Plutio offers multiple ways to bill clients based on your business needs. Understanding the differences between Single Invoices, Split Payments, and Recurring Invoices (Subscriptions) will help you choose the best invoicing method for each situation.
Single Invoices
A Single Invoice is a one-time invoice created for a specific service or product. It’s manually generated and sent to a client, who then makes a full payment by the due date.
Use Cases:
Billing for one-time projects or completed work.
Charging for fixed-price services (e.g., website design, consulting session).
Selling a product that doesn’t require repeat payments.
Best practices:
Split Payments
Split Payments allow clients to pay an invoice in multiple installments (up to five) instead of one full payment. This can be useful for high-ticket services or projects where clients prefer to pay over time.
Use Cases:
Offering payment flexibility for large projects.
Allowing clients to pay in milestones (e.g., 50% upfront, 50% on completion).
Providing an alternative to full upfront payments without setting up a subscription.
Best practices:
Recurring Invoices / Subscriptions
A Recurring Invoice (also called a Subscription Invoice) is an invoice that is automatically generated at regular intervals (e.g., weekly, monthly, yearly). This is useful for businesses offering ongoing services or memberships.
Use Cases:
Charging clients monthly retainers for services (e.g., social media management, web hosting).
Subscription-based products (e.g., online courses, memberships).
Automating repeat billing to save time and ensure payments are on schedule.
Best practices:
Which One Should You Use?
Choose a Single Invoice if you are billing for a one-time project or product purchase.
Use Split Payments if your client needs to pay in installments but doesn’t require a full subscription.
Set Up Recurring Invoices if you offer ongoing services that require automatic billing.