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When recurring invoices are sent
When you create a subscription, it generates invoices automatically on a schedule. Here's how the timing works and what controls when each invoice appears.
How the schedule works
Every subscription has three key dates:
- Start date: when the subscription begins. The first invoice is created on or shortly after this date.
- Upcoming invoice date: the next date an invoice will be generated. This advances automatically each time a new invoice is created, based on the repeat frequency you set (weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom).
- End date (optional): when the subscription stops generating invoices.
You can also set an invoice limit instead of an end date. For example, if you set the subscription to end after 12 invoices, it'll stop creating new ones once the twelfth invoice is generated.
When invoices are created
A background process runs once daily at 9:30 AM UTC. It checks every active subscription for an upcoming invoice date that's today or earlier. If it finds one, it creates the next invoice by copying the subscription's template invoice, sets the invoice status to Pending, and advances the upcoming invoice date forward by one cycle (based on the repeat frequency).
This means invoices are always generated on the scheduled date or the next morning if the date falls on a non-processing day.
Recurring invoices vs. recurring billing
There are two types of subscriptions:
- Recurring invoice: generates a new invoice and sends it to the client by email automatically. The client receives the invoice and pays using whatever payment method is set up.
- Recurring billing: generates a new invoice and attempts to charge the client's saved payment method automatically. If the charge succeeds, the invoice is marked as Paid. If it fails, the subscription status changes to Past due and the charge is retried up to three times per day (at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2:00 PM UTC).
What happens after each invoice is created
- The new invoice appears on your Invoices page with a Pending status.
- For recurring invoices, the client receives an email with the invoice attached.
- For recurring billing, the saved payment method is charged. If the charge succeeds, the invoice moves to Paid.
- The subscription's upcoming invoice date advances to the next cycle.
- If the subscription has an invoice limit and that limit is reached, the upcoming invoice date is removed and no more invoices are generated.
Invoice numbering on recurring invoices
Each generated invoice gets its own invoice number, assigned on the start date or when the invoice moves to Pending. The numbering follows the same prefix and format you've set in Settings > Financials.
Subscription statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Subscription is set up but hasn't started yet. |
| Active | Invoices are being generated on schedule. |
| Past due | A recurring billing charge failed. The charge will be retried. |
| Failed | All retry attempts have been exhausted. |
| Cancelled | The subscription has been stopped. No more invoices will be generated. |
| Paused | Temporarily halted. Can be resumed. |
To view or change a subscription's schedule, open the subscription and check the details panel where you'll find the start date, frequency, upcoming invoice date, and the list of previously generated invoices.
