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Invoice Options: Recurring Billing/Automatic Payments
Invoice Options: Recurring Billing/Automatic Payments

Allow client to automatically be charged for Recurring Invoices.

Amanda Rae avatar
Written by Amanda Rae
Updated over a year ago

Please note: Recurring Billing is not available in Essentials (Level 1) plans. It is a purchasable module in Standard (Level 2), and included in the Premier (Level 3) base plan.

Recurring Billing gives you (and your clients) the peace of mind knowing that your Recurring Invoices will be paid with each interval automatically.

By turning on Automatic Payments / Recurring Billing in both your Account Setting and your Recurring Invoice, your client will be presented with two options when paying their invoice:


1) to save the credit card data entered.
2) to charge the saved credit card data automatically.

By selecting both of these options, your client will be charged automatically when the next recurring invoice comes due.

Turn On Recurring Billing For Your Brand

Recurring Billing will first need to be turned on within your Account Settings.

  1. Within Account Settings, navigate to Money Matters: Invoice Options.

  2. Ensure you are connected to Stripe or Square payment processors.
    ​
    ​Square Members: You will need to reconnect your account from Invoice Options.
    ​
    ​TIP: Do not switch payment providers after turning this feature on. Your client's card data is stored within your payment processor, therefore switching processors will create a need for your clients to resubmit their information.
    ​

  3. Click Edit Invoice Options.

  4. Next to Card Settings, select the checkbox next to 'Customers can save card data'.

  5. Check the box to turn on Customers can save card data and Automatic Payments

  6. Click Save.

Allow for Automatic Payments Inside the Recurring Invoice

Now that Recurring Billing is turned on, you will need to allow for Automatic Payments within the Invoice.

  1. Open your Invoice Template or create a new Invoice.

  2. From your Invoice options on the rightmost column, select:
    a) Online Payments - this allows your clients to pay you online.
    b) Recurring Invoice - follow the instructions to set up your recurrences.
    c) Enable Automatic Charging - allow your clients to opt-in to auto payments.

  3. Save and Send your Recurring Invoice.

Client Experience with Recurring Billing

Now that you have successfully turned the setting on, let's take a look at what your clients will see!

1) When a client receives the Invoice from the recurrence, upon paying, they can opt-in to two options:


a) Saving Card Data (Remember this card for future payments)
b) Automatic Payments (Charge me for the upcoming invoices automatically)

2) By selecting both options, the client's card data will be saved and that card will be charged automatically for all invoices tied to the recurrence.

3) Invoice Reminder Emails will not be sent to clients prior to their automatic payments, but there are no other changes to Reminder Emails. Clients will receive Confirmation Emails when their automatic payment has been processed.

Adding/Removing Cards (and Canceling Automatic Payments)

Your clients will be in control of canceling automatic payments.

From an Invoice with the card saved on it, clients will be able to Cancel Automatic Payments from the button in the top right-hand corner titled Payment Settings.

Clients can then press the trash can symbol to delete their current saved card, and will be prompted to confirm before deleting it. They may also add a new card to save here as well.

Once automatic payments are canceled, clients will need to manually pay the rest of their Invoices by manually entering the card number.

FAQs

Q: How does a client change the card for automatic payments?
A: Your client would first need to use the Payment Settings button to cancel the auto payments by removing their card. Then, when they manually pay the next invoice, they can add a new card on file and opt-in to automatic payments again if they so choose or come back to Payment Settings later and add their card there as well!

Q: Does 17hats store the card data?
A: No. All card data is stored with your payment processor (Square or Stripe).

Q: I switched my payment provider from Square to Stripe and now my clients' cards are NOT being auto-charged.
A: That is correct. The credit card details are stored with your payment processor and NOT 17hats.

Q: If for some reason the auto charge card is declined AND my client has a second card saved, will it automatically charge the second card saved?
A: No. Your client has to give consent to which card is charged for that particular invoice.

* This feature may not be available on all plan types.


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