Quick answer
A recurring invoice is generated and sent automatically on a schedule you set — weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or any custom interval. You set up the template once with the client, line items, GST settings, and payment terms, and Free Invoice App (Pro) handles the rest. Each issued invoice is a real, ATO-ready PDF in your history.
When recurring invoices make sense
Recurring is the right tool any time you bill the same client for the same thing on a regular cadence. The classic Australian use cases:
- Retainer-based services. Marketing, design, bookkeeping, VA, or consulting clients on a fixed monthly package.
- Maintenance contracts. Pool servicing, garden maintenance, regular pest control, monthly HVAC servicing.
- Property management. Cleaning, lawn care, or admin services billed monthly to landlords or strata.
- Software / hosting resells. If you bill clients for hosting, domains, or SaaS pass-throughs at the same amount each month.
- Subscription packages. Personal trainer 10-session packs, social media monthly retainers, IT support plans.
If the amount or scope changes meaningfully each period, recurring is the wrong tool — you’ll spend more time editing the template than you save. Stick with one-off invoices and use templates instead.
What to lock in vs leave flexible
The skill of setting up a clean recurring series is deciding what’s fixed and what’s variable.
Lock in:
- Client details (name, ABN, billing address)
- Your ABN and business name
- Standard line items and unit prices
- GST treatment (registered or not)
- Payment terms (Net 7, Net 14, etc.)
- Bank / payment details
Leave flexible:
- Invoice date (auto-set per cycle)
- Due date (calculated from the invoice date + terms)
- Invoice number (auto-incremented)
- Period reference (e.g. “June 2026” in the description — this changes each cycle)
How to set one up in Free Invoice App
- Create the first invoice normally. Pick the client, add line items, set GST, and confirm the payment terms.
- Open the recurring settings. Choose your cadence (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or custom) and the day of the cycle to issue.
- Pick a send mode. “Auto-send” emails the invoice to the client on schedule. “Draft-only” prepares it for review and you tap send.
- Set an end date (optional). Useful for fixed-term contracts — e.g. a 6-month retainer ends automatically without you having to remember.
- Save and confirm. The dashboard shows the next scheduled date for the whole series.
The dates that actually matter
Three dates trip up first-time recurring users:
- Issue date. The day the invoice is generated and (if auto-send is on) emailed. For monthly retainers, the 1st of the month is the cleanest default — it matches how clients budget.
- Service period. The window the invoice covers. Always state this in the line item description: e.g. “Bookkeeping retainer — June 2026”. Without it, clients raise queries every cycle.
- Due date. Calculated from the issue date and your terms. Net 14 from the 1st means “due the 15th”. Be consistent — clients build payment runs around predictable cadences.
Auto-send or draft-only?
Auto-send is the productivity win: invoices go out without you touching them, payment arrives faster, no missed cycles. Use it when your line items truly don’t change.
Draft-only is the safety setting. The invoice is generated on schedule and lands in your drafts, but waits for you to review and tap send. Use it when you might need to add a small ad-hoc line (an extra hour, a one-off expense) before sending. Many businesses run with draft-only for the first 2–3 cycles, then switch to auto-send once they trust the template.
GST changes mid-series
If you cross the $75,000 GST threshold mid-year, you must register for GST and start charging 10% from the registration date. Update the recurring template immediately — flip the GST switch on, raise the line-item amounts if your contract is GST-exclusive, and the next issued invoice will be a proper tax invoice.
Already-issued invoices stay as-is. The ATO only cares about your status at the time each invoice was issued. For the wording specifics, see how to invoice without GST and what must be on a tax invoice.
Pausing, editing, or ending a series
Clients pause, contracts end, prices change. Recurring invoicing is most useful when those changes are easy to apply:
- Pause: stop future issues without losing the template. Resume any time.
- Edit: change the amount, line items, GST setting, or schedule. The next generated invoice uses the new values; past ones stay locked.
- End: cancel the series. Past invoices remain in your history for the ATO’s 5-year record-keeping window. (See how long to keep invoices.)
Why recurring is a Pro feature
Recurring invoicing requires scheduled background jobs, email delivery infrastructure, and guaranteed reliability on the issue date — the kind of cost a free tier can’t support. Free Invoice App Pro unlocks recurring (plus higher send limits, scheduled sending, and the watermark removed) for A$5/month. Get started free on the Starter plan and upgrade when you need recurring.
Frequently asked questions
Are recurring invoices legal in Australia?
Yes. The ATO doesn’t treat them differently from one-off invoices — the same requirements (ABN, GST, due date, description) apply.
What’s the difference between a recurring invoice and a subscription?
A subscription auto-charges the client’s card. A recurring invoice generates and sends an invoice; the client still pays it manually. Recurring works for any payment method.
Can I change a recurring invoice after it’s started?
Yes. Pause, edit, or end the series at any time. The next generated invoice picks up your changes — historical invoices stay locked.
How do I handle GST changes on a recurring invoice?
Update the template before the next send. Past invoices stay as they were; the ATO only cares about status at issue time.
Can I see when the next recurring invoice will send?
Yes — the dashboard shows the next scheduled send date for every series, so you can preview and adjust before it goes.