Set up a recurring invoice

A recurring invoice is a template plus a schedule. On each date the schedule gives, WbizManager creates a new invoice 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 customer.

The schedule follows a schedule policy, which says how often it runs. These policies come with WbizManager:

Policy	Runs
Daily	Every day.
Weekly on Monday	Every week on Monday.
Every 2 weeks on Monday	Every second week on Monday.
Monthly on the 1st	Every month on the 1st.
Monthly on the last day	Every month on its last day.
Quarterly on the 1st	On 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October.
Half-yearly on the 1st	On 1 January and 1 July.
Yearly on 1 January	Every year on 1 January.

If none of these fits, an administrator can add your own under Settings › Schedule Policies. See Set up schedule policies.

Steps

1. Open Sales › Recurring Invoices

   In the menu on the left, select Sales, then Recurring Invoices. You see each schedule with its Name, Customer, Policy, Next date, Each occurrence, Last run, Status, Amount and Owner. Select New recurring invoice.

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

   The invoice form opens with the title New recurring invoice and the schedule settings at the top.

   

   1. Recurring Invoices in the Sales menu.
   2. New recurring invoice.
2. Name the schedule and choose how often it runs

   • Schedule name: a name you'll recognise in the list, for example Monthly retainer for Sample Traders Ltd. Required.
   • Schedule policy: how often it runs. Choose from Your policies or System policies. It starts on Monthly on the 1st. Manage policies opens the policy list, and New policy lets you add one if your role allows it.

   

   1. Schedule name.
   2. Schedule policy: how often it runs.
   3. Next dates it will run.
3. Choose when it starts and stops

   • Start date: the first day the schedule can run. It starts on tomorrow. Required.
   • End date (optional): no invoices are created after this date.
   • Stop after (occurrences, optional): the most invoices the schedule creates. Leave it empty to use what the policy says.

   Leave both empty for a schedule that runs until you stop it.

4. Choose what each occurrence does

   In Each occurrence, choose one:

   • Creates a draft invoice: the invoice waits as a draft for someone to check and send. You'll get a notice each time.
   • Creates and posts the invoice: the invoice is posted to your accounts, but not emailed.
   • Creates, posts and emails the invoice: the invoice is posted and emailed to the customer.

   If you choose to email it, more boxes appear:

   • Email to (optional): leave it empty to use the customer's email address, or enter addresses separated by commas.
   • Email subject (optional) and Email message (optional): leave them empty for the standard wording.
   • Attach the invoice as a PDF: leave it ticked so the customer gets a copy.
5. Check the next dates

   Next dates lists the next five dates the schedule will run on. Each invoice is dated on its date, and its due date follows the payment term.

   If you see The dates could not be worked out., check the policy and the dates you entered.

6. Fill in the invoice template

   Below the schedule settings, fill in the invoice as you would a normal one: customer, payment term, currency, lines, tax, notes and dimensions. See create an invoice.

   You're editing a template, not an invoice. Each occurrence creates a new invoice from it. Keep in mind:

   • attachments aren't copied onto the invoices;
   • the exchange rate stays as you save it here;
   • batches aren't kept. Stock is picked when each invoice is created;
   • items tracked by serial number can't go on a recurring invoice, because each sale must name the serial numbers sold. Saving refuses them with "… is serial-tracked, so it cannot be on a recurring invoice …". Invoice those items by hand with create an invoice.

   

   1. Customer, dates and payment term, as on a normal invoice.
   2. The lines.
7. Create the schedule

   Select Create schedule. You'll see Recurring invoice 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. Create schedule.

Make an existing invoice recurring

You can also copy an invoice you've already made into a new schedule.

1. Open the invoice from Sales › Invoices (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 invoice created. Check the template before the first occurrence. Dimensions and attachments aren't copied. Open the schedule and select Edit to add them.

Manage a schedule

Open a schedule from the Recurring Invoices list to see its details: Schedule policy, Each occurrence, Start date, Next date, End date, Occurrences created, Last occurrence, Last run and Owner, plus the upcoming dates and a history of every occurrence.

A schedule's Status is one of:

• Active: it runs on its next date.
• Paused: it doesn't run until you resume it.
• Completed: it reached its end date or its number of occurrences.
• Cancelled: it was stopped for good.

The buttons at the top depend on the status and your role:

• Run now (active schedules): creates the next invoice now instead of on its date. It won't be created again on that date.
• Pause (active schedules): no invoice is created while it's paused.
• Resume (paused schedules): choose Continue from today (skip missed occurrences), or Create the missed occurrences too to catch up on the invoices missed while paused.
• Cancel schedule (active or paused schedules): stops it for good. It can't be resumed or edited. Invoices already created aren't changed.
• Delete: only for a schedule that has never run. This can't be undone.
• Edit (active or paused schedules): change the schedule settings or the template, then select Save schedule.

The history shows each occurrence with its Trigger (Scheduled, Run now or Retry), its Result (In progress, Posted, Posted and emailed, Saved as draft, Failed or Skipped), a link to the invoice it made, and any message. Select Retry on a failed occurrence to run it again.

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 number of occurrences must be a whole number of 1 or more.	Enter a whole number in Stop after, or clear it.
These email addresses are not valid: …	Correct the addresses in Email to, separated by commas.
You do not have permission for schedules of this document type.	Ask your administrator for access to recurring invoices.
Not enough stock of … at …: … available, … needed.	Receive more stock at that location, then select Retry on the failed occurrence.