Recurring invoices automate billing for repeat services or subscriptions so you stop recreating the same invoice each period. Set a schedule, choose whether generated invoices become drafts or are sent automatically, and Zoho Books will create invoices on the dates you specify.
What is it
Recurring Invoice in Zoho Books creates invoice profiles that automatically generate invoices at fixed intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or a custom cadence). Each profile stores customer, items, taxes, template, start and end dates, and the "Next Invoice Date" that controls when the system creates the next invoice. You can choose whether a generated invoice appears as a draft for review or is issued immediately; you can also attach a payment method so some invoices can be auto-charged. If the profile is Active, Zoho Books evaluates the Next Invoice Date and creates invoices according to the recurrence rules. [1]
When to use it
- Bill subscription services (SaaS plans, memberships) on a fixed monthly or annual cycle without re-entering items each time. [1]
- Invoice ongoing retainers or recurring maintenance fees that require identical line items and tax settings each period. [2]
- Send staged invoices for multi-month projects where the same amount recurs until a contract end date. [3]
- Create trial or promotional billing profiles that start on a specific date and stop after a defined number of cycles. [1]
- Generate invoices as drafts for a billing clerk to review before sending, or send automatically when you have captive authorization to charge saved cards. [2]
How to access it
Open Zoho Books and go to Sales > Recurring Invoices. Click New Recurring Invoice to create a profile; edit an existing profile from the Recurring Invoices list to change frequency, Next Invoice Date, or status. In the API, recurring invoice resources are available under the Recurring Invoices endpoints (eg, /recurringinvoices in Zoho Books API v3) for programmatic creation, retrieval, and updates. Use the profile’s Next Invoice Date and status to control generation behavior; if invoices aren’t appearing despite an Active status, check the Next Invoice Date on the profile first. [1]
Related features
- Recurring Bills — set up repeat vendor bills so expenses match recurring income cycles.
- Auto-charge (payment gateway setup) — store customer payment methods and allow automatic charging of generated invoices.
- Invoice Templates — create templates for branding and line-item defaults used by recurring profiles.
- Payment Reminders and Customer Portal — manage follow-up and let customers view or pay recurring invoices online. [2]