Setting up recurring invoices

Recurring invoices let you automate the issuance of identical invoices at regular intervals. Ideal for customer subscriptions, rent, maintenance contracts, or any periodically billed service.

Typical use cases

• Monthly software subscription at 85,000 XAF/month
• Office rent at 350,000 XAF/month
• Quarterly maintenance contract at 480,000 XAF/quarter
• Annual accounting fees at 1,200,000 XAF/year

Creating a recurring invoice template

1. Access the module

   Main menu → Sales → Recurring invoices → New recurring invoice button.

2. Configure the customer and lines

   Fill in exactly as a standard invoice:

   • Customer: select the contact (411xxx account)
   • Lines: description, quantity, unit price excl. VAT, VAT rate

   Example — monthly maintenance subscription:

   Description	Qty	Unit price	VAT	Total incl. VAT
   Software maintenance — Pro licence	1	150,000 XAF	19.25%	178,875 XAF
   Priority support (5h included)	1	75,000 XAF	19.25%	89,438 XAF
   Monthly total		225,000 XAF excl.	43,313 XAF	268,313 XAF incl.

3. Set the frequency

   Parameter	Options	Description
   Frequency	Monthly / Quarterly / Semi-annual / Annual	Generation rhythm
   Start date	Date of choice	First generation on this date
   Next generation date	Auto-calculated	Displayed after saving
   Number of recurrences	Fixed number or “No end”	Contract duration
   Automatic email sending	Yes / No	Direct sending to customer without manual action

4. Configure automatic sending

   Automatic sending enabled

   The invoice is generated and sent by email to the customer on the scheduled date. Make sure the email address is set on the customer record. No intervention required.

   Manual sending

   The invoice is generated but remains in DRAFT status. You receive a notification and can review it before sending. Useful if amounts may vary.

   Tip

   Enable automatic sending only for fixed-amount invoices. If your service varies month to month, leave manual sending so you can review before issuing.

5. Save the template

   Click Save. The template moves to ACTIVE status. The next generation date is displayed in the list.

Recurring template statuses

Status	Description	Available actions
ACTIVE	Automatic generation in progress	Pause, Edit, View invoices
PAUSED	Generation temporarily suspended	Resume, Edit, Terminate
TERMINATED	Permanently archived	View history

Managing an existing template

Pause

Access the template → Pause button. Generation stops at the next occurrence. Useful during a contract suspension or dispute. The template is preserved and can be resumed.

Resume

From a PAUSED template → Resume button. Enter the new next generation date.

Terminate

From an ACTIVE or PAUSED template → Terminate button. The template moves to TERMINATED and can no longer be edited. Previously generated invoices remain accessible.

View generated invoices

On the template detail page, the Generated invoices tab lists all invoices from this template with their payment status.

Caution

Editing lines or amounts on an ACTIVE template does not retroactively affect already issued invoices. Only future generations are affected.

Example generation schedule

For a quarterly subscription starting 01/01/2026 over 4 recurrences:

Generation	Date	Total incl. VAT	Status
1/4	01/01/2026	480,000 XAF	SETTLED
2/4	01/04/2026	480,000 XAF	AWAITING
3/4	01/07/2026	480,000 XAF	Scheduled
4/4	01/10/2026	480,000 XAF	Scheduled

Common errors

Error	Cause	Solution
”No invoice generated”	Start date in the future	Check the template start date
”Email not sent”	Customer email missing	Add email to the contact record
”Inactive template”	Manually paused	Resume the template from its detail page

Further reading

• Creating a customer invoice — understand the complete invoice cycle
• Automatic payment reminders — configure reminders if recurring invoices remain unpaid