Recurring Invoices in QBO

It's nice to have you here, @Reeder,

QuickBooks doesn't allow past start dates for recurring transactions. You need to select the most current create or future date on the template to successfully create it.

If you need to add prior invoices on your books, create them manually. Here's how:

1. Go to the QuickBooks Gear icon, and select Invoice from the list.
   
2. Input all the sales detail then select Save and close.
   

Once you entered all prior sales, you can now create the recurring transactions for upcoming invoices. Perform the steps below:

1. From the Gear icon, pick Recurring Transactions.
   
2. Tap the New button and select Invoice for the Transaction Type.
   
3. Hit OK and enter all the recurring details.
   
4. Press Save template when done.
   

To learn more about creating scheduled transactions, see this article: Schedule recurring transactions created with a template.

If you have other concerns or need further help with recurring transactions in QuickBooks, let me know by adding a comment below. I'll be right here to help whenever you need one. Have a wonderful day!

Thank you Jen_D

I have now figured out how the recurring invoices can work for me in QBO. Since I'm coming over from Sage I am used to how their recurring invoices work and it is quite a bit different. In Sage you don't create a template, you just create an initial invoice and then "Store" it as a recurring invoice. Then the next month you just "Recall" that "Stored" invoice and use it as the next monthly invoice and make any small changes needed and then "Store" it as the next recurring invoice. So every month you are using the previous month's invoice as the template which was handy for me. For my business I have customers that are in contracts. So if I have a customer that's in a 12 month contract, on each invoice I would put a note for the customer, eg. "1st. Month of 12 Month" and then the next invoice would have a note "2nd. Month of 12 Month". It was an easy way to keep track of what month of the contract the customer was in. But now in QBO I have to pick the original invoice template that I made for their 1st. month of their contract and then figure out manually which month of the contract they are going into so that I can put a note on the invoice. Not sure if there is an easy way around this in QBO or not?

Hi @Reeder,

In QuickBooks Online (QBO), recurring transactions are created as is.

You have the option to customize your recurring template to create the invoice in advance (say, 2 or 3 days), but not email them automatically. This way, you can review the generated invoice and enter the necessary info (nth month of 12 Month). You can enter this on the Message on invoice text box, and your customer will see that message on the invoice itself when they view the transaction.

Once you're okay with what you see on the generated invoice, you can proceed with sending it. You can refer to the screenshot below as to how you can edit your recurring template. 

More info on creating a recurring invoice is in this article: How to create a recurring invoice and manage recurring transactions. It also includes steps on how you can manage your recurring transactions.

Do you have other questions? Post them below, and I'll get back to you shortly. 

Great, thanks Ryan M

I created a recurring invoice template and used the "Reminder" option for Nov.17th, but it did not send me any kind of reminder. Where would it show me a reminder?

Also, is it possible to "overwrite" recurring invoice templates? meaning that if I "USE" a template to generate an invoice and then I pick "Make Recurring" at the bottom of the screen, will it let me overwrite that template with my new invoice template?

Thank you, for sharing the Recurring Invoice process in QBO.

I need you to share the process on the description. I want the description to change everymonth for example "Bookkeeping fees for the month of April 2020" should automatically change to "Bookkeeping fees for the month of May 2020" when the date of the invoice change.

Kindly revert on my query. Thank you!

Hello, @AM2422.

The recurring transaction allows us to create a schedule recurring entry without recording one every time we need to. If you wish to update the description for your invoices, you can change it manually after an invoice is created for a specific month. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open your QuickBooks Online account, then go to the Gear icon at the upper right corner of the page.
2. Select Recurring transactions under Lists.
3. Look for the recurring template, then tap on Edit under the Action column.
4. Update the description, then save the template.

I also found these handy articles about managing recurring transactions in QuickBooks Online, you can consider reading the topics in here if you need additional references:

• How to create a recurring invoice and manage recurring transactions
• How to schedule recurring invoices

Besides, you can open this link and go to the Income and expenses section in case you need tips while working with QuickBooks or (invoices, sales receipts, receive payment, customers, vendors, clients) in the future.

Please know that I'm a few clicks away to help if you have any other questions. Just mention me in the comment section below. Keep safe!

@AM2422 

You need a 3rd party app to do so.

what 3rd party app is best and cheapest for this?

Wait, I can't even create recurring invoices on the Basic plan? This seems ridiculous.

Hello gearheadmedia, 

The Recurring Transactions feature is only available in QuickBooks Online Essential, Plus, and Advanced plans. You'll want to check out this link for a comparison of our plans and check which plan suits best for your company: Choose the plan that's right for your business.

