Get paid on time, every time. Chasing down payments takes time away from running your business. Recurring payments let you automatically charge clients on a schedule you set — daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly — so revenue keeps flowing without the follow-up. You can set custom start and end dates, control the number of charges, and pause or stop payments at any time.

Recurring payments require a credit card on file for the contact. They can be set up from a contact record or from the Recurring Payments page under Sales.

Set Up a Recurring Payment from a Contact Record

1. Open the contact record for the client you want to charge. Click the More icon at the top of the contact record and select Add Payment. 
   
   
2. Click Add Payment on the payment panel that opens. 
   
   
3. Select a product from the product list. To add a product that is not already in your catalog, click Add a product to create one on the spot. 
   
   
4. Select a payment method. Recurring payments only work with credit card transactions. Selecting a credit card on file will enable the recurring payment option. 
   
   
5. Check the Recurring payments checkbox. The screen expands to display recurring payment options. Select a billing interval: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. 
   
   
6. Set the payment schedule details. Choose the number of occurrences or an end date for the recurring payment. You can also set a custom start date. If you select a future start date, the credit card will not be charged until that date. A summary of the payment schedule appears at the bottom of the screen and updates as you make changes. 
   
   

Set Up a Recurring Payment from the Sales Page

1. Click Sales in the left-hand navigation, then click Recurring Payments. 
   
   
2. Click Add a payment in the upper right corner of the Recurring Payments page. 
   
   
3. Select the contact you want to charge, then select a product from the product list. To add a product that is not already in your catalog, click Add a product. 
   
   
4. Select a payment method. Recurring payments only work with credit card transactions. Selecting a credit card on file will enable the recurring payment option.
5. Check the Recurring payments checkbox. The screen expands to display recurring payment options. Select a billing interval: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. 
   
   
6. Set the payment schedule details. Choose the number of occurrences or an end date for the recurring payment. You can also set a custom start date. If you select a future start date, the credit card will not be charged until that date. A summary of the payment schedule appears at the bottom of the screen and updates as you make changes. 
   
   

Understand Failed Payment Statuses

When a recurring payment fails, an error status appears on the Recurring Payments page under Sales. There are two statuses to be aware of:

A pending charge means the most recent charge attempt failed, but additional attempts will be made automatically. The system makes up to 3 attempts total, each 2 days apart.

A failed charge means all 3 automatic charge attempts were unsuccessful. No further attempts will be made automatically. You will need to take action to recover the payment.

Failed Payment FAQs

What should I do if a recurring payment charge is pending?

A pending charge means at least one more automatic retry will occur. You have several options:

1. Wait for the next automatic retry. The system will make up to 3 attempts, each 2 days apart.
2. Contact your client and ask them to update the credit card on file for that recurring payment. The next automatic retry will charge the updated card.
3. Send your client a draft invoice for the missed payment so they can pay manually. A draft invoice is automatically generated from the pending charge and is linked inside the recurring payment. Note that the client paying the invoice does not update the card on file — you will need to update the card separately.
4. Mark the recurring payment inactive and send your client a recurring invoice. When the client pays the recurring invoice, a new recurring payment will be created.

What should I do if a recurring payment charge has failed?

A failed charge means all 3 automatic retry attempts were unsuccessful. No further retries will occur automatically. You have several options:

1. Contact your client, update the credit card on file for the recurring payment, and then adjust the next payment date to tomorrow to trigger a charge on the new card. After the charge processes, return to the recurring payment to reset the schedule to the original dates if needed.
2. Send your client a draft invoice for the missed payment so they can pay manually. A draft invoice is automatically generated from the failed charge and is linked inside the recurring payment. Note that the client paying the invoice does not update the card on file — you will need to update the card separately.
3. Mark the recurring payment inactive and send your client a recurring invoice. When the client pays the recurring invoice, a new recurring payment will be created.

Can I change the number of automatic retry attempts or how frequently they occur?

No. The automatic retry schedule is fixed at 3 attempts, each 2 days apart. This setting cannot be adjusted.

When will a pending or failed notice disappear from my Recurring Payments list?

A pending notice clears when the pending charge succeeds on a retry, or when you mark the recurring payment inactive.

A failed notice clears when a subsequent charge on that recurring payment succeeds, or when you mark the recurring payment inactive.

What if all of my recurring payments are showing pending or failed at the same time?

If multiple recurring payments are failing simultaneously, the issue is likely with your payment processor connection rather than individual cards. Log in to your payment processor account directly to check for errors or disconnections. If the issue is unclear, contact support for assistance.

Tips for Managing Recurring Payments

• To modify an existing recurring payment, open the recurring payment from the contact record or from the Recurring Payments page under Sales. From inside the recurring payment, you can update the card on file, change the number of occurrences, adjust the end date, and set the payment to active or inactive.
• Setting a recurring payment to inactive stops future charges from processing. Use this to pause or cancel a recurring payment without deleting it. An inactive recurring payment displays a red Inactive indicator on the Recurring Payments page.
• When reactivating an inactive recurring payment, the next payment date cannot be set to today. The earliest available next payment date is tomorrow.
• Any notes or terms added to the original recurring invoice will not carry over to invoices generated from future charges. Review and re-add notes or terms to new invoices as needed.