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Recurring Invoice Template

A recurring invoice bills the same agreed fee on a fixed cycle: a monthly bookkeeping retainer, a quarterly maintenance plan, a weekly cleaning contract. Because the amount rarely changes, the details that do change are the ones that matter, and they are what this template is built around: the service period this invoice covers, whether it is billed in advance or in arrears, the cycle number under the agreement, any one-off work this cycle on its own line, the next invoice date, and written notice of a price change before it takes effect. The download is an editable HTML invoice with invoice number, dates, a line table and totals; fill it in your browser and print or save it as PDF for each cycle, changing only the period and the date. If you would rather not rebuild it each time, InvoiceQuickly Pro can create the invoice from a saved schedule as a draft for you to review, as described below.

Draft this invoice
Preview this editable document

Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Agreement or contract reference
  • Billing frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly)
  • Service period covered by this invoice
  • Billed in advance or in arrears
  • Cycle number (for example 4 of 12) or 'ongoing'
  • Recurring fee and what it includes
  • One-off or variable charges this cycle, on separate lines
  • Next invoice date
  • Price change notice and effective date
  • Notice period to cancel or change the plan

How to Create Your Recurring Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Pick terms that fit the cycle. Monthly fees billed in advance are often due on the 1st or within 7 to 15 days, so the month is paid while it is being delivered; net 30 on an advance invoice means each month is paid as it ends. Billing in arrears adds a full cycle to that: the December invoice goes out on 1 January, so with net 30 the work is paid about two months after it starts. Write the frequency, the advance or arrears rule, the notice period for price changes and cancellations in the agreement, and repeat the due date on every invoice. If you use InvoiceQuickly's recurring schedules, generated invoices use the due-in days saved on the schedule (30 by default).

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

Each recurring invoice is a separate invoice for tax purposes, so it must show tax at the rate in force for its own date or period. In the United Kingdom, HMRC's VAT Notice 700 (paragraph 14.3, page updated 25 June 2026) says that for continuous supplies of services there is a tax point every time you issue a VAT invoice or receive a payment, whichever comes first, and that where payments fall due regularly you may instead issue one VAT invoice for up to a year listing each payment's VAT-exclusive amount, due date, VAT rate and VAT. In the United States, whether a recurring service is subject to sales tax depends on the state and the service. InvoiceQuickly's schedule form does not add tax or a discount, so an automatically sent recurring invoice uses the saved tax and discount rates: if you charge sales tax or VAT, keep the schedule on drafts and add the rate before sending. Your VAT number or tax ID is copied to new invoice PDFs; check the saved IDs and PDF before sending. General information, not tax advice.

Industry context (2026)

How InvoiceQuickly handles recurring invoices today (Pro plan, $9 a month; not on Free): you create a schedule on the Recurring page with a client, a name, a frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly), a first run date and time, and one line item with a description and price in the currency saved on the schedule. Each run creates an invoice dated the day it is generated and due after the saved number of days, with the next number in your sequence. Invoices are drafts for review by default; if you tick 'Email each generated invoice automatically', they are sent when the client has an email address. Schedules can be paused, resumed or archived. Limits: the form adds the saved tax and discount rates, so an automatically sent invoice uses the saved tax and discount rates; there is no every-two-weeks or twice-monthly option; payment terms are saved on the schedule (30 days by default); and a schedule cannot be edited once created. Schedules are processed when InvoiceQuickly's automation runs; an owner or admin can also run due schedules from the Recurring page, so check your drafts on the run date rather than assuming a time. Payment links and reminders apply per invoice once it is sent. Checked against the product on 28 October 2026.

