How to prevent invoices from sending on their own

Welcome, @scantave.

It's nice to have you here in the Community. I'm here to share some insights about invoices that are auto sending in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

One possible reason why your invoices are auto-sending is that you might have set up a Recurring Transaction specific to invoices. To prevent these invoices from sending on their own, you'll edit or delete (depending on what you prefer) the Recurring Transaction template that you've created.

Here's how:

1. Click the Gear icon at the top.
2. Pick Recurring Transactions under Lists column.
3. Locate the Template.
4. On the Action column, click Edit then remove the checkmark on Automatically send emails, then Save Template.
5. Or go back to the Action column, then click the drop-down beside Edit and choose Delete.

6. Select Yes.

Please see the attached screenshots below.

For your reference, you can check out this article for more information: Recurring Transactions in QuickBooks Online.

That should prevent your invoices from auto-sending. Please let me know how it goes or if I can be of additional assistance by leaving a comment. Enjoy your weekend.

Why does QBO auto check the autosend box?

This is my biggest issue with QBO, I turn it off. Then make changes to the recurring transaction and it rechecks the box resulting in annoyed clients getting invoices that are incorrect.

There should be a general setting as well that allows for auto send to be off for the whole business as an option of at least an area you sure box if the auto send feature is checked.

I mean it would be nice if it didn’t auto check the box when you haven’t requested it to.....

Why does QBO auto check the autosend box?

This is my biggest issue with QBO, I turn it off. Then make changes to the recurring transaction and it rechecks the box resulting in annoyed clients getting invoices that are incorrect.

There should be a general setting as well that allows for auto send to be off for the whole business as an option of at least an area you sure box if the auto send feature is checked.

I mean it would be nice if it didn’t auto check the box when you haven’t requested it to.....

Thanks for posting your experience here in the QuickBooks Community, @RioTS.

Allow me to step in and provide some additional information about the invoice recurring transactions in QuickBooks Online (QBO). 

The invoice reminders aren't automatically sent unless the Automatically send emails option was marked as checked when setting up a recurring invoice.

Since you've mentioned that you've already turned it off, however, the box of the auto send option is still marked as checked. In this case, you'll need to process troubleshooting steps, let's open your browser in incognito/private mode. This mode doesn't use the existing cache data files to load a webpage. 

Here are the keyboard shortcuts to open a private browser: 

• Google Chrome: press Ctrl+Shift+N 
• Mozilla Firefox: press Ctrl+Shift+P 
• Internet Explorer: press Ctrl+Shift+P 
• Safari: press Command+Shift+N

If it work fine with a private browser, I suggest clearing your browser's cache to start fresh. The next time you log in to QBO, your browser will download fresh copies of everything you see on each page. Any cache-related issues should be cleared up. 

If the same thing happens, I recommend contacting our QuickBooks Online Support Team. They have additional tools to do a screen-sharing and investigate this further. 

Here's how to contact our customer support:

1. Sign in to your QuickBooks Online company.
2. Select Help (question mark icon) at the top right.
3. Select Contact us to connect with a live support agent.

Please let me know how it goes. I'll be here if you have any other questions. Have a good one. 

Has this been resolved? I cannot find any type of box to check or uncheck on QBO for auto emails of invoices. It sent out 2 invoices yesterday that were not supposed to go out just yet, resulting in very angry and confusing calls/texts from my clients. 

Thanks for joinining the thread, @MaxL.

I have an idea about bringing back the send later box. Sometimes unexpected behavior is browser-related. You'll want to access your account via a private browser. This way, we can check if it's browser-related or not.

Here's how:

• Press CTRL+SHIFT+N for Chrome.
• Hold CTRL+SHIFT+P for Firefox.
• Press Command + Shift + N (Safari).

After accessing, go back to creating an invoice again and verify the send later box. If it's working fine, it's a good idea to clear the cache to start on a clean slate. This process helps the browser to fetch the latest version of the webpage and faster browsing experience.

However, if you're experiencing the same result, I recommend contacting our Customer Care Support. This way, we can check further on the cause of the missing send later box and assist you in fixing it.

Here's how to reach out:

1. Go to the Help menu at the top.
2. Select Contact us from the bottom.
3. Enter a brief description of your case on the field, then hit Let's talk.
4. Click Get Phone Number or Start a Message. Type your info.
5. Tap Confirm my call.

In case you need help with other customer tasks, click this link to go to our general customer topics with articles.

If you have any other concerns or questions about QuickBooks, leave a comment below. I’m here to answer them for you. Enjoy the rest of the week.

Thanks for requesting some updates about this topic, @sending emails automatically,

At the moment, the fix for the issue with recurring transactions sending emails automatically is still in the works. Our engineers are working internally so we can't provide the exact turnaround time on when a resolution is released.

Instead, they send live updates about the status of the investigation through email. To add your account to the notification list, please contact our Support Team.

Our Live Support are available from 6:00 AM until 6:00 PM on weekdays, and 6:00 AM til 3:00 PM on Saturdays. If you can't reach us during this time, you can request a callback so you won't have to wait on the line.

Here's how: 

1. Sign in to your QBO account.
2. Click the (?) Help icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Dashboard.
3. From there, select the Contact Us button and enter your concern in the description box.
   
   
4. Once done, select Call us or Get a callback option.

Please provide the investigation number INV-51015 to our representatives.

