Why my invoice get paid automatically?

In QuickBooks Online, an invoice is usually marked as paid upon creation because the Automatically apply credits automation setting is turned on.
 

When enabled, the system will instantly match any existing unapplied payments, deposits, or open customer credits to the newest invoice you create.
 

To prevent it from automatically applying credits and marking your future invoices as paid, you can turn off the automation setting.
 

Here’s how:
 

1. Click the Gear icon in the top right corner.
2. Select Account and Settings.
3. Click the Advanced tab on the left menu.
4. Look for the Automation section and click the pencil icon to Edit.
5. Toggle off Automatically apply credits.
6. Click Save, then click Done.
    

Turning off the setting will stop the automation of payments to your invoices, but you still need to unlink the payment from the invoice that was mistakenly marked as paid.
 

1. Go to the All apps menu, then select Sales & get paid,  and choose Invoices.
2. Locate and click on the invoice to open it.
3. Click the 1 payment made or View Payment link located directly under the green Paid status banner.
4. Click the date link to open the payment transaction page.
5. In the Outstanding Transactions section, uncheck the box next to the invoice that was incorrectly paid.
6. Click Save and close.
    

Note: This will return the invoice to an Open unpaid status and move the credit back to the customer's account profile so you can apply it correctly later.
 

On the other hand, if this is a recurring invoice and you’re using QuickBooks Payments, your client likely enabled Autopay on a previous invoice. To stop these automated payments, click the Gear icon, choose Recurring Transactions, find your specific invoice template, and select Pause or Delete from the Action menu.
 

For additional questions or concerns, you can leave a comment below.