Easily automate your recurring billing cycles in HighLevel by using the Send Recurring Invoice action in a workflow. Whether you manage memberships, agency retainers, or SaaS subscriptions, this native automation eliminates manual invoicing, keeps payments on schedule, and reduces the need for third‑party tools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is Recurring Invoices in Workflows?
- Key Benefits of Recurring Invoices in Workflows
- Prerequisites
- Recurring Invoice Configuration Settings
- How to Set Up Recurring Invoices in Workflows
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Articles
What is Recurring Invoices in Workflows?
Recurring Invoices in Workflows automates scheduled billing inside your workflows, allowing invoices to send automatically while you focus on customers. In the visual Workflow Builder you can set start dates, stop rules, frequencies, and Auto‑Pay—keeping cash flow predictable without manual effort.
Key Benefits of Recurring Invoices in Workflows
Set up recurring invoices in just a few clicks and enjoy hands‑free billing, flexible schedules, and built‑in auto‑pay—all without 3rd party tools.
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Time Savings: save time by cutting out manual invoice creation and follow‑up
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Flexible Cadence: daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly schedules to fit any plan
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Start‑Date Control: begin at the contact’s trigger date or a fixed calendar date
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Stop Rules: choose never‑ending or end after X occurrences
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Auto‑Pay: charge a stored card automatically after the first successful payment
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Error Reduction: eliminates missed or duplicate invoices
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Workflow Integration: billing events stay in sync with tags, emails, and follow‑ups
Prerequisites
Having the essentials in place ensures your recurring invoices run without a hitch.
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Invoice Template: Create at least one template in Payments → Invoices
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Payment Gateway: Connect Stripe (or another supported gateway) in Payments → Integrations
Recurring Invoice Configuration Settings
The Send Recurring Invoice action is highly customizable. This section breaks down each option so you can tailor billing to fit any plan before you click Publish.
Start Date Options
The Start Date dropdown lets you choose when the schedule begins, ensuring invoices reach customers at the right moment.
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Action Date: begins the schedule as soon as the contact hits the workflow trigger (e.g., tag added or contact changed)
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Fixed Date: aligns billing with a specific calendar day (e.g., 1 July, 2025)
End Criteria and Stop Rules
The Stop dropdown controls when the schedule ends, preventing over‑billing or unintended charges.
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Never: continues until manually stopped
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After X Occurrences: perfect for installment plans (e.g., 12 monthly payments).
Recurrence Frequencies
The Frequency dropdown determines how often invoices repeat and displays extra selectors (e.g., weekday, month) based on your choice.
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Daily: every N days—ideal for high‑frequency payments
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Weekly: send on a specific weekday or on the action date—great for weekly coaching
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Monthly: by date or by week (e.g., 2nd Wednesday)—common for memberships and retainers
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Yearly: choose month and day, every N years—ideal for annual renewals
Auto‑Pay
Toggle Enable Auto‑Payment to charge it automatically after the first successful payment, streamlining collection.
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Gateway Requirement: currently supported with Stripe‑connected sub‑accounts
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First Invoice Must Succeed: card details are stored only after a successful manual payment
How to Set Up Recurring Invoices in Workflows
Properly configuring the Send Recurring Invoice action takes only a few clicks. Follow the numbered steps below to automate billing without errors.
Step 1: Navigate to Workflow Builder
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From your HighLevel dashboard, navigate to Automation → Workflows
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Click the blue + Create Workflow button in the top‑right corner to create a new workflow
Step 2: Add Your Workflow Trigger
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Within the Workflow Builder, click + Add Trigger.
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Choose a trigger then click Save Trigger.
Step 3: Insert the Send Recurring Invoice Action
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Click the ➕ directly beneath the trigger to add an action
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In the Action search bar, type Send Recurring Invoice and select it
Step 4: Configure Action Settings
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Name the action so it’s easy to identify (e.g., “Monthly Retainer – Silver”)
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Select From User to choose the sender
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Pick an Invoice Template
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Toggle Mode to Test for trial runs or Live for real billing
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Under Start Date, choose Action Date or Fixed Date
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Under Stop, select Never or After X Occurrences
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Open the Frequency dropdown to pick Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly and adjust the interval options that appear
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Enter Days in Advance to send the invoice N days before the due date
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Toggle Enable Auto‑Payment on to store the customer’s card after the first payment and charge subsequent invoices automatically
Step 5: Test and Publish
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Once the workflow has been setup, click the blue Save button in upper right corner
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At the top of the workflow, click Test Workflow to test the workflow
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When everything looks correct, toggle to Publish to activate the workflow
Tip: For a deeper dive into workflow navigation, see Workflow Builder Walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need a payment gateway to send recurring invoices?
Yes. Connect Stripe (or another supported gateway) before activating Auto‑Pay or sending invoices.
Q: What happens if a customer’s card fails during Auto‑Pay?
The invoice remains unpaid. Set up a workflow with a Payment Failed trigger to retry and notify the customer.
Q: Will recurring invoices appear in the customer’s invoice history?
Yes—all generated invoices are logged under the contact’s record.
Q: Does the Live/Test toggle affect existing schedules?
No. It only controls invoices created after the toggle change.
Q: Can I send different templates based on contact attributes?
Use conditional branches to add multiple Send Recurring Invoice actions with different templates.
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