For many businesses, invoicing is one of the most repetitive tasks. Every month, week, or even day, invoices need to be created for the same customers with the same products or services. Doing this manually not only takes a lot of time but also increases the chance of errors.
The good news is that Odoo simplifies this process with its Recurring Invoice feature. Rather than creating invoices individually, the system will automatically create them for you according to your configuration. That implies less work, fewer errors, and quicker cash flow.
In this blog, we'll walk you through how recurring invoices in Odoo work, why they are so helpful, and the key features that make them a must-have for growing businesses.
Why Recurring Invoices Matter
If you run a business that offers subscriptions, memberships, or services billed regularly, recurring invoices save you a lot of effort. Here are a few examples:
- A gym charges members every month
- A software company that charges customers yearly for licenses
- A property manager receives rent every month
- A consultancy bills weekly for continuing services
Rather than manually generating invoices every time, Odoo's recurring invoice does the job for you. Not only does this save time, but your customers are also charged correctly and on time.
Automatic Invoice Generation
The most significant advantage of Odoo recurring invoices is automation.
The system will automatically generate copies of invoices based on your configuration. Once you set the rules, Odoo handles the rest.
For example, if you configure an invoice to repeat every month, Odoo will create the invoice at the right time without you lifting a finger. This gives you peace of mind and ensures no invoice is ever missed.
Choose Which Invoice Should Re-occur
Not every invoice needs to be repeated. Odoo allows you to select which invoices you want to recur.
You choose an invoice, and the system will make copies of it at the frequency you set. This flexibility is essential because you might have some one-time sales that don't need repeating, while others (like service fees) should recur regularly.
Invoice Lines Loaded Automatically
When you select an invoice for recurring setup, all its lines are loaded automatically.
This means all the products, services, prices, and quantities are carried forward. If needed, you can modify the lines before confirming. For example, if a customer upgrades their subscription or changes quantity, you can easily adjust the invoice.
This feature saves a lot of time, especially when invoices contain multiple lines.
Flexible Time Intervals
Different businesses have different billing cycles. Odoo gives you the freedom to set the time interval of recurring invoices as per your needs.
- Every 1 day
- Every 2 weeks
- Every 1 month
- Every 6 months
- Once a year
No matter how your business bills customers, Odoo can match your schedule. This flexibility is perfect for both short-term services (like weekly cleaning contracts) and long-term deals (like annual maintenance).
Email Notifications for Users
To keep everyone in the loop, Odoo lets you assign a user who will be notified by email whenever an invoice is re-occurred.
This ensures your team always knows when invoices are generated. For example, your accounts manager can receive an email every time a recurring invoice is created, allowing them to review and send it to the customer if needed.
This minor feature prevents invoices from going unnoticed and helps maintain complete control.
Stop Date for Recurring Invoices
Recurring invoices shouldn't continue forever. Odoo lets you set a stop date for recurring invoices.
After this date, the system will no longer create new copies.
This is useful for contracts with a fixed duration. For example, if a client has a one-year contract, you can put the stop date on the last day of the year. Once the time runs out, the recurring invoices automatically cease.
This avoids overcharging and keeps your invoicing in sync with the actual contract terms.
Real-World Example
Let's say you run a digital marketing agency. One of your clients pays you a fixed fee of $2,000 every month for managing their campaigns.
Here's how you'd use recurring invoices in Odoo:
- You create the first invoice for $2,000.
- You set this invoice as recurring and choose 1 month as the interval.
- You assign your finance team lead to get notified whenever the invoice recurs.
- You set a stop date of 12 months from the client's signing of a one-year contract.
Now, every month, Odoo will generate a new invoice automatically. Your finance lead gets an email each time, so they know it's ready. At the end of 12 months, the invoices stop.
This entire process runs smoothly without you manually creating a single invoice after the first one.
Benefits of Automating Recurring Invoices in Odoo
- Saves time – No need to manually create the same invoice repeatedly.
- Prevents mistakes – Automation reduces the chance of errors in dates, amounts, or products.
- Improves cash flow – Customers are billed on time, helping you get paid faster.
- Keeps customers happy – Professional and timely invoicing builds trust.
- Flexible and scalable – Works for businesses of any size, from freelancers to large companies.
Reporting and Tracking
Just like with regular invoices, you can track and analyse recurring invoices in Odoo.
- See how many recurring invoices are active
- Track customer payments
- Generate financial reports
This gives you a complete picture of your revenue and helps with business planning.
Conclusion
Recurring invoices are a real time-saver for any business that bills customers regularly. Doing it manually every week or month is time-consuming and often leads to mistakes.
With the Recurring Invoice app available on the Odoo App Store by Devintellecs, you only set it up once, and the system takes care of the rest. You choose which invoices repeat, how often they should be created, when they should stop, and even who gets notified.
For example, if a client signs a one-year contract, you can set the stop date at the end of the year. After that date, Odoo will stop generating invoices automatically. This way, you never overcharge a customer and your billing always matches the actual contract.
If you want billing to be simple, professional, and completely stress-free, the recurring invoice feature in Odoo is the perfect solution.
