> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aczen-d43c4738.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Automate invoicing with recurring schedules in Aczen Bilz

> Set up recurring invoice schedules in Aczen Bilz to automatically generate invoices for repeat clients on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly cadence.

Recurring invoices let you automate billing for clients you invoice on a regular schedule — monthly retainers, quarterly subscriptions, annual contracts, and more. Once a schedule is active, Aczen Bilz generates the invoice automatically on each run date so you never miss a billing cycle.

## Set up a recurring invoice schedule

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Recurring Invoices">
    In the left sidebar, click **Recurring Invoices**. You will see a summary of all your active and paused schedules, along with the total number of invoices generated so far.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new schedule">
    Click **New Schedule** in the top-right corner to open the setup dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a client">
    Use the **Client** selector to choose the client this schedule is for. Their name, email, and GSTIN are pulled from your contacts automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the invoice amount and tax rate">
    Enter the base **Amount** (before GST) and choose the applicable **GST Rate** (0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, or 28%). The total due on each generated invoice will be this amount plus GST.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a frequency">
    Select how often the invoice should be generated:

    | Option             | When it runs                                                        |
    | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Every Week**     | Every Monday at 9 AM                                                |
    | **Every 2 Weeks**  | On the 1st and 15th of each month at 9 AM                           |
    | **Monthly (1st)**  | On the 1st of every month at 9 AM                                   |
    | **Monthly (15th)** | On the 15th of every month at 9 AM                                  |
    | **Quarterly**      | On the 1st of January, April, July, and October at 9 AM             |
    | **Half Yearly**    | On the 1st of January and July at 9 AM                              |
    | **Yearly**         | On the 1st of April each year at 9 AM                               |
    | **Custom Cron**    | Any schedule you define using a cron expression (e.g., `0 9 1 * *`) |

    <Note>
      The **Custom Cron** option accepts standard five-field cron syntax: `minute hour day month weekday`. Use a tool like [crontab.guru](https://crontab.guru) if you need help building an expression.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add optional notes">
    Enter a note that will appear on every generated invoice — for example, "Monthly retainer — June 2025" or "Q2 support contract". This helps your client identify the billing period.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the schedule">
    Click **Create Schedule**. The schedule is saved in an active state, and the **Next Run** date is calculated automatically based on your chosen frequency.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## How invoices are generated

On each scheduled run date, Aczen Bilz creates a new invoice in your account with:

* A sequential invoice number (e.g., `INV-2025-0042`)
* Today's date as the invoice date and a due date 30 days later
* The client details and amount from the schedule
* A note indicating it was auto-generated from a recurring invoice

The generated invoice appears in your **Invoices** list with **Pending** status, ready to be sent to the client.

<Tip>
  If you need to generate an invoice immediately — for example, to bill a client before the next scheduled run — click the **Play** button on any schedule in the table. This creates an invoice right away and advances the next run date.
</Tip>

## Manage your schedules

All your recurring schedules are listed in the **Schedules** table with the client name, amount, frequency, next run date, and a count of how many invoices have been generated so far.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Pause a schedule">
    Toggle the switch in the **Status** column to the off position. The schedule is paused and no new invoices will be generated until you re-enable it. Pausing does not delete the schedule or its history.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Resume a paused schedule">
    Toggle the switch in the **Status** column back to the on position. The schedule resumes from the next calculated run date based on the original frequency.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Delete a schedule">
    Click the red **Trash** icon to permanently delete a schedule. This stops all future invoice generation for that schedule. Invoices that were already generated are not affected.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Warning>
  Deleting a schedule is permanent. If you only want to stop billing temporarily, use the pause toggle instead.
</Warning>

## Dashboard overview

The three summary cards at the top of the Recurring Invoices page give you a quick view of:

* **Total Schedules** — the total number of schedules you have set up (active and paused)
* **Active** — schedules that are currently running and will generate invoices automatically
* **Invoices Generated** — the cumulative count of invoices produced across all schedules