Recurring Invoices let you automatically generate and send invoices to participants and facilitators on a regular schedule. Instead of manually creating the same invoice every week or month, you set up a schedule once and Althea handles the rest.
Recurring invoices can also be used as Payment Plans — just set a total number of invoices and the schedule will automatically complete once all installments have been sent.
Where to Find Recurring Invoices
Navigate to your center's Payments page. You'll see two tabs:
Invoices — One-time invoices
Recurring Invoices — Automated invoice schedules
The Recurring Invoices Table
The Recurring Invoices tab displays all your schedules in a table.
Schedule Statuses
A recurring invoice schedule can be in one of three statuses:
Active — The schedule is running and will continue generating invoices on the configured dates.
Completed — All planned invoices have been generated. This only applies to schedules with a set total number of invoices (payment plans).
Cancelled — The schedule was manually stopped. No more invoices will be generated. Invoices that were already created are not affected.
Creating a Recurring Invoice
Click the Create Recurring Invoice button to open the creation form. The process has three steps.
Step 1: Invoice Template
This step defines what each generated invoice will look like.
Recipient — Select the person who will receive the invoices. The dropdown shows all participants and facilitators associated with your center.
Payment Account — If your center has multiple payment accounts, select which one to use. If you only have one, this field won't appear.
Description — The line-item description that will appear on every generated invoice. For example: "Monthly session fee" or "Consultation retainer".
Invoice Amount — The dollar amount for each invoice.
Step 2: Schedule
This step defines the timing of invoice generation.
Repeat Every / Frequency — Set how often invoices are generated. Enter a number and select a unit:
Days — e.g., every 1 day (daily), every 3 days
Weeks — e.g., every 1 week (weekly), every 2 weeks (biweekly)
Months — e.g., every 1 month (monthly), every 3 months (quarterly)
Start Date — The date the first invoice should be generated. Must be today or a future date.
Total Invoices (optional) — The total number of invoices to generate. Leave this blank for an indefinite schedule that continues until you cancel it. Set a number to create a payment plan that automatically completes after the specified number of invoices.
As you fill in the schedule fields, an Upcoming Invoices preview appears showing the next several invoice dates. This lets you verify the schedule looks correct before proceeding.
Step 3: Review & Confirm
This step shows a summary of everything you configured:
If the start date is today, you'll see an info message:
The first invoice will be generated and sent immediately when you create this schedule.
Before creating the schedule, you must check the compliance acknowledgment checkbox confirming that you understand invoices will be automatically generated and sent.
Click Create Schedule to finalize. If the start date is today, the first invoice is created and sent to the recipient immediately.
Using Recurring Invoices as Payment Plans
To set up a payment plan, simply enter a number in the Total Invoices field during Step 2 of creation.
Example: 4-installment quarterly payment plan
Amount: $500.00
Repeat Every: 3 Months
Start Date: January 15, 2026
Total Invoices: 4
This generates exactly 4 invoices on January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15 — then the schedule automatically moves to Completed status.
In the table, payment plan schedules show progress like "2 / 4" in the Invoices Sent column, making it easy to see how many installments remain.
Viewing Schedule Details
For any active schedule, click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the right side of the row and select View.
The detail view shows:
Recipient — Name and email address
Invoice Template — Description and amount
Schedule — Start date, frequency, and invoices sent (shown as "3 of 12" for payment plans)
Upcoming Invoices — The next several scheduled dates (only shown for active schedules)
Cancelling a Schedule
To cancel an active schedule, click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Cancel.
A confirmation dialog appears showing the schedule details (amount, frequency, description, and number of invoices already generated) and a warning:
This will stop all future invoices from being generated for this schedule. Invoices already created will not be affected.
You have two options:
Keep Schedule — Dismiss the dialog without changes
Cancel Schedule — Permanently stop the schedule
Once cancelled, the schedule moves to Cancelled status and no further invoices will be generated. This action cannot be undone, but you can always create a new schedule if needed.
How Invoice Generation Works
Invoices are generated automatically at approximately 9:00 AM in your local timezone on each scheduled date.
Each generated invoice is immediately sent to the recipient (they receive an email notification just like a manually-created invoice).
The invoice uses the description and amount you configured — every invoice in the schedule is identical.
If the start date is today when you create the schedule, the first invoice is generated and sent right away.
For payment plans, the schedule automatically completes and stops generating invoices once all installments have been sent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a recurring invoice schedule after creating it?
No. If you need to change the amount, frequency, or recipient, cancel the existing schedule and create a new one.
What happens to invoices that were already sent if I cancel a schedule?
Nothing. Previously generated invoices are not affected. They remain in the system and any outstanding balances still apply.
Can I set up a biweekly schedule?
Yes. Set "Repeat Every" to 2 and "Frequency" to Weeks.
Can I set up a quarterly schedule?
Yes. Set "Repeat Every" to 3 and "Frequency" to Months.
What time are invoices generated?
Invoices are generated at approximately 9:00 AM in your local timezone.
Is there a limit to how many invoices a schedule can generate?
For payment plans, you can set up to 999 total invoices. For indefinite schedules, there is no limit — they continue until cancelled.
Can I see which invoices were created by a recurring schedule?
Generated invoices appear in the regular Invoices tab alongside manually-created invoices. The Invoices Sent count on the schedule tracks how many have been generated.
What if I set a start date in the future?
The schedule is created immediately but no invoice is generated until the start date arrives. The first invoice will be generated on the start date.