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If you bill the same customer the same amount every month, set it up once and let Bumara raise it. Recurring invoices remove the month-end scramble and, more importantly, they remove the month you forget.

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What to automate

The test is simple: if the amount and the lines are the same every period, automate it.

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Setting one up

1

Open Recurring from the Invoicing sidebar

Choose New recurring invoice.
2

Select the customer

From your directory.
3

Build the invoice

Line items, quantities, prices and tax rates — exactly as on a normal invoice. This becomes the template for every occurrence.
4

Set the frequency

5

Set the start date

When the first invoice should be raised.
6

Set the end date, or leave it open

Give it an end date if the contract has a term. An open-ended schedule keeps billing until you stop it, which is fine if you remember it exists.
7

Choose automatic or manual

8

Save

The schedule is active from the start date.
Start on manual for a month or two. Check what Bumara produces before letting it send to customers unattended. Once you trust it, switch to automatic.

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Managing schedules

The recurring list shows every schedule with its customer, amount, frequency, next date and status.

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Changing the amount

Editing a recurring schedule affects future invoices only. Anything already raised stands. If you are increasing prices:
1

Tell the customer first, in writing

A price increase appearing without warning on an automatic invoice damages the relationship more than the increase itself.
2

Agree the effective date

Usually the start of a billing period.
3

Update the schedule before that date

Change the line prices.
4

Check the first invoice after the change

Switch to manual for that one occurrence if you want to be certain.

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What to watch

An automatic schedule keeps invoicing a customer who cancelled six months ago. Review your schedules quarterly and end the ones that should have stopped.
Updating a product price does not retrospectively change a recurring schedule that was built with a fixed line price. Check both.
A schedule with no end date outlives the contract it was based on. Set end dates that match your agreements.
Two schedules for the same customer means two invoices a month. It happens when someone sets up a second schedule rather than editing the first.
If Smart Invoice applies to you, automatically generated invoices need transmitting too. Check they are going through — see Smart Invoice.

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The monthly review

Five minutes, once a month:
1

Open the recurring list

Look at every active schedule.
2

Confirm each customer is still a customer

End anything that should have stopped.
3

Check the amounts are current

Against your actual agreements.
4

Check the invoices raised last month went out

And were transmitted to ZRA if that applies.
5

Check they are being paid

Recurring invoices are easy to raise and easy to forget to chase. See Reports and statements.
Automation removes the work, not the responsibility. An unattended schedule invoicing a departed customer for a year is worse than no automation at all — you have twelve invoices to credit and an awkward conversation.
Related: Create and send an invoice for the underlying invoice flow.
Last modified on August 4, 2026