific date.
     • Repeats: Invoicing is repeated a certain number of times.
   • Payment terms: The payment terms are applied on all invoices generated but can be edited on individual invoices.
   • Our reference/Your reference: Optional text. The information is applied to all invoices generated but can be edited on individual invoices.
     
3. Next, define the invoice recurrence settings. Click the Define recurrence settings field in the invoice template.
   
   
   
4. In the Invoice recurrence settings dialog, you can specify the invoice delivery method, the invoice date, and when and how often invoices are created. The text box at the top of the dialog explains in plain language what the selected settings mean in practice. Finally, select Save.
   
   
   
   • Delivery method determines whether invoices are sent automatically on the specified delivery date or manually. Invoices are delivered to the customer according to the recipient’s default delivery method (defined in the customer register).
     Note! If the customer’s delivery method is set to Manually sending, the invoice will be sent via a mailing service.
   • Delivery date determines whether the invoice is sent on the invoice date or x days before the invoice date.
   • Invoice date determines the invoicing interval and the invoice date that is shown on the invoice. The invoice date can be set, for example, to a specific day of the week or date every month or every other month. The text box at the top of the view is updated when you change the settings, so you can immediately check whether the recurrence settings are correct.
     
     
5. Next, add the invoice recipients. Click the Add contacts field on the invoice template.
   
   
   
6. In the Customers dialog, you will see a list of customers on the left. Add a customer to the invoice template by double-clicking the customer’s name or select customers from the list and click the arrow icon in the middle. Use the Ctrl or Shift keys if you want to select more than one customer at a time. Finally, select Save.
   If the customer is grayed out, the customer’s default currency is not the euro, which means that recurring invoices cannot be sent to that customer. If there is a red triangle next to the customer, there are missing details or other issues in the customer’s information that affect the sending of recurring invoices.
   
   
   
7. Finally, add invoice rows, i.e., the products to be invoiced, to the invoice template. Select Add new row.
   
   
   
8. Enter the product rows and headings the same way as on a regular sales invoice . In addition to the product rows, you can add an invoice template-specific description that specifies the period covered by the invoice. The information is automatically generated on the invoice according to the recurrence settings.
   
   
   
9. Once all the information has been entered into the invoice template, select Activate. The invoice template will be activated, after which the next outgoing invoice will be created automatically for each invoice recipient.
10. If automatic is selected as the delivery method, invoices will be sent automatically. See How to send an automatic outgoing invoice.
    If manual has been selected as the delivery method, you must send each invoice created from the invoice template manually. See How to send a manually delivered invoice.
11. Sent invoices are transferred to open invoices in the Invoices view of the Sales invoicing service and they will be delivered using the customer’s default invoicing method, which is defined in the customer register.
12. Invoices are created according to the End setting in the invoice template until a specific date or a specific number of repeats. If the invoice template is set to be valid indefinitely, end the invoice template when no new recurring invoices need to be created. Click the three dots on the left side of the invoice template row and select End invoice template.
    
    
    
13. When the invoice template is ended, the invoices that have already been created are deleted and the status of the invoice template changes to Ended.
14. If you want to reactivate an ended invoice template, open the invoice template and select Activate in the upper right corner.