If yours is a business that offers a product or service to regular customers or through subscriptions, you must be well-aware of recurring billing. It is something you would find yourself doing every month or week or year. You must also be aware of how time-consuming it can be to manage recurring invoices and payments. If you do it manually, chances are it takes a long while to process the payments while you also expose yourself to errors. You simply cannot afford to lose time or money because the invoicing and billing system took too long to approve (and thus, receive) payments. For this reason, we highly recommend using software to automate your recurring billing system.

Automating your recurring billing will enable your business to put subscription-based payments on auto-pilot per the desired frequency. Your customers will have to agree to the terms and provide their payment information, allowing you to activate a payment model to charge your customers according to a predefined time interval - whether yearly, monthly, weekly or any other specific interval. It is particularly advisable to switch to software for recurring billing if you run businesses that cater to customers for instance gyms, newspapers or magazines, and SaaS applications such as Dropbox. 

A recurring billing system auto-charges customers per your pre-defined time interval. In addition to automatically deducting a certain amount through their credit card, these tools are also compatible with other payment options such as cash or cheque. If you offer subscriptions, you can set various pricing tiers according to the service provided. However, the software works just as fine if you charge a fixed fee and do not have multiple pricing plans. 

Whether you require fixed or variable billing, this software comes in handy. It can charge a regular fee, ensuring a steady cash flow and reliable revenue generation; it also facilitates upselling. On the other hand, if you have a variable billing option, a recurring billing system will accommodate you easily for conducting metered (for instance, in a telecom company) or quantity-based (for instance, in a manufacturing company) billing.

Since recurring billing is for customers who get a service or product from you regularly, when you automate the process, you can count on being paid faster while your clients can rely on receiving their order or service sooner rather than later. It’s a win-win situation. Let’s explore the top five recurring billing systems in 2022 that you should definitely consider if you are looking to switch to software. We recommend using the in-depth reviews below to learn the tool most suitable for your business needs before you make your purchase decision.

Part A - Individual Product Overview

A solid recurring billing system can speed up your billing process from start to end. It can introduce accuracy and efficiency into your internal system. Since the software we explore below automates the billing process, it frees up your or your employees’ time, leaving you to focus on other important tasks that add value to your business. You can count on it to streamline and speed up your daily operations and enhance your performance by completing more work in less time. 

Below, we explore our top five best recurring billing systems in 2022. We explain their top features, integrations, pricing, customer reviews, among other aspects. This thorough investigation will help you make an informed decision. 

1. ZarMoney

Product Overview

ZarMoney is a cloud-based recurring billing software which you can use to automate your billing system from end to end. It comes with highly useful features that allow you to keep complete track of your accounts receivable. You can keep a documented trail of your incoming bills and manage your cash flow effectively through its advanced payables capability. Use the integrated payables calendar to stay updated about deadlines and maintain an optimal cash flow. You can also set customized rules to categorize the bills and bank transactions in your books.  

Furthemore, ZarMoney also provides the function of automatic matching. This means you no longer have to manually monitor and manage your incoming bills as with this software, you can match your transactions automatically with a single click of a button. You can accept credit card payments from customers online and also accept payments from mainstream platforms like PayPal and Stripe. If your customers want to pay through checks, you can accept eChecks payments easily with a rate as low as 0.75%, up to $500 per transaction. This tool also allows you to create recurring invoices through which you can charge your regular customer at fixed intervals for your goods or services. 

With ZarMoney, you can approve bills, track early payment discounts and auto-apply discounts. You can also email weekly Customer Statements to clients with attached copies of open invoices so they can learn about the status of their account. Maintain accurate financial records in a secure online database and get your data updated in real-time with this modern recurring billing software.

Features

• 1099 preparation
• Accounts receivable management
• Accounts payable management
• Online payment processing
• Approval process control
• Bank reconciliation
• Billing management
• Cash management
• Check processing
• Chart of accounts
• Funds transfer
• Contingency billing
• Customer statements
• Custom Invoicing and management
• Connection with over 9600 banks
• Multi-login
• Multi-location support
• Multi-currency support 
• Automated taxation
• Custom tax order
• Profit and loss statements 
• Alerts and reminders

Top Three Features

The top three features of ZarMoney include:

1. Recurring Invoicesas

Use ZarMoney to create recurring invoices for customers. Bill them automatically at set intervals and frequency, whether weekly, monthly, yearly or at a custom period. All the incoming transactions are recorded into your database and the process requires no manual intervention from you.

