The next invoice was generated before Auto-Pay was enabled, and enabling Auto-Pay does not always change invoices that were already generated. Pay that invoice manually once — Auto-Pay begins with the following occurrence.
Enable auto payments on recurring invoices
Turn on Auto-Pay from the three-dot menu of any recurring invoice in Payments > Invoices & Estimates > Recurring Invoices so each scheduled invoice is charged automatically to a card on the customer's profile.
Before you start
Auto-Pay needs a recurring invoice, a connected payment gateway, and a valid customer card before the first automatic charge can run.
A recurring invoice must exist or be in creation — build one with Create and manage recurring invoices.
A supported payment gateway must be connected.
A valid customer card must be available for automatic future charges.
Review the next scheduled occurrence after you enable Auto-Pay.
Choose a card source
Pick which card Auto-Pay charges: the card the customer first used on this schedule, a card already saved on their profile, or a brand-new card added while you set up the schedule.
Card source | How it works | When auto-charging starts |
|---|---|---|
Customer Card | Uses the card first used to pay any invoice in the schedule. | With the next occurrence after that successful payment — if the customer pays invoice 4, Auto-Pay begins with invoice 5. |
Saved Card | Uses an existing card on the customer profile. | From the first occurrence; no initial manual payment required. |
New Card | Adds a new card while creating or editing the schedule and saves it for future use. | From the first occurrence after the card is saved; a small authorization or verification may occur. |
Cards on file live on the customer record: open the customer record, select Payments > Cards on File, where only the last digits and the expiration are visible.
Auto-Pay supports card payments only — manual methods such as cash or bank transfer are not auto-charged.
How the first invoice is handled
Whether the first invoice charges automatically depends on whether the schedule already existed and which card source you picked.
How the schedule was set up | First invoice | Later invoices |
|---|---|---|
Existing schedule, Auto-Pay added later | Paid manually once. | Charged automatically. |
New schedule with a Saved Card | Auto-charged. | Auto-charged. |
New schedule with no saved card | Paid manually. | Auto-charged after the first successful payment. |
Invoices that were already generated keep their dates — previously generated invoice dates cannot be changed — and enabling Auto-Pay does not always change them. Pay an already-generated invoice manually once; Auto-Pay begins with the following occurrence.
Enable Auto-Pay
Open the schedule's Manage Auto Payment panel, turn on Enable autopayment, choose the card source, and save.
Open Payments > Invoices & Estimates > Recurring Invoices.
Create a schedule with New > New Recurring Invoice, or open an existing row.
Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
Select Manage Auto Payment.
Turn on Enable autopayment.
Select Customer Card, Saved Card, or New Card.
Click Save.
Verify Auto-Pay is set up
Confirm these four checks after saving so the next occurrence charges as expected.
Auto-Pay shows as enabled in the recurring configuration.
The intended payment method is selected.
The next occurrence has not already passed or been generated under older settings.
A valid card is available.
Turn off Auto-Pay
Disable Auto-Pay the same way you enabled it — Auto-Pay stops beginning with the next invoice occurrence.
Open Payments > Invoices & Estimates > Recurring Invoices and open the schedule.
Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select Manage Auto Payment.
Turn Enable autopayment off.
Click Save.
Notifications
Auto-Pay can keep customers and your staff informed about upcoming and completed charges.
Customers can receive optional upcoming-charge reminders, payment-success notifications, and payment-failure notifications.
Location users can receive payment-success and payment-failure alerts.
A location user can be notified when a child invoice is edited before its auto-charge.
Invoice notifications and reminders are customized from Invoice Settings.
What happens when a charge fails
A failed auto-charge notifies both sides, retries twice, and then requires a manual payment.
The customer and the location user are notified.
The customer can pay manually with the same card or a new card; a new card becomes the default for future auto-pay in that schedule.
The system makes two additional retry attempts, 24 hours apart.
After those retries fail, no further automatic attempts occur for that invoice, and it must be paid manually.
Editing a generated invoice pauses Auto-Pay for that invoice
Editing a generated child invoice before its charge time pauses Auto-Pay for that invoice only, and an email notification about the auto-payment change is sent.
Future occurrences are unaffected unless you edit them too. Editing the schedule itself is covered in Edit a recurring invoice.
Troubleshooting
Work through these checks when an invoice isn't charged automatically.
The next invoice wasn't charged automatically
No card is available to charge
No valid customer card is available for automatic future charges. Choose New Card while editing the schedule, or check the customer record under Payments > Cards on File, where only the last digits and the expiration are visible.
An edited invoice skipped its auto-charge
Editing a generated child invoice before its charge time pauses Auto-Pay for that invoice only. Pay the edited invoice manually; future occurrences are unaffected unless you edit them too.
The invoice isn't set up for automatic charging
Payment setup is not configured for automatic charging. Auto-Pay charges cards only — manual methods such as cash or bank transfer are not auto-charged. Select Customer Card, Saved Card, or New Card in Manage Auto Payment.
A charge failed and the invoice needs manual review
The charge failed: the customer and the location user are notified, and the system makes two additional retry attempts 24 hours apart. After those retries fail, no further automatic attempts occur for that invoice, and the customer must pay it manually — with the same card or a new card, which becomes the default for future auto-pay in that schedule.
Follow up on failed payments
Build a workflow on the Invoice or Payment Received trigger to act when an auto-charge fails. The Payment Received workflow trigger responds to successful and failed payments, so filter it for failed payments and run your follow-up.
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