Meera has one retainer client. The amount is the same, the line items are the same, and the invoice needs to go out on the first of every month.

For nine months, she duplicated the previous month's invoice and changed the date. It worked, until she nearly forgot one month while handling other work.

There has to be a better way to handle an invoice that repeats like clockwork.

The Usual Way To Do This  

Covered in our published Invoices FAQ, with detailed guidance in Recurring Invoices.

Instead of creating the same invoice every month, set up a recurring invoice profile once. Choose the customer, enter the items, select the frequency and set the start date. Zoho Invoice can then generate invoices according to the schedule you configure.

Here is how:

1. Open the Recurring Invoices module in Zoho Invoice.

2. Select New Recurring Invoice.

3. Select the customer and enter the items, quantities, rates and applicable taxes.

4. Choose the recurring frequency, such as monthly.

5. Set the start date and any end date, if required.

6. Review the invoice generation and delivery options available in your profile.

7. Save the recurring invoice profile.

For detailed instructions, see Creating Recurring Invoices.

If you are duplicating last month's invoice by hand, setting up a recurring profile can save you that repeated work.

But Your Case May Be Different  

Recurring invoices are useful when the same billing task comes around regularly, but your situation may need a different approach.

You may be facing one of these situations:

• My invoice amount changes occasionally, so I am not sure recurring invoices are suitable for me.

• I want to review each invoice before it goes to the customer.

• I need to pause a recurring invoice for a month without losing the existing setup.

• I moved to Zoho Billing and cannot find my recurring invoices.

Let's work through each situation.

Working Through It  

My invoice amount changes occasionally, so I am not sure recurring invoices are suitable for me.

A recurring invoice profile can still be useful when the amount changes from time to time. You can review and update the profile when the amount changes. Check the profile and its next scheduled invoice before relying on the change.

Here is how to review your recurring invoice profile:

1. Open the Recurring Invoices module in Zoho Invoice.

2. Select the recurring profile you want to update.

3. Review the customer, items, rates, quantities and applicable taxes.

4. Click on Edit the profile.

5. Update the relevant details, such as the item rate or quantity.

6. Save the changes.

7. Go to the Next Invoice tab to confirm the details are correct.

If the amount changes every month, review each generated invoice before sending it. A recurring profile works best when the billing pattern is predictable.

For invoices that are genuinely irregular, creating an invoice manually may be more appropriate than maintaining a recurring schedule. For more information, see Recurring Invoices.

I want to review each invoice before it goes to the customer

You can configure the recurring invoice preference to create invoices as drafts instead of sending them automatically. You can also choose to notify the administrator whenever a recurring invoice is created as a draft.

This saves time on repeated data entry while allowing you to review each invoice before it reaches the customer.

Here is how to configure the preference:

1. Go to Settings and select Recurring Invoices.

2. Under Preferences, select Create Invoice as Draft.

3. Enable the option to send a notification to the administrator when an invoice is created as a draft, if you want to be notified.

4. Save your preferences.

When a recurring invoice is created as a draft:

1. Open the Invoices module.

2. Locate and open the draft invoice.

3. Review the customer details, invoice date, line items, taxes and total.

4. Make any necessary corrections.

5. Approve the details and send the invoice to the customer when it is ready.

This option is useful when invoice amounts or details need to be checked before sending.

What are the other available options?

Depending on your workflow, you can also choose from these recurring invoice preferences:

• Create and Send: Zoho Invoice creates the invoice according to the schedule and sends it to the customer automatically.

• Create, Charge and Send: Zoho Invoice creates the invoice, charges the customer using the configured payment method where applicable, and sends the invoice.

Choose the option that best suits your workflow. If you prefer to verify every invoice before it reaches the customer, Create Invoice as Draft gives you that additional control.

For detailed guidance, see Managing Recurring Profiles.

I need to pause a recurring invoice for a month without losing the setup

Suppose Meera's client pauses a project for one month but plans to resume the retainer afterwards. Deleting the recurring invoice profile would mean having to recreate the setup later.

Instead, you can stop the recurring invoice and resume it when the client is ready to continue.

Here is how to stop a recurring invoice:

1. Open the Recurring Invoices module in Zoho Invoice.

2. Select the recurring invoice profile associated with the client.

3. Click More on the recurring invoice details page.

4. Select Stop.

5. Confirm the action if prompted.

When you are ready to resume the recurring invoice:

1. Open the Recurring Invoices module.

2. Select the stopped recurring invoice profile.

3. Click More.

4. Select Resume.

5. Review the next scheduled invoice date to make sure it aligns with your billing schedule.

This lets you pause recurring invoices without deleting the profile and setting it up again.

A useful tip: Set a reminder for when the client plans to resume the retainer. Before resuming, review the recurring invoice details and schedule to ensure they still match your agreement with the client. For more information, see Managing Recurring Profiles.

I moved to Zoho Billing and cannot find my recurring invoices

If you have moved from Zoho Invoice to Zoho Billing, you may be able to migrate your existing recurring invoices directly into Zoho Billing as Item Subscriptions.

If you want to migrate your recurring invoices, contact the Zoho Invoice support team for assistance.

Here is what you need to know:

1. Sign in to your Zoho Billing organization.

2. Open the Subscriptions list page.

3. Check whether a recurring invoice migration banner is available.

4. If the banner is available, it will include a Fetch Now option to initiate the migration of your existing Zoho Invoice recurring invoices as Item Subscriptions.

5. Before proceeding, contact support@zohoinvoice.com to confirm your eligibility and get guidance on the early access migration process.

If It Still Is Not Working  

Before contacting support, work through these checks:

1. If no invoice was generated: Open the Recurring Invoices module and check whether the profile is active.

2. If an invoice was generated on the wrong date: Open the recurring profile and review the schedule and next invoice date.

3. If the invoice contains an old amount: Open the profile and review the customer, line items, rates and quantities.

4. If you cannot find the generated invoice: Open the Invoices module and check whether the invoice was generated as a draft.

5. If the invoice was not sent automatically: Open the recurring profile and review the invoice generation and delivery options.

Still stuck? Email support@zohoinvoice.com. Include the recurring profile name, the date you expected the invoice, and whether the profile is configured to create drafts or send invoices automatically.

Over to You  

How many of your invoices repeat every month? If you are still creating them manually, what has stopped you from setting up a recurring profile?