Set up Autopay for recurring invoices in QuickBooks Online
SOLVED•by QuickBooks•633•Updated September 29, 2023
Learn how to set up automatic payments for recurring invoices.
Your customers want to pay you quickly and easily. You want to keep cash flowing through your business. Setting up Autopay for recurring invoices is a great way to do both.
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The fees for Autopay are the same as for any payments made through QuickBooks Payments. To enable Autopay, you’ll need a QuickBooks Payments account.
Step 1: Set up recurring invoices
Autopay is available on pay-enabled recurring invoices. If you don't have invoices set up to recur, here’s how:
Create your invoice, then select Create recurring invoice on the transaction. Or you can create a recurring template.
Specify the frequency interval, start date, and end date of the recurring invoice.
When you finish the recurring invoice, select Save template.
If you already have a recurring invoice setup, you don’t need to create a new one. Autopay is available for your customer if they use the payment methods you’ve selected on your invoice. Autopay works for both card and ACH transactions.
Note: Autopay isn't available for recurring invoices with a Daily interval or for amounts over $5,000.
Your customers receive the invoice email normally, but now they have the option to set up Autopay.
Autopay can only be set up for the full amount. If your customer edits the amount, then the Autopay option no longer displays.
Your customer needs their Intuit account to use autopay. If they don't have an Intuit account, they'll need to create a new login.
To setup Autopay, your customer opens your invoice and selects Set up autopay to enroll.
Next, your customer will need to sign in using Intuit user ID (also used for TurboTax and Mint).
Your customer makes sure the autopay checkbox shows as selected and displays the correct frequency and start date.
Once everything looks good, your customer selects the Autopay button to pay the current invoice. They’ll receive a confirmation email that Autopay is set up.
Step 2: Check the autopay status of your customer
If you'd like to check if Autopay is set up for an invoice, view the Activity Tracker.
Find the invoice you wish to check for payment status.
Select the status field of that invoice line to bring up the activity tracker panel .
When you see the Autopay Scheduled status under the invoice activity section, then you know your customer setup Autopay.
Auto payments deduct from your customer 3 days before the due date of the invoice or immediately if the invoice is due in less than 3 days. If an invoice is due on receipt, the payment will be taken as soon as the invoice is created by the recurring template.
You’ll also receive an email confirmation for each successful payment.
Important: You'll cancel Autopay if you change the following on the Recurring Template:
Total amount
Frequency
Terms
Payment options
Email address
Customer name
Your customer will receive a cancelation email for future Autopay transactions.
If a payment is declined, your customer receives an email telling them that the payment didn’t go through and that they need to make another payment. After the customer updates their payment info, the payment will be taken immediately. Your customer can choose to re-enroll in Autopay with the updated payment information at this time.
Customers select the Manage Payment link in the autopay confirmation email to update payment info.
Some credit cards should auto-update the expiry date on the stored credit card with the new info. If your customer wants to make the change manually, they can cancel the autopay and set up a new autopay with different card details.
You can cancel autopay on recurring invoices with the pause or delete actions. Here’s how:
Go to Settings ⚙.
Under Lists, select Recurring Transactions.
Locate the recurring invoice you wish to pause.
In the Action column, select the dropdown menu and choose either Pause or Delete.
Your customer can cancel autopay by selecting the Manage payment link in the autopay confirmation email. After they sign in to their Intuit account, they can select Cancel autopay. Individual payments can’t be canceled.