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Agency Pilot

Client billing

Agency invoicing software for the work you agreed to deliver

Build a clear invoice, send it to the right client and follow what happens next. Agency Pilot connects client billing with the engagement, from one-time project charges to recurring service invoices and scheduled payments.

Describe the service clearly

Create line items with quantities, units and prices. Add the client, project, purchase-order reference, payment terms and the notes the recipient needs.

Repeat an agreed service fee

Set up weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly invoice schedules. Choose automatic sending or generated drafts, and review the schedule before it runs.

Structure when money is due

Use a deposit and balance, or eligible milestone, progress and installment schedules. Payment scheduling and recurring invoice generation solve different billing needs.

Collect through your Stripe account

Client payments use the agency’s connected Stripe account. Autopay requires the appropriate setup and the client’s agreement, not simply a recurring schedule.

Keep payment records understandable

Review payments, refunds and the invoice timeline. Record payments received outside Stripe, and correct a manual entry through the documented workflow.

Send, share and follow up

Download invoice PDFs, send invoices and reminders, and provide the client-facing payment route. Review delivery and payment status as separate events.

An invoice should explain the agreement

A client should recognize the service, billing period and amount without asking an account manager to translate an internal project name. Use specific line descriptions and the agreed payment terms. The invoice builder includes client-facing notes and a separate place for internal notes, so the team can retain context without placing every working detail on the document.

Agency Pilot supports line and invoice discounts and configured tax rates. Those fields calculate the amounts you provide; they are not a determination of which tax rules apply to your business. Keep the commercial setup consistent with your approved agreement and the separate process your business uses for accounting.

Separate recurring services from staged project payments

A monthly service generally needs a sequence of invoices for successive periods. A website project might instead have one invoice with a deposit and later payments. Choose the structure that reflects the agreement before configuring a schedule. This makes it easier for the client to understand both the total commitment and the amount currently payable.

Recurring templates affect future generated invoices. Updating or canceling a schedule does not rewrite or remove invoices already created. For milestone payments, the documented workflow includes manual release, so assign someone to confirm the milestone and release the payment when appropriate.

Make billing part of the client handoff

Check the recipient, scope, currency, dates and collection settings before sending the first invoice. If an interactive proposal creates billing records during acceptance, inspect those records before adding another schedule for the same service. A clear handoff prevents the sales and delivery teams from independently creating overlapping billing arrangements.

Clients can find their invoices in the portal, alongside the information shared for their business. When a payment question arrives, review the invoice and payment history before issuing a reminder. Sending an invoice, receiving a payment and resolving a billing query are separate steps with different evidence.

What this does not do

Better to find this out here than three weeks in.

  • Stripe collection requires a connected agency account; provider fees and payment availability remain part of that setup.
  • Autopay needs client consent and a saved payment method. A recurring invoice schedule alone does not authorize a charge.
  • Recurring invoices and advanced payment schedules depend on plan eligibility. Confirm the current plan scope before configuring the workflow.
  • This page describes client invoicing and payment records, not a general ledger, payroll, tax filing or a complete accounting replacement.

Make the next invoice easy to understand

Check the plan features and walk through a representative client billing cycle.

Start with the agreed billing event

Agency invoicing software works best when the underlying agreement is clear. Identify what creates the charge: a defined service period, an approved deliverable, a deposit or another agreed event. Confirm the amount, currency, recipient and payment deadline before selecting a software setting. A monthly invoice date is an operating choice, not a substitute for agreeing what the client is buying. For an illustrative local-search retainer, describe the service period and included scope so the client can distinguish the recurring fee from a separate project. This gives the account manager and the person preparing invoices the same understanding of when billing should occur.

Use line items the client can reconcile

Write descriptions that connect each charge to recognizable work. A line called services may be technically sufficient to enter an amount, but it leaves the client to reconstruct the context. Include the agreed service or deliverable and the relevant period where appropriate. Use quantities and units consistently, and inspect the effect of any discount before sending. If a client requires a purchase-order reference, collect it during onboarding instead of discovering the requirement after the invoice is overdue. A well-prepared invoice helps the recipient check the charge against their own approval process without opening a separate conversation for basic information.

Choose between a new invoice and a payment schedule

Recurring invoices create new billing documents over time; a payment schedule divides what is payable on an invoice. They should not be treated as interchangeable. A continuing monthly service may use recurring generation, while a defined project can use a deposit and balance or an eligible staged-payment arrangement. Write the intended structure in plain language before configuring it, then inspect the resulting dates and amounts. This is especially important when a proposal has already created an invoice or monthly schedule. The client should see one coherent arrangement rather than two systems independently asking for the same period of work.

Review automatic sending separately from automatic charging

A recurring schedule can generate a draft for review or send an invoice when configured to do so. Automatic charging is another choice with its own requirements. The client must have agreed and supplied the appropriate saved payment method before autopay can operate. The interface distinguishes waiting for client agreement from an active arrangement. Explain that distinction during setup so the team does not assume that turning on recurring generation guarantees collection. Assign someone to check failures and exceptions. A useful automated process reduces repetitive preparation while keeping responsibility for unsuccessful delivery or payment with a person who can resolve it.

Give staged payments a clear owner

For a deposit, milestone or other scheduled payment, confirm what makes that amount due and how the client will be informed. A manually released milestone requires an actual release action; completing delivery work elsewhere does not by itself establish that the payment is open. Assign the person who reviews the milestone and the person who handles any client question. Keep the schedule aligned with the approved scope if delivery changes. An illustrative website project might have separate design and launch decisions, but the software should reflect the agreement actually made rather than impose a generic schedule on every engagement.