Worked example

Worked example (illustrative fees): a web developer bills a dental practice $450.00 a month in advance under maintenance agreement MA-0926, which started on 1 September 2026 for 12 months. Invoice INV-0142 is dated 1 December 2026, due 31 December (net 30). Line 1: website maintenance, monthly plan, services 1 to 31 December 2026, month 4 of 12, 1 × $450.00. Line 2: additional landing page approved 18 November, outside the plan, 4 hours × $85.00 = $340.00. Total $790.00. Notes: 'Next invoice 1 January 2027 for $450.00. From 1 March 2027 the monthly fee becomes $475.00, as notified in writing on 1 December 2026 (90 days' notice under clause 6).' The agreement year now totals $5,550.00: six months at $450.00 ($2,700.00) and six at $475.00 ($2,850.00), instead of $5,400.00. Billed in arrears instead, the December invoice would be dated 1 January and due 31 January, a month later for the same work, which over a year leaves one month's fee ($450.00) permanently outstanding. In InvoiceQuickly Pro, the developer saves a schedule ('Website maintenance, monthly plan', $450.00, monthly) with drafts on, edits each draft to add the service period and any extra line, and before the 1 March run archives the schedule and creates a new one at $475.00 with 1 March 2027 as its first run.

Common mistakes to avoid

No service period

'December' on an invoice dated 1 January leaves the client guessing whether this is December's fee or January's. State the dates covered.

Auto-sending without tax

If your recurring setup does not carry the tax rate, every automatic invoice undercharges. Use drafts and add tax until you have checked a generated invoice.

Changing the price without notice

A new amount that appears without written notice invites a dispute. Give notice, quote it on the invoice and apply it from the stated date.

Folding extras into the recurring line

Raising the monthly line to cover one-off work hides what changed. Keep the fee constant and add extras as separate, dated lines.

Billing past the end of the agreement

A schedule keeps running until you stop it. Note the last cycle and end or renew the schedule when the term ends.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Write the service period on every invoice ('Services 1 to 31 December 2026'), not just the month name. It tells the client whether they are paying ahead or behind, and it is what stops a duplicate payment.
  • 2Number the cycle ('month 4 of 12') on fixed-term agreements, so both sides can see when the term ends and a renewal or new price is due.
  • 3Keep extras out of the recurring line. One-off work goes on its own line with its approval date, so the recurring fee stays recognisable.
  • 4Give written notice of a price change before it applies, quote the notice on the invoice, and change the amount from the date you gave, not earlier.
  • 5Check the first two or three invoices from any schedule by hand before you let a system send them automatically.
  • 6Invoice numbers still run in one sequence across all clients; a recurring invoice takes the next number, not a separate series per client, unless your system and records support separate series.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a recurring invoice?

An invoice for the same agreed fee issued on a regular cycle, such as weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly, under one ongoing agreement. Each one is a separate invoice with its own number, date, service period and due date.

What should a recurring invoice include?

Everything a normal invoice needs, plus the agreement reference, the frequency, the service period this invoice covers, whether it is billed in advance or in arrears, any one-off charges this cycle on separate lines, the next invoice date and any notice of a price change.

Should recurring invoices be billed in advance or in arrears?

Fixed fees for a known service, such as maintenance or a retainer, are usually billed in advance. Work measured after the fact, such as hours or usage, is billed in arrears. Billing in arrears with net 30 means you are paid about two months after a month's work starts, so agree the rule in writing.

How do I change the amount on a recurring invoice?

Tell the client in writing before the change, with the new amount and the date it applies, then change the template or schedule before the next invoice. Past invoices stay as they are; correct a past invoice with a credit note and a new invoice. In InvoiceQuickly a schedule cannot be edited after it is created, so you archive it and create a new one from the effective date.

Does InvoiceQuickly send recurring invoices automatically?

On Pro, a schedule creates each invoice as a draft by default; you can tick an option to email it automatically if the client has an email address. Invoices are created when InvoiceQuickly's automation runs, and an account owner or admin can also run due schedules from the Recurring page, so do not rely on a particular time of day. The Free plan does not include recurring schedules.

Can a recurring invoice include tax?

Yes, it should whenever you charge tax. InvoiceQuickly's schedule form does not add tax, so keep the schedule on drafts, add the tax rate to each draft and then send it.