 You can upgrade to any of these plans to be able to use the recurring and other features. Let me show you how to upgrade: 

1. Go to the Gear icon and click Account and settings.
2. From the Billing and Subscription section, click Upgrade plan.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions on how to upgrade.

Then, you can press F5 on your keyboard to refresh the page or sign out and sign back in to see changes in your account. 

Feel free to use these articles that will help you manage your account:

• Upgrade or downgrade your QuickBooks Online subscription
• Schedule recurring transactions created with a template

I'm just here for you so you can just mention me anytime if you need anything else. Take care!

So I have to pay $15/month extra to get a basic feature that's available in every other invoicing software? I think I'll be switching to Zoho Books.

@gearheadmedia 

Where is your company located?

My recurring transactions did not post to my account.  What would cause this to occur?

Hello there, @judyu. I'm here to lend a hand. 

There are reasons why recurring transactions stop working in QuickBooks Online (QBO). To ensure it'll create, let's make sure that the template is set to Scheduled and has not reached its End Date.

In your case, to get this resolved, let's delete and recreate the template. Here's how:

1. Click the Gear Icon at the top.
2. Choose Recurring Transactions.
3. Locate the template that stops from working.
4. In the Action column, click Edit.
5. Take note of the recurring invoice details. You'll need it when recreating the template.
6. Return to the list of Recurring Templates window.
7. Click New.
8. Enter the invoice details.
9. Click Save and Close.

Once done, let's delete the old recurring template by following the steps below:

1. On the recurring templates list, locate the template.
2. In the Action column, select the Edit drop-down.
3. Select Delete.

You can refer to this article for more detailed information: How to handle a recurring transaction that did not run.

If you have any additional questions, I'm just a post away. Have a lovely day!

How about if I need to create recurring invoices for multiple customers? I don't see an import function anywhere

Hello there, @mariel121.

You may be experiencing some browser hiccups. We'll perform some basic troubleshooting to fix it. Let's start with logging into your account through a private browser. This will help us determine if the problem is related to the browser's settings.

Use these keyboard shortcuts based on the browser you're using.

• For Firefox, press Ctrl + Shift + P.

• For Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + N.

• For Safari, hold down Command + Shift + N.

Once logged in, try to import again. If it's work go back to your regular browser and clear its cache to refresh the program. 

Moreover, you can use a different browser to narrow down the issue: System requirements for QuickBooks Online.

Please know that you can always get back to us if you have other questions. I'm always here to help.

Hmmm. I did login in incognito mode but the view is the same. I want to import from excel a list of recurring transactions for multiple customers. I only see a "Duplicate" in the edit option for a template.

I’ve got some information for you so you can import your recurring transactions to QuickBooks, Mariel.

At the moment, importing recurring transactions for multiple customers from Excel to QuickBooks Online (QBO) isn’t possible. You may consider creating the transactions manually or using a third-party app to import them.

If you have Apps option within your QBO account, you can visit it and check for the importer tool. I’m glad to show you the steps.

1. Open your QuickBooks account.
2. Go to your Apps menu.
3. You can enter “Importer” on the Search field, then select the app.
4. Click the Overview, Pricing, Reviews, and FAQs to view the details.
5. Select Get app now to connect.

I've attached these resources in case you want to import and design custom form styles for your invoices or estimates in QBO:

• Import multiple invoices at once
• Import custom form styles for invoices or estimates

Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other concerns or questions besides importing recurring transactions. I’m always here to help you out. Take care and have a good day!

@mariel121 

Prepare your Invoice data with the following template

then utilize an importer tool

https://transactionpro.grsm.io/qbo

What app did you use to do this.

And QuickBooks, this seems like a pretty simple feature that should be included in your software.

We understand the importance of having this option in QuickBooks Online (QBO), mikaela7073. 

At the moment, this feature is currently unavailable in QBO. As a result, I suggest sending your feedback to QuickBooks so that our developer may analyze and include your suggestions in future releases. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for helping us improve our services.

Here's how to send your feedback: 

1. Go to the Gear icon located in your top right corner. 
2. Under the Profile column, select Feedback. 
3. Enter your idea in the provided field. 
4. Click Next to submit. 

You can also track your feedback by going to this website: QuickBooks Online Feature Requests. 

Furthermore, you can also visit the Community to see some related topics that can be any help as you make your future transactions. 

I'll be happy to help if you need further assistance as you use QBO. Just enter your concern in the comment section and we'll be around to provide some steps or information. 

Thanks. I've submitted the feedback.

@mikaela7073 

You can use the importer tool

https://get.transactionpro.com/qbo

Thanks, but it seems that link doesn't work anymore.