Jim Merritt – September 29, 2025
Updated October 23, 2026

Are you entering the same transactions into QuickBooks® Online (QBO) every week or month?

Whether you're recording rent, entering recurring expenses, billing customers, or preparing monthly journal entries, repeatedly entering the same information takes valuable time.

Fortunately, QuickBooks® Online includes a feature called Recurring Transactions that can automate many of these tasks.

When configured correctly, recurring transactions can reduce repetitive data entry, improve consistency, and help keep your accounting records organized.

Let's look at how this feature works and how your business can benefit.

What Are Recurring Transactions in QuickBooks® Online?

Recurring Transactions allows you to create reusable templates for transactions that occur regularly.

Instead of entering the same information repeatedly, you create a template containing details such as the customer or vendor, amount, G/L account, and transaction frequency.

Common examples include:

• Monthly rent or lease payments.

• Recurring customer invoices.

• Regular vendor bills.

• Subscription expenses.

• Monthly adjusting journal entries.

QuickBooks® can then create transactions automatically, remind you to create them, or store the information for future use.

Important: Recurring Transactions is available in QuickBooks® Online Essentials, Plus, and Advanced. Feature availability may differ with other subscriptions.

Understanding the Three Types of Recurring Transactions

QuickBooks® Online offers three primary template types.

1. Scheduled Transactions

Scheduled templates are designed to create transactions automatically according to a schedule you establish.

For example, you could configure QuickBooks® to generate a monthly rent expense or recurring customer invoice.

This works particularly well for transactions with predictable amounts and consistent accounting treatment.

2. Reminder Transactions

Reminder templates notify you when it's time to create a transaction, allowing you to review and update the information before recording it.

This is especially useful for variable expenses, such as electricity, water, or telephone bills.

For example, your monthly electricity bill may range from $200 to $350. A Reminder template lets you enter the correct amount each month.

3. Unscheduled Transactions

Unscheduled templates store transaction information without automatically creating transactions or generating scheduled reminders.

These are useful when you frequently enter similar transactions but cannot predict when they'll occur.

For detailed information, see Intuit's guide to creating recurring transactions.

How to Create a Recurring Transaction in QBO

Setting up a recurring transaction is relatively straightforward.

1. Navigate to All apps → Accounting → Recurring transactions.

2. Select New.

3. Choose the transaction type, such as Invoice, Bill, Expense, or Journal Entry.

4. Enter a recognizable template name.

5. Select Scheduled, Reminder, or Unscheduled.

6. Enter the customer or vendor, G/L account, amount, and other appropriate information.

7. For Scheduled or Reminder templates, specify the interval and applicable dates.

8. Review your settings and select Save template.

The exact options may vary depending on the transaction type and your QuickBooks® subscription.

If you're new to QuickBooks® or want help configuring recurring transactions properly, QuickTrainer's One-on-One Training for QuickBooks Users can walk you through the process using your own accounting records.

Benefits of Using Recurring Transactions

When configured correctly, recurring transactions offer several advantages.

Save time: Reduce repetitive transaction entry and free up time for other business responsibilities.

Improve consistency: Use the same account classifications, descriptions, and transaction details for regularly occurring activity.

Simplify customer billing: Create recurring invoices for customers receiving services on a regular schedule.

Improve organization: Reduce the likelihood of forgetting transactions that need to be recorded.

However, automated recurring invoices do not necessarily mean customers are paying automatically. Collecting payments through AutoPay or another recurring payment arrangement requires separate setup and applicable QuickBooks Payments functionality.

Common Recurring Transaction Mistakes to Avoid

Although recurring transactions can improve efficiency, incorrect templates may repeatedly create accounting errors.

Watch for these common problems:

• Using Scheduled for variable amounts: Consider Reminder templates when amounts change frequently.

• Selecting incorrect G/L accounts: An incorrect account classification can affect every transaction created from the template.

• Duplicating transactions: Avoid manually entering a transaction that QuickBooks® has already generated.

• Forgetting to update templates: Review changes in pricing, vendors, subscriptions, and payment arrangements.

• Confusing recording with payment: Creating a recurring expense or bill does not necessarily send money to the vendor.

Be especially careful when working with bank transactions.

If QuickBooks® automatically creates a recurring expense and the same payment subsequently downloads through Bank Transactions, you should generally match the downloaded payment to the existing transaction, rather than record another expense.

If duplicate transactions or incorrect classifications have already affected your books, QuickTrainer's Cleanup Services for QuickBooks® Users can help identify and correct these problems.

Review Your Recurring Templates Regularly

Recurring transactions shouldn't be treated as a set-it-and-forget-it feature.

Review your templates periodically to confirm that amounts, dates, vendors, customers, and G/L accounts remain accurate.

It's also important to verify that scheduled transactions are actually being created as expected.

Intuit provides guidance on checking scheduled transactions and identifying missing entries.

If your financial statements don't appear accurate, QuickTrainer's Data Review Services for QuickBooks® Users can help determine whether recurring transactions are contributing to the problem.

The Bottom Line: Automation Works Best When Configured Correctly

Recurring Transactions is one of QuickBooks® Online's most useful time-saving features.

Whether you're billing customers, recording monthly expenses, or preparing recurring accounting entries, properly configured templates can help maintain more consistent records.

However, automation doesn't replace the need for accurate bookkeeping and regular review.

The goal isn't simply to automate transactions. It's to automate them correctly.

For businesses establishing new accounting procedures, QuickTrainer offers Setup Services for QuickBooks® Users.

If you prefer professional assistance maintaining your accounting records, our Bookkeeping Services for QuickBooks® Users can help.

Need Help with Recurring Transactions in QuickBooks® Online?

Whether you're setting up recurring invoices, troubleshooting duplicate transactions, or trying to make QuickBooks® work more efficiently, QuickTrainer, Inc. can help.

We provide personalized training, setup, data review, cleanup, and bookkeeping services tailored to your business.

QuickTrainer is located in Wilmington, NC and works remotely with businesses throughout the United States.

📞 Call QuickTrainer at 910-338-0488
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 www.qti-wilmington.com

Let QuickTrainer give you back your time.

QuickTrainer, Inc. is an independent consulting, training, and bookkeeping company serving QuickBooks® users and is not affiliated with or employed by Intuit Inc.

Intuit, QuickBooks, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc. used with permission under the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Agreement.