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Recurring Invoicing & Retainers

Recurring invoices and retainers on a schedule you control

Set up repeat invoices for recurring work or client retainers with included hours. Review drafts first or email finalized invoices automatically. Clients pay each invoice through their secure link into your Stripe or PayPal account.

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Pro and Business plans · 0% of your client payments · Cancel anytime

How to set up recurring schedules: step-by-step guide
Illustration of the recurring schedule screen with sample data: monthly frequency, included retainer hours, and draft review controls.

The problem

Repeat billing should not mean copying last month’s invoice by hand

When you work on retainers or ongoing monthly contracts, manually recreating the same invoice every billing cycle wastes time and invites human error. Missed dates delay your cash flow, and forgetting to calculate overage hours leads to unbilled work.

Invollo gives you automated repeat billing that respects your client relationships: choose between reviewable drafts or automated emails, track retainer hours from real project time, and never worry about backdated billing.

How it works

How recurring schedules work in four clear steps

  1. Set schedule & frequency

    Choose a client, currency, and billing interval: weekly, every 2 weeks, monthly, quarterly (3 months) or yearly. Optionally set an end date or total invoice count.

  2. Choose draft or auto-email

    Decide how invoices are delivered: generate a draft for your review with an in-app notification, or have Invollo email the finalized invoice directly to your client.

  3. Attach a retainer allowance

    Optionally set a fixed recurring fee with included hours. Tracked billable time on the client’s projects is automatically counted against the allowance.

  4. Clients pay online securely

    Each invoice includes a payment link. Clients pay through your own connected Stripe or PayPal account, with zero Invollo cuts.

What you get

Flexible recurring billing designed for client services

  • Five flexible frequencies

    Schedule recurring invoices every week, 2 weeks, month, 3 months (quarterly) or year to match any contract structure.

  • Draft for review or auto-email

    Keep complete control: get an in-app alert when a draft invoice is ready to inspect, or email invoices automatically to save time.

  • Retainer hours & overage tracking

    Set included hours on client retainers. Billable tracked time on client projects counts automatically, and extra hours can be added to the next invoice or shown as a summary.

  • Pause, resume & skip controls

    Pause schedules during project freezes, skip the next billing run for a prepaid credit, or create the next invoice immediately on demand.

  • No missed period late billing

    If a schedule is paused or delayed, Invollo advances to the current cycle. Past missed periods are never billed late unexpectedly.

  • 26 global currencies

    Bill international clients in 26 supported currencies with automatic daily rate conversion to your workspace reporting currency.

  • Direct payments to your account

    Clients pay by card through your own Stripe account, PayPal in 24 currencies, or bank transfer. Invollo never holds funds and takes 0%.

  • Transparent client links (no AutoPay)

    Clients pay each invoice through its secure link or portal. Invollo never stores cards or runs surprise automatic credit card charges.

Available Plans

Pro & Business

Included on the Pro and Business plans. See pricing.

See plan comparison →

Clear Boundaries

What Invollo does not do

No automatic charging of client credit cards (no AutoPay); clients pay each invoice through its payment link. Auto-generated emails link directly to the invoice rather than attaching a PDF file.

Designed for trust & transparency

The fine print, up front

Transparent automation for professional service providers

We build honest tools that make billing seamless without surprises. Here is how recurring invoices in Invollo work.

  • 0% of your client payments

    Clients pay you through your own Stripe or PayPal account. Invollo never holds or moves the money and takes nothing from it; only the gateway’s own fees apply.

  • A free plan that never expires

    Start free with no credit card and no trial clock: the Free plan has no time limit. When you need more, paid plans are billed monthly and you can cancel anytime. See what’s included on the pricing page.

  • Export your data anytime

    Download your records as CSV or JSON whenever you like, on any plan. No lock-in.

  • Your workspace stays yours

    Each workspace is isolated at the database level, passwords need at least 12 characters, and sign-in forms are protected against bots.

FAQ

Recurring invoices & retainers FAQ

How do recurring invoices work in Invollo?
You create a schedule for any client with your chosen frequency (weekly, every 2 weeks, monthly, quarterly, or yearly) and an optional end date or total count. Invollo generates the invoice on the scheduled date, either saving it as a draft for your review with an in-app notification or emailing it directly to your client.
Can clients be automatically charged on their credit card (AutoPay)?
No. Invollo does not store credit cards or charge clients automatically. Every recurring invoice is sent with a secure payment link, allowing clients to pay online via card or PayPal through your own connected gateway.
How do retainers with included hours work?
When setting up a recurring schedule, you can configure a retainer with a fixed fee and a quota of included hours per period. As you track billable time to that client’s projects, Invollo counts the hours against the retainer allowance. Any extra hours can be added as billable lines to the next invoice or shown as a summary.
What happens if a scheduled period is missed?
Missed periods are never billed late. If a schedule was paused or temporarily inactive, Invollo advances the schedule to the current billing period when resumed, ensuring clients are never charged for past missed cycles unexpectedly.
Are PDF files attached to auto-emailed invoices?
No. Auto-generated invoice emails include a secure link to the online invoice, where your client can download the PDF and pay.
Which plans include recurring invoices and retainers?
Recurring invoices and retainers are included on the Pro and Business plans. The Free plan includes one-off invoices, signed quotes, and time tracking; you can upgrade to Pro or Business in Billing at any time.

Automate your repeat billing with confidence

Set up recurring schedules and client retainers on Pro and Business. Start free today with no credit card required.

Start freeSee pricing
  • Free plan, no time limit
  • 0% of your client payments
  • No credit card required