Keep corrections traceable

When something is wrong, first determine whether the issue concerns the invoice, a manually recorded payment or a provider transaction. These require different actions. The documented payment workflow preserves records and supports voiding an eligible manual entry before entering the correction. Manual refunds record money returned outside Stripe; card refunds are handled through Stripe and reflected through its events. Avoid making a second payment entry simply to force the displayed balance toward an expected number. Review the original evidence, explain the correction and verify the resulting history so another team member can understand what changed and why.

Pause future billing without rewriting the past

A paused or canceled recurring schedule affects future generation, while invoices already created remain part of the record. Template changes similarly apply to future invoices rather than retroactively editing previous ones. When a service ends or changes, review both the schedule and any outstanding invoice separately. Confirm what was already issued, what remains due under the agreement and whether a correction is needed. The recurring workflow also distinguishes resumption choices around missed periods. Check the intended behavior before restarting so the agency does not create unexpected catch-up charges or silently omit billing it meant to continue.

Evaluate a complete client billing cycle

Test the process from preparation through delivery, client access, payment and follow-up using a representative engagement. Check the PDF, the recipient information, the due date and the public or portal payment experience. Include an exception such as an unpaid invoice or a payment received outside the connected provider. Decide who monitors the record and how the agency coordinates billing questions with the account owner. Keep accounting responsibilities separate and clear. The strongest sign of fit is that the team can explain the client's balance and next action from reliable records, not merely that it can generate an attractive document.

Frequently asked questions

What does agency invoicing software help manage?

It supports the preparation, delivery and tracking of client invoices and related payment records. Agency Pilot connects those documents with client context and includes recurring-generation and payment-schedule workflows where eligible. Your team still needs an agreed scope, accurate recipient details and a clear owner for billing questions and exceptions during the engagement.

Can I create a one-time invoice for a project?

Yes. The invoice builder supports client and project context, line descriptions, quantities, unit prices, dates and payment terms. Prepare the document from the approved scope and review the total before sending. A project invoice does not have to become recurring simply because the client also purchases an ongoing service from the agency.

Which recurring frequencies are supported?

The documented schedule supports weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly frequencies with an interval setting. Review the start date and ending conditions, which can include an end date or an occurrence limit. Choose the schedule that reflects the service agreement and check the next run rather than assuming every retainer must use an identical monthly setup.

Can recurring invoices be generated as drafts?

Yes. Automatic sending is a separate setting, and generation can produce drafts when sending is not enabled. That can suit a workflow requiring review before issue. If automatic sending is enabled, valid recipients are still necessary. Check the schedule and delivery result instead of treating creation of a recurring rule as proof that the client received an invoice.

Does recurring invoicing automatically charge the client?

No. Recurring generation, sending and autopay are distinct steps. Automatic charging requires the appropriate setup, a saved payment method and the client's agreement. The recurring interface can show that it is waiting for consent. Explain these requirements before relying on a schedule to collect a recurring fee without further client action.

Can an invoice request a deposit and a later balance?

The documented builder supports a deposit-and-balance structure. Advanced options also include milestones, progress percentages and installments, subject to eligibility. Confirm which arrangement matches the agreement and inspect the amounts and release dates. A schedule should explain the client's payment obligation clearly rather than make them infer how the total will be collected.

How do milestone payments become payable?

The documented milestone workflow includes manual release. Assign someone to verify the relevant delivery condition and release the payment at the appropriate time. Do not assume that a completed task automatically releases a billing milestone. Review the invoice schedule with the client when the scope or delivery sequence changes so both sides understand the next amount due.

Can clients pay through the client portal?

The portal shows their invoices and supports the connected payment route when it is available. Collection uses the agency's own Stripe account. Check the connection and invoice state during setup, then test the client-facing experience. Seeing an invoice in the portal and completing a successful payment are separate events that should be verified separately.

Can I download an invoice PDF or send a reminder?

The invoice detail workflow includes PDF download, sending and reminder actions. Review the recipient and the current payment record before following up. A reminder should reflect the actual outstanding position, particularly if the client recently paid outside Stripe or raised a question that the account manager is still resolving.

How are payments received outside Stripe handled?

The documented workflow allows manual payment records, including the amount and supporting reference information. Enter the payment only after checking the evidence that it was received. A manual entry records the transaction; it does not move money through a bank or card network. Preserve enough context for the team to reconcile and explain the invoice later.

Does recording a refund send money back to the client?

A manually recorded refund documents a refund handled outside Stripe. It does not itself transfer funds. Card-payment refunds are handled in Stripe and reflected through the provider events. Distinguish the financial action from the record update, and confirm the original payment and remaining refundable amount before choosing the appropriate correction workflow.

What happens if I change a recurring invoice template?

Changes affect invoices generated from that point forward. Existing generated invoices are not rewritten. Review both the schedule and any already issued document when the service fee or scope changes. Once invoices have been generated, some timing changes require canceling the schedule and creating a new one instead of editing its original frequency or start date.

Does canceling a recurring schedule remove unpaid invoices?

No. Cancellation stops future invoice generation and leaves previously generated invoices in place. Review outstanding documents separately against the agreement and use the appropriate correction process if necessary. This distinction helps preserve a readable history and prevents a team from assuming that stopping future service automatically resolves every earlier balance.

Does the product determine the correct tax treatment?

The builder supports configured tax rates and related invoice calculations. That does not determine which treatment applies to a particular business or transaction, and this page does not claim tax filing or jurisdictional compliance functionality. Use the values approved through your business's own accounting process and review them when preparing the invoice.

Can this replace our entire accounting system?

Evaluate it as client invoicing and payment workflow software rather than assuming it provides every accounting function. This page does not promise a general ledger, payroll, tax filing or automated bank reconciliation. Define which records remain authoritative in your accounting process and how the team will keep the client billing record consistent with that process.