By using a smart file, you can invoice your clients and streamline payment collection. For one-time payments, create a single invoice. For recurring payments or subscriptions, generate a recurring invoice.
Recurring invoices automate billing based on your preferred schedule, saving time and ensuring prompt payment collection. This simplifies the process for clients, who will receive invoices on designated dates and can pay through any device or receive reminders and receipts if they are on autopay.
Create a recurring invoice
1. Begin creating your invoice
2. Get to the page that hold your invoice block
3. Select the invoice block to open the settings sidebar > select Set payment options
4. Select Recurring for the invoice frequency
5. Set the next invoice date (if you're creating a template, this will be set when you use it in a project)
6. Select how often this invoice should get sent
a. If you need a custom cadence, select Custom
b. If you plan to take bank transfers with this invoice, the cadence must be at least 10 days
7. Select when the last invoice should get sent
a. No end date: a new invoice will generate until you manually stop it
b. On: recurring invoice will end on the selected date
c. After: recurring invoice will end after the selected number of invoices have been sent
8. When your recurring schedule looks good, make sure to review your invoice’s other payment settings, and make any other necessary changes to the smart file
9. Share the smart file with your client
What happens with services in recurring invoices
If you’ve created a services block that allows (or requires) your clients to make a service selection, including a recurring invoice on a subsequent page of the smart file will dynamically pull in your client’s selections and automatically calculate the total amount for the recurring payment.
Smart files that contain selectable services and an invoice will automatically include this dynamic section of the invoice (no need to add it manually), even if you began with an invoice template.
✅ Note
Learn more about how services and invoices work together.
What your client experiences with recurring invoices
Your clients' experience with the first recurring invoice will be the same as their experience with single invoices. They will review the smart file, enter their payment information, and make the payment.
For future invoices, your client will receive email reminders before the payment is due. They can use the link in the email to make the payment through the smart file. If the client has set up autopay, they will be notified via email when their payment is processed.
📣 Note
If a client inputs payment information before the initial payment due date, the first payment will process on the day the information is added, not on the first invoice due date Following payments, however, will only be able to occur when the next invoice is due.
Your client will be able to:
Review past invoices
Pay via credit card or bank transfer (depending on the settings you chose)
Change their own bank or credit card information
Turn on autopay for themselves
Your client will not be able to:
Make a payment early
Change, stop, or cancel their own recurring invoice (they’ll need to reach out to you to make any adjustments)
✅ Note
If a client needs to update or delete a card on file for recurring invoices, you will need to stop the recurring invoice first. Once the recurring invoice is stopped, your client can then update their payment method.
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!