Workflow Action - Send Recurring Invoice

Automate Recurring Billing with Workflows

Streamline your subscription services, membership fees, or ongoing client payments by using the Send Recurring Invoice action within your CRM workflows. This powerful feature automatically generates and sends invoices on a set schedule, saving you the time and effort of manual billing and helping to ensure a consistent cash flow.

Key Advantages

• Efficiency: Automate the entire invoicing process, from creation to delivery.
• Flexible Scheduling: Set up daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly billing cycles to match your business model.
• Customizable Start Dates: Begin the billing cycle either when a contact enters the workflow or on a specific calendar date.
• Controlled Duration: Choose to have invoices sent indefinitely or to stop automatically after a specified number of occurrences.
• Auto-Pay: Enable automatic charging of a customer's saved payment method for hassle-free collection after the initial manual payment is successful.
• Reduced Errors: Minimize the risk of missed or duplicate invoices through automated scheduling.
• Seamless Integration: Keep billing activities synchronized with other workflow actions like applying tags, sending emails, or creating tasks.

Before You Begin: Prerequisites

To use the Send Recurring Invoice action effectively, you need to have the following set up in your CRM:

• Invoice Template: You must have at least one invoice template created. You can manage these in the Payments section under Invoices.
• Payment Gateway: A payment gateway, such as Stripe, must be connected to your account. This is configured in the Payments section under Integrations.

Configuring the Send Recurring Invoice Action

The action offers several settings to tailor the billing schedule to your needs.

Start Date

This setting determines when the recurring invoice schedule begins.

• Action Date: The schedule starts as soon as the contact triggers the workflow.
• Fixed Date: The schedule starts on a specific calendar date you select.

Stop Rules

This setting controls when the automated invoicing will end.

• Never: The invoices will continue to be sent until you manually stop the workflow for the contact.
• After X Occurrences: The system will stop sending invoices after the specified number has been generated. This is ideal for fixed-term plans.

Frequency

This dropdown lets you set how often the invoice is sent. Additional options will appear based on your selection.

• Daily: Send an invoice every specified number of days.
• Weekly: Send on a specific day of the week.
• Monthly: Send on a specific date of the month or a particular week (e.g., the second Wednesday).
• Yearly: Send on a specific month and day, repeating every N years.

Auto-Payment

When you enable this toggle, the system will automatically charge the customer's saved payment card for invoices after the first successful manual payment. Please note that this feature requires a connected payment gateway like Stripe, and the customer's card details are only stored after that initial payment is successful.

How to Set Up a Recurring Invoice in a Workflow

Follow these steps to add and configure the action.

1. Access the Workflow Builder: From your CRM dashboard, go to Automation and select Workflows. Click the '+ Create Workflow' button to start a new workflow.
2. Add a Trigger: Inside the Workflow Builder, click '+ Add Trigger'. Select an event that will start the workflow for a contact, such as a form submission or an opportunity status change, and save it.
3. Insert the Action: Click the '+' button below your trigger to add an action. Search for "Invoice" and select 'Send Recurring Invoice' from the Payments category.
4. Configure the Settings:
   • Give the action a descriptive name.
   • Select the user who will appear as the sender.
   • Choose your pre-made Invoice Template.
   • Set the Mode to 'Test' for a trial run or 'Live' for actual billing.
   • Configure the Start Date, Stop rules, and Frequency as described above.
   • Optionally, set a number of 'Days in Advance' to send the invoice before its due date.
   • Toggle 'Enable Auto-Payment' on if desired.
   • Select the delivery Channel: Email, Text, or both.
   • Click 'Save Action'.
5. Test and Activate: Click the 'Save' button for the overall workflow. Use the 'Test Workflow' feature to verify the action works as expected. Finally, toggle the workflow status to 'Publish' to activate it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is a payment gateway required to send recurring invoices?
A: Yes, you must connect a supported payment gateway (like Stripe) to your account before you can send live invoices or use the Auto-Pay feature.

Q: What occurs if an Auto-Pay charge fails?
A: The invoice will remain unpaid. You can create a separate workflow using a 'Payment Failed' trigger to handle retries and customer notifications.

Q: Are recurring invoices recorded in the contact's history?
A: Yes, every invoice generated by the workflow is logged within the contact's record for a complete history.

Q: Does switching between Live and Test mode affect existing invoice schedules?
A: No. The mode only applies to new invoices created after the change is made.