Managing recurring billing and subscriptions efficiently is critical for many modern businesses, particularly in service-based industries, SaaS, membership organizations, and maintenance companies. Automating the invoicing process for repeat transactions not only saves time but also reduces human error and ensures timely cash flow. Dolibarr ERP/CRM offers a powerful and flexible solution to set up and manage recurring invoices and subscription models effectively.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through how to set up recurring invoices and subscriptions in Dolibarr, explore practical examples, configuration details, common pitfalls, and best practices to fully leverage these features.

Why Recurring Billing Matters

Recurring billing has become a standard for many business models:

• Subscription Services: Monthly or annual memberships.

• Maintenance Contracts: Equipment servicing, software support.

• Consulting Retainers: Ongoing monthly service agreements.

• Product Rentals: Equipment or tool rental billing.

Handling these manually is tedious and risky. Automating through a system like Dolibarr ensures that invoices are generated, sent, and tracked without constant intervention.

Overview of Dolibarr's Recurring Invoicing and Subscription Management

Dolibarr includes two powerful modules related to recurring billing:

• Subscriptions Module: Designed specifically to manage and automate recurring invoices.

• Recurring Invoices via Commercial Proposals and Orders: You can also convert proposals or orders into recurring templates.

These modules allow you to:

• Define the frequency of billing (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly).

• Automatically generate new invoices.

• Send invoices via email to customers.

• Manage contract periods and renewals.

• Monitor unpaid invoices linked to subscriptions.

Setting Up the Subscription Module in Dolibarr

Step 1: Activating the Subscription Module

First, you need to enable the relevant module:

• Go to Home > Setup > Modules.

• Find and activate the Subscriptions module.

You may also want to activate:

• Invoices module (if not already enabled).

• Emails and Notifications module (for sending automated emails).

Step 2: Creating a Subscription

• Navigate to Subscriptions > New Subscription.

• Select or create a third-party customer.

• Define the subscription parameters:

  • Label: Name of the subscription.

  • Service Start Date: When billing begins.

  • Service End Date: Optional, if there's a fixed contract period.

  • Billing Cycle: Choose monthly, quarterly, annually, or custom.

  • Amount and VAT: Define the recurring amount and applicable tax.

  • Associated Product or Service: Link to your catalog items if needed.

Step 3: Defining Automatic Generation Options

You can configure Dolibarr to:

• Generate invoices manually.

• Generate invoices automatically on scheduled cron jobs.

• Send generated invoices automatically via email.

For full automation, setting up scheduled tasks (cron jobs) on your server is recommended.

Step 4: Managing Subscription Status

Each subscription has a status:

• Running: Active subscription.

• Closed: Subscription ended.

• Canceled: Subscription terminated before end date.

Statuses can trigger automatic workflows such as renewal offers or closure emails.

Setting Up Recurring Invoices via Templates

Another method in Dolibarr is using invoice templates for recurring billing, particularly when contracts are less formal.

Step 1: Creating an Invoice Template

• Navigate to Billing > Recurring Invoice Templates.

• Click New Template.

• Fill in:

  • Customer details.

  • Invoice lines (products/services).

  • Payment terms.

  • Start date of the recurrence.

  • Frequency (e.g., every 1 month).

  • End date (optional).

Step 2: Automating Invoice Generation

Dolibarr can auto-generate new invoices based on these templates either manually or automatically using scheduled tasks.

This method is especially useful for:

• Simple retainer services.

• Small recurring fees.

• Seasonal or temporary billing cycles.

Scheduling Automatic Generation with Cron Jobs

To fully automate the process without manual intervention:

• Set up a cron job on your server.

• The cron job will execute Dolibarr scripts to:

  • Generate invoices.

  • Send emails.

  • Update subscription statuses.

Typical cron command:

php /path/to/dolibarr/htdocs/public/cron/cron_run_jobs.php

Set this to run daily or weekly depending on your billing frequency.

Sending Invoices Automatically via Email

Once invoices are generated, Dolibarr can send them automatically:

• Configure the email settings under Setup > Emails.

• Set up default templates for:

  • Invoice delivery.

  • Payment reminders.

  • Renewal notifications.

Ensure SMTP settings are properly configured to avoid delivery failures.

Tracking and Managing Subscriptions

Dolibarr provides dashboards and lists to monitor:

• Active subscriptions.

• Upcoming renewals.

• Overdue invoices linked to subscriptions.

• Revenue forecast based on active subscriptions.

You can filter subscriptions by:

• Customer.

• Billing cycle.

• Status.

• Date ranges.

Real-World Use Cases

SaaS Company

• Monthly billing for software licenses.

• Automatic invoice generation and emailing.

• Subscription renewal notifications 30 days before expiration.

Membership Organization

• Annual memberships billed automatically.

• Membership renewal offers sent automatically.

• Integration with online payment gateways for immediate payment.

Maintenance Service Company

• Quarterly maintenance contracts.

• Service tickets linked to active subscriptions.

• Monitoring contract validity for service eligibility.

Challenges and Limitations

While Dolibarr is powerful, users should be aware of some limitations:

• Limited Payment Automation: Native payment link integration is basic; third-party modules can enhance this.

• Complex Subscription Pricing: Tiered pricing or usage-based billing needs customization.

• No Built-In Dunning Process: For managing unpaid subscription invoices, external workflows or modules are needed.

• Renewal Upselling: No automated upselling prompts; must be handled manually.

• Reporting Depth: Subscription revenue reporting is basic without external BI tools.

Best Practices for Managing Recurring Invoices and Subscriptions in Dolibarr

1. Standardize Your Plans: Keep billing cycles and terms consistent.

2. Automate Everything Possible: Invoicing, emailing, reminders.

3. Monitor Renewals Proactively: Set reminders and track expirations.

4. Backup Frequently: Protect subscription and billing data.

5. Document Internal Processes: Ensure continuity even if staff changes.

6. Review and Update Pricing: Periodically reassess your subscription rates.

7. Train Your Team: Educate sales and finance teams on subscription management.

8. Use Reliable Hosting: Ensure your Dolibarr instance is stable for automated tasks.

Extending Subscription Features with Third-Party Modules

Several Dolibarr extensions from DoliStore enhance subscription management:

• Advanced Subscriptions Manager: Manage trial periods, grace periods, complex renewal logic.

• Payment Gateway Integrations: Stripe, PayPal modules for recurring payment capture.

• Dunning Management: Automated overdue payment processes.

• Self-Service Customer Portals: Allow customers to manage their subscriptions online.

• BI Integration Modules: Advanced subscription analytics and revenue forecasting.

These modules require additional setup but can drastically extend Dolibarr’s native capabilities.

Future Roadmap and Community Trends

The Dolibarr open-source community is actively developing:

• Better subscription UI/UX.

• Integrated online payment renewals.

• Enhanced reporting features.

• Smarter CRM tie-ins with subscription lifecycles.

Keeping your Dolibarr version up-to-date ensures access to these new features.

Conclusion

Recurring billing and subscription management are crucial for stable, predictable business growth. Dolibarr ERP/CRM offers an efficient, flexible, and cost-effective way to manage these processes.

With careful setup, leveraging both subscription and recurring invoice templates, automating via cron jobs, and possibly extending with powerful modules, businesses can dramatically reduce administrative overhead and ensure consistent revenue collection.

In conclusion, setting up recurring invoices and subscriptions in Dolibarr can transform your billing operations — making them more reliable, automated, and scalable for long-term success.