What you will accomplish
You will set up recurring billing so the same charge happens again on a schedule—without creating a new invoice by hand every month. Common examples include monthly storage, quarterly service plans, annual memberships, and other repeat charges. Recurring billing helps your team avoid missed charges and reduces manual work. You set the plan once, then monitor it on Payments > Recurring.Before you start
- Make sure the customer already exists in Contacts.
- Create the recurring product first in Products & Services.
- Add at least one pricing variant on that product (for example monthly_standard at $500/month). Without a variant, the Add recurring window cannot show a price. See Manage products and services.
- Know the price, billing schedule, start date, and quantity.
- Confirm whether the customer has a saved payment method or should receive a payment request.
- Ask a manager if you are unsure whether the customer should be charged in advance or after the service period.
Open the Recurring page
Go to Payments > Recurring. This page shows active, paused, future, and canceled recurring plans. You can also open the recurring revenue report from this page.
Understand the Add recurring steps
Add recurring is a short guided flow. You pick the customer first, then walk through Plan, Payment, Schedule, and Review.
Bill to — Who will be charged. Search by person name or company (for example Alex Morgan (Morgan Collection LLC)).Plan — The recurring product (such as Monthly Car Storage) and the price option (such as monthly_standard).Payment — How you collect money: a saved card, an invoice the customer pays later, or a request that they add a payment method.Schedule — When billing starts. This sets the first Billing Date and Next rate anniversary on the list.Review — A last look at the customer, product, price, and first charge before you click Add recurring.
Add a recurring charge
1
Click Add recurring
In the top-right area of the Recurring page, click Add recurring.Expected result: A window titled Add recurring opens. The first field is Bill to.
2
Choose who to bill
Click Search or select a customer… and type the person or company name. Pick the correct row (for example Alex Morgan (Morgan Collection LLC)).Click Continue only after the name looks right.Why this matters: The rest of the steps lock to this customer. Choosing the wrong person bills the wrong account.Expected result: You move into the Plan step.
3
Choose the recurring plan and price
On Plan, choose the product (such as Monthly Car Storage or Collectors Club Membership) and the price option (such as monthly_standard or annual_standard).If the product is missing, create it first in Products & Services. If the price list is empty, add a pricing variant on that product first.The amount may be a little higher than the base price if your facility passes card fees to customers.
4
Choose how payment is collected
On Payment, pick whether to charge a saved card, send an Invoice, or ask the customer to add a payment method.If you are unsure, ask your billing manager. Invoice is common when the customer pays by check or will pay the emailed bill later.
5
Set the schedule
On Schedule, choose when the plan starts. This sets the first Billing Date on the Recurring list.
6
Review and add the plan
On Review, check the customer, product, price, and first billing date. Click Add recurring only when it matches the agreement.When Notify the customer? appears, choose Yes to email the invoice or payment request, or No to save without emailing. Closing the window cancels the save.Expected outcome: The plan appears on the Recurring list. Status may show Active, Paused, or Future. Paused is normal when the plan is set to Invoice and the customer does not yet have a card on file.
What success looks like
After you save the recurring plan:- The plan appears on the Recurring page.
- The status shows whether the plan is active, paused, incomplete, future-dated, or canceled.
- The next billing date shows when the next invoice or payment should happen.
- Your team can open the plan later to pause, resume, update payment details, or review billing history.
Update billing dates for several customers at once
When your manager approves moving many plans to the same billing day (for example the 1st of the month), use the checkboxes and Change Billing Date on Payments > Recurring. Full steps are in Bulk change billing dates below. Double-check the selected rows before you save—this changes when customers are charged.Open the recurring revenue report
When you need a big-picture view of scheduled income:1
Open Recurring
Go to Payments > Recurring.
2
Click Report
In the top-right area, click Report.Expected result: The Recurring Revenue Report opens. You can review upcoming recurring charges and export to Excel if your team needs a spreadsheet.
Recurring billing terms in plain English
Billing schedule means how often the customer is charged, such as monthly or yearly.Start date means when the recurring plan begins.Next billing date means the next date the customer should be billed.Payment method means how the customer pays, such as a card, bank account, invoice, cash, or check.Paused means the recurring plan is stopped for now but not deleted.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not create a recurring plan for a one-time service. Use Invoices instead.
- Do not choose the wrong price option. Monthly, annual, and custom options can look similar.
- Do not leave the start date unchecked. A wrong start date can bill too early or too late.
- Do not assume the customer has a saved payment method. Check before choosing automatic payment.
Troubleshooting
Pause, resume, or cancel an existing plan
Use these steps when a customer’s storage ends, they pause membership, or pricing changes.1
Open Recurring
Go to Payments > Recurring.
2
Find the customer's plan
Search or scroll to the correct customer and product name.Expected result: You see the plan status (for example Active, Paused, or Canceled) and the Next billing date.
3
Click Manage
Click Manage on that row.Expected result: A window titled Manage Recurring opens. It shows the customer, product, current price, payment method, and next billing date at the top.
