Set up a recurring bill

A recurring bill is a bill template plus a schedule. On each date the schedule gives, WbizManager creates a new bill from the template. You decide whether it stops at a draft for you to check, or is posted, or is posted and emailed to the vendor.

Use it for bills that are the same every time, such as rent, cleaning or a service contract. Bills for goods you receive on a purchase order should be matched to goods received instead.

The schedule follows a schedule policy, which says how often it runs, for example Monthly on the 1st, Weekly on Monday or Quarterly on the 1st. The policies are the same as for recurring invoices. An administrator can add your own under Settings › Schedule Policies (see Set up schedule policies).

Steps

1. Open Purchases › Recurring Bills

   In the menu on the left, select Purchases, then Recurring Bills. You see each schedule with its Name, Vendor, Policy, Next date, Each occurrence, Last run, Status, Amount and Owner. Select New recurring bill.

   If you don't see New recurring bill, your role can't create schedules. Ask your administrator.

   

   1. Recurring Bills in the Purchases menu.
   2. New recurring bill.
2. Set the schedule

   The bill form opens with the title New recurring bill and the Schedule settings at the top.

   

   1. Schedule name: a name you'll recognise in the list. Required.
   2. Schedule policy: how often it runs. It starts on Monthly on the 1st. New policy and Manage policies are below it.
   3. Start date: the first day the schedule can run. It starts on tomorrow. Required.
   4. Each occurrence: Creates a draft bill, Creates and posts the bill, or Creates, posts and emails the bill.
   5. End date (optional) and Stop after (occurrences, optional). Leave both empty for a schedule that runs until you stop it.
   6. Next dates: the next five dates it will run. Each bill is dated on its date, and its due date follows the payment term.

   If you choose to email the bill, fill in Email to (optional) (leave it empty to use the vendor's email address), Email subject (optional) and Email message (optional), and keep Attach the bill as a PDF ticked.

3. Fill in the bill template

   Below the schedule settings, fill in the bill as you would a normal one: Vendor Name, Payment Term, currency, lines, tax, notes and dimensions. See record a vendor bill.

   You're editing a template, not a bill. Attachments aren't copied onto the bills, and the exchange rate stays as you save it here.

4. Create the schedule

   Select Create schedule at the bottom. You'll see Recurring bill created. The schedule is Active and runs on its next date. You become its owner, so notices about drafts and failures come to you.

   

   1. Global Dimensions for every bill the schedule creates.
   2. Create schedule.

Make an existing bill recurring

1. Open the bill from Purchases › Bills (actions menu ⋮, then View).
2. Select Make recurring at the top.
3. In the Make recurring window, fill in Schedule name, Schedule policy, Start date and Each occurrence.
4. Select Create schedule.

You'll see Recurring bill created. Check the template before the first occurrence. Open the schedule and select Edit to add anything that wasn't copied, such as dimensions.

Manage a schedule

Open a schedule from the Recurring Bills list to see its details, its upcoming dates and a history of every bill it created. Its Status is Active, Paused, Completed or Cancelled.

The buttons at the top depend on the status and your role: Run now, Pause, Resume, Cancel schedule, Delete (only for a schedule that has never run) and Edit. They work the same way as for recurring invoices.

If something goes wrong

Message	What to do
Enter a name for the schedule.	Fill in Schedule name.
Select a schedule policy.	Choose a policy in Schedule policy.
Select a start date.	Pick a Start date.
The end date must be on or after the start date.	Move the End date later, or clear it.
The dates could not be worked out.	Check the policy and the dates you entered.
You do not have permission for schedules of this document type.	Ask your administrator for access to recurring bills.