Overview
Adfin gives you a few different ways to raise a payment, depending on whether you need a formal invoice, whether the payment recurs, and how you want to share it with the customer. Six options, in shorthand:
Single invoice. One invoice, paid once.
Recurring invoice. A template that generates a new invoice each cycle.
Instalment plan. One invoice paid down over multiple payments.
Note: 'Invoice from upload' is a method to raise a single invoice from a PDF (or multiple single invoices from multiple PDFs)
Schedule. A recurring payment with no invoice attached.
One-off payment request. A single payment with no invoice.
Reusable payment link. A single link anyone can pay against, any time.
Note: 'Phone payment' and 'Invoice payment portal' are methods to collect a one off payment from a customer
Where these can come from
All payment types can be created natively in Adfin from the menu's above. The three invoice-based forms (single invoice, recurring invoice, and instalment plan) can also come from invoices Adfin imports automatically through your Xero or QuickBooks integration. A few specifics worth knowing on the integration side:
Single invoice. Comes straight across from Xero or QuickBooks as a single invoice in Adfin. Adfin then collects against it once.
Recurring invoice. Xero and QuickBooks have their own recurring templates that generate individual invoices on a cycle. Each invoice generated by their template lands in Adfin as a single invoice. The recurrence doesn't carry across. If you want Adfin to handle the recurrence (so you can change cadence, amount, and chasing in one place), set up the recurring invoice template inside Adfin instead.
Instalment plan. The invoice arrives in Adfin from Xero or QuickBooks as a single invoice. You then convert it to an instalment plan inside Adfin using the "Convert to instalment plan" option during the activation flow (see "Two ways to create one" below).
Schedules, one-off payment requests, and reusable payment links are Adfin-only concepts. They don't have an equivalent in Xero or QuickBooks, so they're always created directly in Adfin.
How customers actually pay
The six forms above describe what you raise, not how the money is collected. Every one of them can be paid by either method Adfin supports:
Auto Collect. Adfin pulls the payment automatically via Direct Debit, on the customer's mandate.
On Demand. The customer pays via a link, using bank transfer, card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
Which method is used for a given customer is decided by the customer agent assigned to them and any override settings applied on top. See Introducing customer agents for how that's set up. One caveat: reusable payment links are always On Demand. There's no pre-existing customer record at the point of payment, so there's no mandate to collect against.
Single invoice
You create one invoice for a specific amount, send it to the customer, and they pay it once.
Use it when: a one-off job for a customer (a single piece of work, a single delivery, a single fee).
Recurring invoice
A recurring invoice is a template. You set it up once with the customer, amount, line items, and a cadence (weekly, monthly, yearly). Adfin then generates a brand new invoice from that template on every cycle. Each generated invoice has its own invoice number, can be paid separately, and shows up individually in your Payments list.
Use it when: you're billing the customer the same thing on a regular schedule. Monthly retainers, weekly deliveries, annual subscriptions.
Setup: see Set up a recurring invoice.
• You can change the amount, frequency, and dates of a live recurring invoice template after it's started generating invoices. You can't change the customer.
Instalment plan
An instalment plan is one invoice paid down over multiple payments. The invoice stays as one record; the amount is split into a number of payment requests, each due on a different date.
Use it when: a single bill is too large for the customer to pay in one go and you've agreed to split it. For example, a £1,200 invoice paid as 12 £100 payments over twelve months.
Two ways to create one
Create the invoice as an instalment plan from the start. Use the Instalment plan option from the Create menu.
Convert an existing invoice into an instalment plan. If the invoice is still in draft or unpaid, you can convert it. You'll see a "Convert to instalment plan" option.
Setup: see Create and manage instalment plans.
One-off payment request
A one-off payment request is a single payment you send a customer without creating an invoice.
Use it when: you need to take a quick payment but don't want the overhead of generating a formal invoice for it.
Syncing one-off payments to Xero or QuickBooks. One-off payments don't sync to your accounting software by default. To push them across, turn on "Sync payments without an invoice" in your Xero or QuickBooks integration settings.
Schedule (recurring payment, no invoice)
A schedule is a recurring payment with no invoice attached. Adfin generates a payment request from it each cycle and collects against it, but no invoice is created. In the same creation flow as a one-off payment, toggle on 'Set as recurring'.
Use it when: you're taking a regular payment but don't need a formal invoice for each one. For example, a fixed monthly fee where the customer doesn't need an invoice for their records.
Setup: see Set up a recurring payment request (no invoice).
Syncing schedule payments to Xero or QuickBooks. Schedule payments don't sync to your accounting software by default. To push them across, turn on "Sync payments without an invoice" in your Xero or QuickBooks integration settings.
Reusable payment link
A reusable payment link is a single link you can share with anyone. Customers can pay against it any time, for either a fixed amount or an amount of their choosing. It isn't tied to a specific invoice or customer.
Use it when: you want to share one URL across a website, an email signature, or a social profile, rather than creating an individual invoice for each payment that comes in.
When to use each payment type
You want… | Use… |
To invoice once | Single invoice |
To invoice the same customer regularly | Recurring invoice |
To split one invoice across multiple payments | Instalment plan |
To take a recurring payment without generating an invoice each time | Schedule |
To take a one-off payment without creating an invoice | One-off payment request |
One link you can share with anyone, anywhere | Reusable payment link |
Common questions
What's the difference between a recurring invoice and a schedule? A recurring invoice generates a separate invoice each cycle (with its own invoice number, line items, and PDF). A schedule generates a payment request each cycle without any invoice or PDF. Use recurring invoices when the customer or your accounting process needs the invoice; use schedules when they don't.
What's the difference between a one-off payment request and a single invoice? A single invoice is a formal document with a number, line items, and a PDF; a one-off payment request is just an amount the customer needs to pay. Use a payment request when you want to take money without the overhead of a formal invoice.
Can I edit a recurring invoice template after it's started running? Yes. You can change the amount, the frequency, and the dates. You can't change which customer the template belongs to.