Choose an action in Manage Recurring
The Manage Recurring window lists large action buttons. Pick the one that matches what the customer asked for:Change Product & Price — Switch the product or the price option when your manager approved a new rate (for example moving from monthly_standard to a higher indoor rate).Pause Billing — Stop charges for now. The customer may return later. You can pause immediately or at the end of the current billing period.Resume Billing — Appears when the plan is already Paused. Restarts billing on the next cycle.Change Payment Method — Switch between card, bank account, Invoice, cash, or check when your facility allows it.Cancel recurring — End the plan when the customer is leaving storage or ending a membership.
1
Pause billing temporarily
Click Pause Billing. Choose whether to pause now or at the end of the current period.Why this matters: Pausing now stops the next charge right away. Pausing at period end lets the customer finish the time they already paid for.Expected result: The Recurring list shows Paused until you resume.
2
Resume after a pause
Open Manage on a paused plan and click Resume Billing.Expected result: Status returns to Active and the Next billing date updates.
3
Cancel when the customer is done
Click Cancel recurring. Follow the prompts to cancel at the end of the period, immediately, or on a specific date—depending on what your facility allows.After you confirm the cancellation, a window asks Notify the customer? Choose Yes to send a cancellation email, or No to cancel without emailing. Closing that window leaves the plan unchanged.Why this matters: Canceling stops future automatic charges. It does not automatically refund past payments.Expected result: The plan status shows Canceled on the Recurring list.
4
Change price when approved
Click Change Product & Price, pick the new price option (or product), and save.Expected result: The amount on the Recurring row updates. Confirm with the customer if your facility policy requires it.
Update many recurring plans at once (bulk actions)
Use bulk actions when your manager approves a facility-wide price change or when several customers need the same billing date moved—not when you are fixing one person’s plan.When bulk is the right toolBulk updates save time when storage rates go up for every customer on Monthly Car Storage, or when your team aligns billing to the 1st of the month. For a single customer, use Manage on that row instead.
Select plans on the Recurring list
1
Open Recurring
Go to Payments > Recurring.
2
Use the checkboxes on the left
Click the checkbox on each row you want to include. You can select up to 10 active plans at a time.Why this matters: The bulk tools are built for small batches so your team can review each change carefully.
3
Look for the bulk action bar
After you select at least one plan, a bar appears above the table. It shows how many plans you selected and buttons such as Adjust Pricing, Change Billing Date, Cancel, and Resume.Expected result: You see how many plans are selected and which bulk actions are available.
Bulk update prices
Use this when approved storage rates change for many customers on the same product.1
Select plans on the same product
On Payments > Recurring, check the boxes for the customers who should get the new price. All selected plans should be for the same recurring product (for example Monthly Car Storage).
2
Click Adjust Pricing
Click Adjust Pricing in the bulk action bar.Expected result: You land on the bulk pricing page (or a dialog that opens the same workflow).
3
Choose how to change the price
Pick an Update Mode:
- Set Absolute Price — enter the new dollar amount every selected customer should pay (net, before card fees).
- Percentage Change — enter a percent increase or decrease (for example
5for a 5% increase). - Select Existing Price — pick a pricing variant you already created under Products & Services.
4
Review the preview
The page shows a Preview for the first few customers: old price → new price.Read every line. If one customer looks wrong, go back and uncheck that row.
5
Click Update
Click Update [N] Recurring Plan(s) when the preview matches your manager’s approval.Expected result: A success message shows how many plans updated. Failed rows (if any) are listed so you can fix them one at a time with Manage.
Bulk change billing dates
Use this when several customers should bill on the same day of the month (for example the 1st) instead of scattered dates.1
Select the plans to move
On Payments > Recurring, check up to 10 plans that should share a new billing date.
2
Click Change Billing Date
Click Change Billing Date in the bulk action bar.Expected result: The Bulk Billing Date page opens with the plans you selected grouped by billing frequency (monthly, yearly, and so on).
3
Set the new anchor day for each group
For each group, choose the billing day (such as the 1st or 15th) and whether the change should happen now or at the end of the current period.Why this matters: Moving to end of period avoids surprising a customer with two charges close together.
4
Review the timeline preview
Read the preview that shows upcoming invoice dates before you apply the change.
5
Apply the change
Confirm when the preview looks correct.Expected result: The Next billing date column on Recurring updates for each included plan.
Bulk cancel or resume
- Cancel — ends multiple plans when a group of customers is leaving storage at once. Read each prompt; canceling cannot always be undone. You will also be asked Notify the customer? so you can cancel with or without sending email.
- Resume — appears when you select Paused plans. Use it after a seasonal pause when those customers are returning.
What to do next
After creating a recurring plan, check the Recurring page regularly. Use the Report button to review recurring revenue and make sure expected storage or membership income is being tracked. If the customer approved pricing on a quote first, see When a customer accepts a quote to confirm the new plan matches what they accepted. If you are adding your first plan, see the Add recurring window for customer, product, price, and start date fields: