Recurring vs One-Off Invoices: Which to Use

Every dollar you bill arrives one of two ways: a single invoice you send when work wraps, or a recurring invoice that goes out on a schedule without you lifting a finger. Pick the right one and you stop chasing payments and start banking predictable income. Here’s how to choose.

When a one-off invoice is the right call

A one-off invoice is a single bill for a single piece of work. You create it, send it, the client hits Pay, and you’re done. Reach for it when the engagement has a clear start and finish, or when the amount changes every time.

• Project work with a defined scope — a logo, a landing page, a one-time audit.
• Bills that vary by the hour or unit — when you’re billing tracked time or a fluctuating quantity, the total isn’t the same twice.
• Anything that started as an estimate — once a client approves a quote in the portal, you convert it to an invoice in one click, so the numbers carry straight over.

To create one, open Invoices in the left sidebar and start a new invoice, or let an approved estimate become one for you.

When a recurring invoice wins

A recurring invoice is the engine behind retainers and subscriptions. Set it up once and Fee-Lion generates and sends each new invoice on your schedule — weekly, monthly, quarterly — so the same predictable amount lands without you remembering to bill. Choose it when the relationship is ongoing and the price is stable.

• Monthly retainers — a fixed block of hours or a flat “we’re on call” fee.
• Maintenance and hosting plans — the same charge, same day, every cycle.
• Anything you’d otherwise forget to send — recurring billing means revenue never slips because life got busy.

Pair it with auto-pay and the money collects itself:

1. Open Settings → Preferences and confirm your payment terms, tax, and deposit defaults so every generated invoice inherits the right rules.
2. Go to Invoices in the sidebar and create a recurring invoice, setting the cadence and start date.
3. Turn on auto-pay so a client’s saved card is charged automatically each cycle.
4. Send the first one — and let Fee-Lion handle the rest.

Tip: Recurring works best when the amount is fixed. If you bill a retainer client for fixed hours plus occasional extras, run the steady fee as a recurring invoice and send the overage as a quick one-off. You get predictable income without underbilling the busy months.

A quick gut-check

Still unsure? Ask yourself two questions: Does this repeat on a schedule? and Is the amount the same each time? Two yeses point to a recurring invoice. A “no” on either — especially when the total shifts or the work is a one-and-done deliverable — means a one-off is cleaner. Many studios run both side by side: recurring for the base relationship, one-offs for project spikes. You can switch a client from one to the other anytime; nothing is locked in.

What’s next

• Create a recurring invoice
• Turn on auto-pay
• Create a one-off invoice
• Convert an estimate to an invoice