Recurring billing management

Purpose

1. Automated recurring billing management aims to automate invoice generation, payment collection, notification reminders, and customer record updates for artists providing ongoing services or subscription-based offerings.

2. This automation ensures timely cash flow, reduces manual errors, increases professional credibility, and streamlines compliance for creative professionals in Arts & Entertainment.

3. Automating recurring billing enables seamless management of memberships, retainers, royalty fees, patron support, licensing renewals, and artwork rentals with minimal manual intervention.

Trigger Conditions

1. New customer subscription or service agreement initiation.

2. Scheduled recurring billing date per customer or contract.

3. Failed or successful payment event notification from payment gateway.

4. Customer upgrades/downgrades subscription, or modifies payment method.

5. Automated renewal period (monthly, quarterly, annually) reached.

Platform variants

1. Stripe

• Feature: Subscription API — automates creation, update, and cancellation of recurring payment plans.
  
• Sample: Use `POST /v1/subscriptions` for new subscriptions and `POST /v1/invoices` for auto-invoicing.
  

2. PayPal

• Feature: Billing Agreements — automates recurring charges via Billing Plans.
  
• Sample: Use REST API `POST /v1/payments/billing-agreements` for agreement setup.
  

3. Square

• Feature: Subscriptions API — automates invoice generation and card-on-file debits.
  
• Sample: Use `POST /v2/subscriptions` to programmatically start automated billing.
  

4. QuickBooks Online

• Feature: Recurring Transactions — automates invoice scheduling and payment processing.
  
• Sample: Set Recurring Invoice via API `POST /v3/company//recurringinvoice`.
  

5. Xero

• Feature: Repeating Invoices — automates sending invoices at regular intervals.
  
• Sample: `POST /api.xro/2.0/Invoices` with type=‘REPEATING’.
  

6. FreshBooks

• Feature: Automated Recurring Profiles — automate creation and payment reminders.
  
• Sample: Recurring Profile API endpoint enables hands-off invoicing.
  

7. Zoho Books

• Feature: Auto Recurring Invoices API — automates invoice issuing, payment logging.
  
• Sample: `POST /invoices/recurring` to set automated schedules.
  

8. Wave

• Feature: Auto-Billing — automates invoice delivery and recurring card charges.
  
• Sample: Enable recurring billing for any customer profile.
  

9. Sage Intacct

• Feature: Automated AR Subscriptions — automates recurring contract and invoice cycles.
  
• Sample: Use Subscription Contracts API for schedule automation.
  

10. Chargebee

• Feature: Subscription Billing API — automates billing cycles, dunning, payment retries.
  
• Sample: `POST /subscriptions` triggers recurring plan activation.
  

11. Recurly

• Feature: Automated Invoicing — automates billing, renewals, and payment retries.
  
• Sample: `POST /subscriptions` via REST API.
  

12. Braintree

• Feature: Recurring Billing API — automates subscription plan creation and charge attempts.
  
• Sample: `POST /subscriptions` for automated charge schedule.
  

13. Paddle

• Feature: Subscriptions — automates user subscription management and invoicing.
  
• Sample: Use Paddle API `/product/create_subscription_plan`.
  

14. Authorize.Net

• Feature: Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) API — automates payment cycles for clients.
  
• Sample: `ARBCreateSubscriptionRequest` SOAP API.
  

15. GoCardless

• Feature: Subscriptions & Direct Debits — automate invoicing and withdrawal sequences.
  
• Sample: `POST /subscriptions` for pre-authorized billing.
  

16. Mollie

• Feature: Recurring Payments API — automates continuous SEPA or card payments.
  
• Sample: `POST /v2/payments` with `sequenceType=recurring`.
  

17. WHMCS

• Feature: Automated Invoice & Payment Reminders — automates billing cycle for services.
  
• Sample: Recurring invoicing module scheduling.
  

18. Zuora

• Feature: Subscription Management API — automates contract billing and renewals.
  
• Sample: `POST /v1/subscriptions` for automated workflows.
  

19. Bill.com

• Feature: Recurring Bill Payments — automates invoice generation and approval flows.
  
• Sample: Schedule automation for bills from dashboard settings.
  

20. Invoiced

• Feature: Smart Recurring Billing — automates dunning, notifications, and statement generation via API.
  
• Sample: `POST /subscriptions` endpoint.
  

21. Intuit Payments

• Feature: Automated billing schedule — automates recurring credit card/ACH charges.
  
• Sample: Payment automation setup in dashboard recurring templates.
  

Benefits

1. Automatedly reduces late payments and eliminates manual recurring billing errors.

2. Automates reminders, reporting, and client communications for reliability.

3. Automator ensures compliant billing records and streamlined audits.

4. Improves artist-client relationships through consistent, professional automation.

5. Automating subscription and payment management gives artists scalability and frees creative time.