How to setup recurring invoices and automatic payments

How to setup recurring invoices and automatic payments | VatPay

How to setup recurring invoices and automatic payments

VatPay is now better than ever before. Now you can set up recurring invoice payments on a specific schedule. You can create a schedule to automatically get paid each month, week, year or any custom schedule. With Auto invoice payments, there is no need to chase down clients for current or late payments. A client forgetting to pay for your invoices might hurt your business' cash flow.

VatPay is the best recurring billing software for B2B Service Providers. Focus on your business and let us chase down payments for you. All payments made on our platform are safe and secure. We make it easy for you to send and most importantly we make it easy for your clients to pay. This guide will show you how to create a recurring invoice and setup recurring auto-payments in VatPay.

Don't waste time chasing Payments. Our Recurring tool will make sure you get paid for your hardwork.

Step 1. Create Your Recurring Invoice Template.

This step will help you create your recurring invoice template. VatPay's professional-looking invoice templates will signal to your clients that you are a legitimate business. Creating a recurring invoice in VatPay is extremely easy.

Login to your VatPay Account.
From the left menu, click on Invoices. A sub-menu will open.
From the sub-menu, select Recurring Invoices.
If you've created other invoices in the past, this is where all your recurring invoices will reside.
Click the 'Create Recurring Invoice' button at the top right corner of the page.
Let's make your brand stick out by customizing the style of your invoice template.
Select a color theme using the color picker from the configuration panel on the right of the template.
Use the configuration panel to add and remove features to the itemized table as well as the subtotal table. You can add and/or remove detailed description, discounts, taxes and many more.
If you will like to collect deposit for the generated invoice, enable partial payments using the partial payment toggle button.

Click here to get more information about configuring partial payments.
Since you entered your business name and primary contact when you first setup your account, you will find out that your business information is automatically added to your template.
You can always click the 'Update Business Info' button at any time to update your business information.
Next fill in your client information. Start typing clients' Company name and a menu will open with a list of clients already saved in VatPay.
You can choose from a list of your clients already created or imported into VatPay or simply fill in the client's information manually.
To help enhance productivity, VatPay will automatically save the new client information so that you don't have to re-enter it again in the future.
Other set of information about your invoice that can be customized includes invoice number, currency, status, due date, date of issue and payment terms.
Next, enter the description of products or services that you are invoicing for. You can search pre-existing services that you created before or simply add billable expenses straight from the invoice creation page.
If you are billing by the hour, select the Hourly rate from the dropdown menu on the left and enter the number of hours.
As you are entering the information, VatPay will automatically calculate the total amount due.
We recommend entering some custom notes for your client.
Review and update the terms and conditions at the bottom of the invoice template. It's very update to review the default terms and conditions. You don't want to send your client the default message.

Step 2. Specify the frequency of the payments.

Now that we've entered all the information for the recurring invoice template, it's time to create a schedule for auto-charging clients payment information on file. You can schedule the invoice to be generated every week, month, quarter, year or custom intervals like every 3 months, or every 2 weeks etc. At this point, the 'Make Recurring' toggle button should be enabled. If it's not enabled, please go ahead and enable the button from the preference panel on the right of the recurring invoice template.

Select the next issue date by using the Date Picker control.
If this template doesn't have an end date, please select 'Infinite (No end date)' option. However, if it does, use the Final Issue Date Picker to select the end date.
Next, select an interval. As stated above, interval could be every week, every month, every quarter, every year or custom intervals like every 3 months, or every every 2 weeks etc.
Click the 'Enable Auto Payments' button if you want to bill customers with card on file automatically.
When you enable auto payments, the customer's credit card will be charged automatically based on the schedule selected above.
If your customer doesn't have any card on file, the first invoice will be generated and sent automatically to the customer. Once the customer makes the first payment (either through credit card or e-Check), his payment information will be saved on file for auto payments.
Customize the rest of the invoice, including any currency, language, color etc.
Remember you can create an invoice in several languages including (English, Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish etc.)
Finally review the invoice template and the schedule and click the 'Approve Invoice' or 'Save as draft' button.
When your clients receive the invoice in their email, they will be able to pay you securely online.
If their card information was already saved on file, it will be charged automatically. The money is usually transferred into your bank account in one or two business days from the payment date.
If you have a Chase Bank account, you can get Same-Day funds deposits.
A receipt will be generated automatically and sent to your customer. You will also be notified by email about the auto-payment.
You will be notified as well in case the card got declined or if an error was encountered while processing payment. Your customer will also be notified of the failed payment so that they can update their payment information (Card on file).

NOTE: Approving an invoice will save the invoice in the system as 'Unpaid'. This means your customer has accepted the terms and is ready to make payment. However, if you click the 'Save as Draft' button as shown in the above screenshot, the invoice will be generated automatically and saved in VatPay as Draft. Draft status means the you and your customer are still working on the invoice and haven't agreed on the terms and total amount (negotiations are still going on).