How to set up a recurring invoice in AcboBooks

In this lesson you will

Save an invoice as a recurring template with Make recurring
Give the template a monthly schedule
Post the recurring invoices that are due
Enter a recurring invoice by hand on any date

Before you start

Create and send an invoice

The Recurring Transactions list with a monthly website care plan invoice for Acme Corporation

Save the invoice as a template

Acme Corporation has signed up for the studio's monthly website care plan at $350.00 a month.

Step 1: Fill in the invoice, then click Make recurring

Open Customers → Create Invoice and fill it in as usual: the Customer, the lines and a Memo. Then click Make recurring under Save Invoice. This saves the invoice as a template only. It doesn't post an invoice, so click Save Invoice as well if you want to bill this month now.

Customer: who you bill every period.
The lines to repeat, here the Website Maintenance service.
Make recurring saves the invoice as a template.

Create Invoice for Acme Corporation with a Website Maintenance line and the Make recurring button

Step 2: Name the template

AcboBooks suggests a name from the customer and the memo. Change it if you like and click OK.

The template's name, as it will appear in the Recurring list.
OK saves it.

Name this recurring invoice dialog with the suggested name Acme Corporation — Monthly website care plan

Step 3: Check the confirmation

A green banner confirms the template's name and tells you where to find it: Activities → Recurring, where you enter it or put it on a schedule. Each entry gets the next invoice number.

Schedule it

Step 4: Open Activities → Recurring

Recurring Transactions lists every template: recurring invoices, bills and journal entries. Each row shows the customer or vendor, the amount and the schedule. A new template is Manual until you schedule it.

Type: Invoice, Bill or Journal.
Enter posts the template once, on the date you choose.
Schedule sets how often it repeats.
Post due recurring now posts every scheduled template whose date has come.

Recurring Transactions with the Acme Corporation template and its Enter, Schedule and Delete buttons

Step 5: Set the frequency and the next date

Click Schedule. Choose the Frequency (daily, weekly, every 2 weeks, monthly, quarterly, twice a year or yearly) and the Next date the invoice should be dated. Tick Automatically enter when due (on company open) and click Save Schedule.

Frequency: Monthly for a monthly plan.
Next date: the date of the next invoice.
Automatically enter when due: AcboBooks posts it when you open the company on or after that date.
Save Schedule.

Schedule window with Frequency Monthly, the next date and Automatically enter when due ticked

Post the invoices that are due

Step 6: Post due recurring now

Scheduled templates are entered automatically the next time you open the company file. To post them straight away, click Post due recurring now. AcboBooks says how many it posted, and the Next date moves on by one period.

How many recurring transactions were posted.
Auto · Monthly: scheduled and entered automatically.
Next: the date of the next invoice.

Recurring Transactions after posting: Posted 1 due recurring transaction, schedule Auto · Monthly and the next date a month later

Tip: Only templates with Automatically enter when due ticked are posted this way. For a template on Manual, click Enter and choose the date: see Set up recurring bills for that route.

Step 7: Check the invoice

The new invoice is on Customers → Invoices with the next invoice number, ready to save as a PDF or send with Request Payment like any other invoice.

The invoice the template posted.

Invoices list with the new $350.00 Acme Corporation invoice at the top

Recap

Save any invoice as a recurring template with Make recurring.
Schedule a template to repeat monthly or on another cycle.
Post the templates that are due with Post due recurring now.
Change or delete a template from Activities → Recurring.

Saved in this browser only. No account needed.

Questions

Can I change the amount on a recurring invoice?

The template keeps the lines it was saved with. To change them, delete the template, fill in a new invoice with the new amounts and click Make recurring again. To change one month only, edit that month's invoice after it is posted.

What if I don't open AcboBooks for two months?

When you open the company, every date that has come is entered, one invoice per period, and the next date moves on each time.

Does a recurring invoice send itself to the customer?

No. It posts the invoice in your books. Send it from the Invoices list with Save PDF or Request Payment.

Screenshots from AcboBooks 0.2.2 with the built-in sample company. Updated October 25, 2026. Your screens may differ slightly with another version or window size.

Set up recurring invoices