How to Automate Your Invoicing and Payment Reminders for Free

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

You sent the invoice two weeks ago. You've followed up twice. The client keeps saying the check is in the mail. Sound familiar? Late payments are a hassle, but the fix isn't to get pushier—it's to get smarter. With free invoice automation, you can set up recurring invoices, automatic payment reminders, and payment links that do the chasing for you. In this tutorial, I'll walk you through three free tools that handle billing automation so you can stop chasing money and get back to work.

What to Look For in Free Invoice Automation

Before we get into the tools, let's talk about what actually matters. Not every "free" invoicing app is worth your time. You want something that covers the basics without locking you into a trial that expires after 30 days.

Here's the checklist I use:

• Recurring invoices – If you bill clients on a weekly, monthly, or project basis, you shouldn't have to manually create the same invoice over and over.
• Automatic payment reminders – The whole point of this is to stop sending reminders by hand. The tool should let you set up a schedule and then forget it.
• Payment links – A clickable link that takes your client straight to a checkout page. This alone can cut your time-to-payment by days.
• Late fees – Some tools let you add late fees automatically when a payment is overdue. That's a nice nudge for clients who need extra motivation.
• Reporting – You need to see who's paid and who hasn't at a glance. If the tool doesn't show you that, you're flying blind.

With that in mind, here are three solid free options. I've used all of them, and each has its strengths.

Wave: The All-Around Free Powerhouse

Wave has been around for over a decade and is one of the few platforms that offers a genuinely free invoicing and accounting package. No trial, no expiration, just free. That includes unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, and even bookkeeping features like bank reconciliation.

How to Set Up Automatic Reminders in Wave

• Log in and go to Settings > Payment Reminders.
• Toggle on the option to send automatic reminders.
• Choose how many times you want to remind clients (for example, 3 days after the due date, then 7 days after that).
• Customize the email text. You can even include a link to pay online.

Wave also lets you create recurring invoices. Just click the dropdown arrow next to "New Invoice" and select "Recurring." From there, you can set the frequency, start date, and end date. Wave will generate the invoice automatically and send it to your client.

Payment Processing Fees

Wave is free, but you'll still pay processing fees when clients pay you online. Credit card payments cost 2.9% + 60¢ per transaction for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. American Express runs a bit higher at 3.4% + 60¢. Bank transfers (ACH) are just 1% with a minimum of $1. If you're sending large invoices, ACH is the way to go.

Pros and Cons of Wave

Pros:

• Truly free for unlimited clients and invoices
• Includes full accounting features
• Bank reconciliation and receipt scanning built in
• Automatic reminders are free

Cons:

• Payment processing fees are a bit higher than some dedicated processors
• Customer support on the free plan can be slow
• No built-in client portal like some competitors

Wave is an excellent choice if you're a freelancer or small business owner who wants more than just invoicing. You get accounting, reporting, and automation all in one place.

Check Wave for Free ->

Zoho Invoice: Best for Unlimited Clients

Zoho Invoice is part of the larger Zoho suite, but you don't need to sign up for anything else to use it. The free plan covers one user and unlimited clients. That's a big deal—most free invoicing apps cap the number of clients you can have. Zoho doesn't.

How to Set Up Automation in Zoho Invoice

1