Glossary
Recurring invoice
Also called: scheduled invoice · repeating invoice · subscription invoice
A recurring invoice is an invoice generated automatically on a fixed schedule — weekly, monthly, quarterly — for ongoing services such as retainers, maintenance plans, or subscriptions. Each occurrence can be a fixed amount, the period's unbilled usage, or a mix, and can be sent automatically or held as a draft for review.
Last updated October 13, 2026
Fixed, usage-based, or hybrid
A fixed series bills the same fee each period, which suits retainers and maintenance plans. A usage-based series collects the period's unbilled hours and expenses, which suits hourly clients who want a predictable invoice date. A hybrid combines a base fee with usage on top. The schedule, the client, the template, and the sending rule are set once; the tool generates each occurrence.
Draft versus auto-send
Auto-send is convenient for fixed amounts and risky for variable ones: a usage invoice with an unexpected spike should be seen by a human before the client sees it. Good tools let you choose per series, and guard variable auto-send with a ceiling above which the occurrence is held for review instead of sent.
Sending an invoice is not charging a card. A recurring invoice emails the document and a payment link; the client still pays. Automatic card charging is a separate, consented arrangement and should never be implied by 'auto-send'.
Managing a series
Expect to pause a series during a client's holiday, skip one occurrence, edit a future occurrence before it generates, or end the series when the engagement ends. Edits to one occurrence should not rewrite the ones already sent.
In Hoursmith
Studio and Agency workspaces can create recurring series for a manual fee, eligible unbilled usage, or a hybrid, with future and one-off edits, pause, skip, and guarded auto-send that requires a grand-total ceiling for variable series. Hoursmith emails the invoice and payment link; it never charges the client automatically.