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PMoore1
Level 2

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Is there a way to set-up recurring transactions so that the service period dates are shown and change each time it's created & sent?

We send out monthly invoices for ongoing continued services. It would be helpful if each invoice could auto-fill with the month for which it covers. 

I know about the "service date" option in "sales form content" menu, but would that update each month? also, it is only one date, whereas a range would be better for this. 

Anyone have suggestions on how to do this? At the moment we include a line saying the invoice is for the service period beginning on the date of the invoice, but it would be nice to be more specific.

14 Comments 14
Rebecca R
QuickBooks Team

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Hello again PMoore1,

 

The recurring transactions feature in QuickBooks Online has a myriad of advantages. Not only does it save you time, but it also makes your cash flow more predictable. Let me go over how to set up recurring transactions to meet your business' needs.

 

While setting up recurring transactions you have the option to set them up on a schedule. This creates a series of transactions according to your schedule, which can be sent automatically via email. By setting up your schedule to have your transactions sent on the first of every month with the terms set to Net 30, you'll be covering each month of continued service until your specified end date. While there isn't a specific function that allows you to include a service period, the settings that exist on the recurring transactions form should do the trick.

 

Follow these steps to set up a scheduled recurring transaction:

 

  1. Navigate to the settings Gear.
  2. Select Recurring Transactions under Lists.
  3. Select the New button.
  4. Choose the type of transaction that you want to create and press OK.
  5. Enter a name for your template.
  6. Choose a Type: Scheduled, Unscheduled, or Reminder. I recommend Scheduled for your needs.
  7. Under Interval, select Monthly, on the 1st day of every 1  month(s), and specify your start and end dates.
  8. Set your terms as Net 30 so that the customer knows how long they have to pay you for the services provided.
  9. Enter other remaining fields and Save template.

 

Here are some articles that go over this process and explain it in more detail:

 

 

I'll be on standby should you have any follow up questions. Hope this helps! 

PMoore1
Level 2

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Hi Rebecca, 

 

What you've described is how we currently have them set up. However, some of our customers still have trouble understanding it, so I was there was a way to set up a specific field which could be called "service period" or something like that, and the month could be linked to the month of the invoice date. 

 

A few of our recurring transactions are billed annually, so the service period field would be especially helpful for those which don't line up with the invoice date/ due date. 

Rebecca R
QuickBooks Team

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Thank-you for the clarification PMoore1. I hear what you're saying. Since the Service Date column isn't part of the recurring transaction template, the date that you enter will repeat for every invoice that is sent out, rather than change monthly. What you've been doing by including a message or note is what I would suggest as the most effective way to convey the details to your customers. 

 

I know that this is a feature that other QuickBooks users would benefit from as well, so I encourage you to submit feedback on this. Navigate to the Gear icon, then select Feedback and you can have your voice heard by our product development team. This team works hard to implement new features and improve existing ones in QuickBooks Online to best suit our customers needs. 

 

Thank-you for being part of the QuickBooks family.

rgoldman
Level 3

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

I've been needing this feature for years, please add it

Fiat Lux - ASIA
Level 15

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

@rgoldman 

Consider having a 3rd party app for the time being.

RedRocket
Level 1

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Did you ever find a solution for this PMoore?

I see the quickbooks team reply (as usual) answered something else and made it look useful .. ish but it wasnt

 

Rebecca does mention that the 'service date' is not a part of huge recurring invoices template, although it shows up in mine? so whats it there for if we cant use it?
after all, the point of a recurring invoice is automation...

 

 

zul
Level 3

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

@Rebecca R What is needed to push this "feature" request forward? We need a way to add dates for either post, current or future month billing on reoccurring templates (invoices and sales receipts)    

Jen_D
Moderator

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Hello there, @zul.

 

Thanks for sharing your insights here in the QuickBooks Community. I want you to know that the changes in the program are released based on certain several factors. Regretfully, we're unable to provide the turnaround time on when new features are released in QuickBooks, since this is handled by the Developers Team.

 

Please continue sending your suggestion within the program through a product feedback. Follow the steps below in a web browser:

 

  1. Click the Gear icon and choose Feedback.
  2. Enter your suggestion for our engineers on the Feedback box.
  3. Once done, press Next to send it.

 

To be updated with the recent and upcoming changes for QuickBooks products, visit these sites:

 

 

If you need further help with the processes and features in QBO, please let me know in the comment below. I'll be right here to share some more information about QuickBooks tasks. Have a nice day!

larryvest
Level 1

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

Same here!!

PatrickSD
Level 3

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

This is an important feature and needs to be added.

lewval3
Level 1

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

I can not even count the amount of times I have asked for this functionality. This feature alone would save me hours each month.

 

Fiat Lux - ASIA
Level 15

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

@lewval3 

Consider having a subscription management app to integrate with QBO.

JLKOP
Level 1

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

and that would be?

Fiat Lux - ASIA
Level 15

I want to include a service period on our recurring transactions that auto-populates.

@JLKOP 

Explore this one

https://go.zoho.com/tG7

 

The potential problem is you can't use QB Payment to accept payments. You can use Stripe, Paypal, and other payment options as the solution.

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