How Do I Create a Recurring Template?

• Create Recurring Templates
  • Invoice Details
  • Add Unbilled Time & Expenses
  • Dynamic Variables
  • Template Settings
  • Recurring Schedule
  • Save or Send Recurring Templates
• Manage Recurring Templates
• Deactivate Recurring Templates
• FAQs

Create Recurring Templates

• On the Dashboard, click on the Create New... button, then select Recurring Template
• Go to the Invoices section, click on the New Invoice button, then click on Make Recurring under Settings
• Go to the Clients section, click on a Client, then click on the Recurring Templates sub-tab and select the + button (this will create a Recurring Template assigned to this Client)

Invoice Details

• Company, Client, and Invoice Details - Choose a Client and update the Date of Issue, Due Dates, Invoice Number and Reference Number as needed with the steps here
  • Note that the generated Invoice’s Number will increment +1 based off the most recently created Invoice, whether that Invoice was made by a Recurring Template or manually
• Items, Services and Taxes - To bill your Clients for your goods and services, click on the Add a Line button, and add Items, Services and Taxes with the steps here
• Subtotal Area, Notes and Terms
  • Add a Discount - Reduce the Invoice’s total by applying an amount or percentage-based discount
  • Notes - Notes are unique to each Invoice and will not be remembered for next time, this is useful for any comments, details and temporary information applicable to this specific Client only
  • Terms - Terms are remembered from the last created or edited Invoice, this is useful for terms of service, contractual obligations or payment instructions that is applicable to all Clients. If you need to change your Terms, ensure your updated Terms are on your most recently created Invoice

Add Unbilled Time & Expenses

1. Ensure a Client is selected
2. Click on the Add a Line button
3. Click on Import Unbilled Time and Expenses
   
   
4. For Import Unbilled, choose whether to import All unbilled time and expenses, Unbilled time only, or Unbilled expenses only
5. If importing unbilled time, choose the Time Entry Format by clicking on Detailed, Grouped or Simple - for details on the formatting, see here, or click on Show Preview to see an example of each format
6. Click on Save to apply the formatting
7. You will now have any future time entries and/or future expenses automatically imported onto this Recurring Template.  
   
   
    

Dynamic Variables

• ::month:: - Month on Issue Date when Invoice is generated
• ::year:: - Year on Issue Date when Invoice is generated
• ::quarter:: - Quarter on Issue Date when Invoice is generated
• +# or -# - # represents a number, to be used together with Month, Year or Quarter to add or subtract based on Issue Date when Invoice is generated

Template Settings

• For This Template
  • Accept Online Payments - Accept Bank Transfers (US only), Credit Cards, and more through FreshBooks Payment (WePay), Stripe, or PayPal. Your settings for online payments will be remembered based on the last invoice created
  • Customize Invoice Style - Change the template, logo or banner, color and font with the steps here
• For This Client - Once you’ve selected a Client on your Template, you can modify their Late Reminders, Charge Late Fees and Currency & Language like any other Invoice with the steps here

Recurring Schedule

• How Often? - Choose between Weekly, Monthly, Yearly or Custom for the frequency
• Next Issue Date - Choose when you want the Template to generate the first Invoice; if set to the last day of the month (e.g., Dec 31), it’ll automatically adjust to the last day on a shorter month like Feb 28 or Apr 30
• Number of Invoices - Choose between Infinite to generate Invoices indefinitely, or enter the number of Invoices to generate next to Remaining
• Delivery Options - Choose between Send invoices automatically or Create Draft invoices and send manually (this option will not stop Recurring Payments from occurring if payment is saved, even if the Invoices are generating Drafts first)
• Payment Options - Check the box off next to Allow clients to save credit cards to make automatic payments to accept Online Payments

Save or Send Recurring Templates

1. In the To: field, the Primary Client's email is automatically checked off as a sender, along with any Secondary Contacts you’ve sent to on a recent Invoice, Estimate or Proposal (see details here)
2. If needed, check off any additional Contacts' emails to send the Invoice to
3. Personalize the email to your Client as needed
4. Click on the Save button and you’ll be taken back to the Recurring Templates section. If the Template was set to generate an Invoice the same day you created it, this will now appear in your list of Invoices.

Manage Recurring Templates

• All Recurring Templates will display the Recurring Template ID, frequency and the number of Invoices left to generate (if applicable)
• Click on any Recurring Template to see a preview of the generated Invoice, the banner at the top will indicate how Invoices are being generated:
  • Automatically Created - Invoices are generated and saved as Drafts only
  • Automatically Sent - Invoices are generated and sent to the Client
• At the bottom of any Recurring Template, click on the View invoices from this Recurring Template link to see all generated Invoices

• Pause / Restart Recurring - Pause a Recurring Template if you want it to stop generating Invoices, or resume an Inactive Template to start generating Invoices again
• Archive
• Delete

• Edit - Click on the pencil icon and you’ll be taken to the edit view of the Recurring Template where you can adjust and save afterwards
• Delete - Click on the trash can icon to delete the Recurring Template. You can view all deleted Recurring Templates by clicking on the deleted link at the bottom of the list

Deactivate Recurring Templates

1. Go to the Invoices section
2. Click on the Recurring Templates tab
3. Then open the Recurring Template you want to pause by clicking on it
4. Select the More Actions button
5. Click on Pause Recurring and the template will no longer generate new Invoices.
   
   

FAQs

1. Go to the Invoices section
2. Check the box off next to the Invoice you want to copy
3. Click on the More Actions button
4. Select Duplicate
5. Click on Make Recurring under Settings and continue with making your Recurring Invoice. Don't forget to delete the original Invoice after when you're done.

• Auto-Draft - Generate a Draft Invoice only for you (if Recurring Payments have been enabled, the payment will still be billed even if the Invoice is generated as a Draft)
• Auto-Sent - Generate an Invoice and send to your Client
• Card / Account Saved - Generate an Invoice, bill the Client's saved payment information (if Recurring Payments is enabled) and send a payment notification to the Primary Client
• Inactive - No longer generating any Invoices