Your utmost patience is highly appreciated. If you have other questions or concerns that needs immediate attention, please let me know in the comment below. I'll be more than happy to assist you.

I did not have a reoccurring invoice template and it still sent out invoices at 6am that I created last night for review. Why would that happen? 

same thing happened to me. no recurring invoices. These are one time invoices that are created and that I would normally send when I choose. Instead they get sent. Two went out this morning and I created the invoices on Sunday. Not cool! 

Thanks for joining here today, @mainsty.

I have some information about the automatic sending of invoices. As mentioned by my colleague @Jen, this issue has already been reported. Rest assured, our engineers are doing everything possible to get this feature up and working again as soon as possible.

In the meantime, you can follow the steps provided above to reach out to our Customer Care Support. This way, you'll receive updates via email as progress is made towards a solution.

Once you're able to speak with one of our phone agents inform about the INV-51015 for an easy call.

In case you need help with other customer tasks, click this link to go to our general topic with articles.

Keep me posted if you still have questions or concerns with QBO. I'm always here to help. Take care and have a good one.

We were having the same problems with invoices automatically being sent.  Please go to the Gear Icon and click on Accounts and Settings and then under Advanced and Sales tabs, make sure that Reminders and Automation are turned off.  Specifically, look at Automatically invoice unbilled activity and turn this office.

Please go in under Account and Settings and go to the Sales tab and turn off reminders.  This may help.  Under the Advanced tab, there is also an Automation option you can turn off.  Hopefully, this helps.

Has there been a fix for this?

Hi there, @jules4.

Right now, our Product Engineers are still working to fix it as quickly as possible. While they do, I recommend reaching out to our Customer Care Team, so you'll be added to the list affected users (INV-51015). 

To reach them, click the ? Help button at the top-right corner and select Contact Us to talk with a live agent. Ensure to review their support hours so, you'll know when agents are available.

While waiting for a fix, you can check our articles if you need help with other processes in QuickBooks Online. You can look at the topics here and browse an article specific to your task. 

Should you have further concerns, let me know by commenting below. Take care. 

I am having the same problem.  Several clients have complained about being billed prior to receiving the reports that they paid for.  We need this fixed asap.  Thank you.

I wanted to add that this is a very serious problem that keeps rearing it's ugly head as it has caused stress to other business owners. When will it be fixed?

QBO insists on re-checking the "Automatically Send Emails" every-time a recurring template is opened to be updated or changed. If the person making the change isn't paying attention then all of a sudden invoices are being sent to clients on creation day before they are finalized. We use a SaaS app to sync and send emails to clients and NOT QBO. It gives us more control and options with our client billing that QBO doesn't have. 

This is not a BROWSER or CACHE issue. It IS a QBO issue. Since QBO wants to control all aspects of the invoice sending process this seems very intentional. How does a box just get checked when other boxes are not? Also, how is it possible this happens across all platforms from the Windows App to the Mac App and Browsers too?

The issue occurs repeatedly in the following:

QBO Windows Desktop App (tested on 2 different systems)

QBO Mac Desktop App

Chrome Browser - Both normal and Incognito/Private mode

Edge Browser - Both normal and Incognito/Private mode

Firefox Browser - Both normal and Incognito/Private mode

Brave Browser - Both normal and Incognito/Private mode

** All browsers tested with a cleared, fresh cache on new user profiles.

We're starting to seriously look at alternate accounting platforms like one that starts with X.

Please fix this issue or provide a way to disable that check box option. 

@FunTimes2021  What are SaaS are you using to send invoices, please?  

We've recently experienced this issue with a number of invoices that were randomly sent to a customer and CC'd to a local user where there was no configuration to do this or any activity on the accounts.

Has a fix been deployed for this? Is there a new issue track for this? Is there a condition that causes this to happen that we can avoid?

Thanks for joining this thread, theotillotson.

This isn’t the kind of experience I want for you, especially when using the Invoice feature. Let me route you in the right direction on how to resolve the issue.

The previous investigation is already tagged as closed and resolved. Since you’re having issues with the automatic sending of invoices, I recommend contacting our QuickBooks Online (QBO) Care Team.

They have tools like screen-sharing that can help identify the cause of this unexpected behavior on your invoices. Also, our specialists will guide you through the process on how to apply the permanent solution.

In case, there are customers experiencing the same issue, they can create a ticket for further investigation. Let me share the steps to connect with our support team.

1. Click the Help icon at the top to open the QB Assistant window.
2. Select the Assistant tab and scroll down to the Type something field to enter the issue.
3. Press the Get help from a human link and follow the on-screen steps to complete the process.
4. In How would you like to connect with us? section, pick the Chat option or Callback to speak with an agent.

You can bookmark the links below for future reference. These resources outline the steps on how to set up automatic payments for invoices and manage recurring transactions.

• Set up Autopay for recurring invoices in QuickBooks Online
• Create recurring transactions in QuickBooks Online

Feel free to add a comment below if you have other invoice-related concerns. I’ll jump right back in to answer them for you. Have a good one.

See question above

Thanks for joining there, YPWW.

I want to help and provide exact information about your concern. However, I'd like to gather more information about this. Could you provide more details? Have you encountered any error messages? Can you also let me know when this behavior occurred?

I would appreciate getting more information from you. This way, I can provide the right amount and solution to your question.

Visit again in the Community forum. I'll be around to help anytime. Take care and stay safe.