2. Multichannel Payment 

With ZarMoney, you can offer your customers the convenience of multichannel payment. Allow them to pay you online and accept credit or debit through payment channels like Stripe and PayPal. This system proves popular with clients and it also enables you to receive payments faster than ever before so you can maintain your cash flow. 

3. Accounts Reconciliation 

ZarMoney conducts automatic accounts reconciliation. This allows you to reconcile your bank statements with your invoices with a single click. It also catches any errors and discrepancies that may exist, ensuring your records are accurate at all times. 

Price Plans

• Entrepreneur: $15 / month / 1 user 
• Small Business: $20 / month / 2 users
• Enterprise: $350 / month / 30+ users 
• Free trial available

Pros

• It provides detailed financial reporting and generates profit and loss statements, customer statements, balance sheets and more. 
• It is scalable, allowing you to add to its capabilities as your business grows. You can switch to advanced plans easily. 
• The tool has a sleek interface, making it easy to use for new users 

Cons

• The app does not offer a free plan

Integrations 

• AutoEntry
• PayPal
• Stripe
• Google Calendar
• QuickBooks Payment
• Braintree
• CyberSource
• Authorize.Net
• Gusto
• Mailchimp
• Zapier
• Shopify

Average Rating from Top 3 Software Directories 

ZarMoney’s average rating, according to the top three software directories, stands at 4.73.

Testimonials

Here are some testimonials from users of the app: 

Customer Support Options 

• Knowledge Base
• FAQs/Forum
• Phone Support
• Email/Help Desk
• Chat
• 24/7 (Live rep)

Support Platforms

• Web
• Mac
• Windows
• Linux
• Chromebook

Bottomline 

ZarMoney automates your recurring billing system, making it faster, accurate and more efficient. You can use this software to perform the whole range of accounting functions, facilitating yourself as well as your customers through an online, cloud-based system that permits modern payment methods effortlessly. Try it out using the free trial option and save both time and money through this tool. 

2. Chargify

Product Overview

Chargify is a billing and revenue management software that caters specifically to the needs of B2B SaaS businesses. It comes in handy when you provide subscription-based payment models to your customers. You can create and tailor orders per your need and introduce changes as your business grows and evolves. With the added speed into your billing system, you can save time and accelerate your growth by focusing on your core service.  

Through Chargify, you can offer several subscription plans to your customers. As your client signs up for your services, you can rely on this tool to build a trusting relationship as it accommodates the changing needs of customers as well as your business. You can manage changes in plans, offer customized pricing and promotional offers and facilitate easy renewals. Since the entire process is centralized on a single dashboard, you can gain clear visibility into the payment statuses and your cash flow. Rest assured, your records will be maintained in the database to ensure a spotless audit trail.

Features 

• Cancellation management
• Deferred billing
• Discount management
• Dunning management
• Enrollments/onboarding
• Multi-currency
• Multi-period recurring billing
• Payment processing
• Product catalog
• Recurring invoicing
• Recurring/subscription billing
• Revenue recognition
• Self service portal
• Subscription plan management
• Tax management

Top Three Features

The top three features of BlackLine include:

1. Self Service Option

Through Chargify, you can empower your customer to manage their bills on the online platform. Give them access to their billing portal where they can view the services they are subscribing to and upgrade when they need to without any hassles. They can also view their billing history and update their account information. It is easy to use.

2. Monitor Subscriptions

Chargify offers you Revenue Alerts as a feature, which you can use to define limits for changes in revenue. This system means automatic alerts are sent via email or notifications in case of revenue changes, allowing you to track expansion and contraction revenue and possible churn risks.  

3. Global Payments

Chargify comes integrated with multiple payment gateways that allow you to extend your market reach on a global level. You can accept payments from customers anywhere in the world as the tool counts 25 payment processors as its partners. You can accept ACH, credit card and direct debit as payments in your local currency effortlessly. 

Price Plans

• Essential – $599 / month
• Standard – $1499 / month
• Specialized – $3499 / month
• Free trial available

Pros

• The tool is scalable, in addition to offering scalable pricing models to a business’ customers 
• It simplifies the pricing and dunning process
• The customer support team is highly responsive and resolves problems promptly 

Cons

• The bills paid by customers can sometimes disappear, requiring manual entry 
• It can be difficult to set up this software for infrequent billing arrangements
• Financial reporting features can be too complex to understand 

Integrations 

• PayPal 
• Mailchimp  
• Salesforce Sales Cloud  
• Shopify  
• Stripe  
• Quickbooks Online  
• Zapier  
• Zendesk  
• ActiveCampaign  
• Pirate Ship  
• Sendinblue  
• Xero  
• Jotform  
• QuickBooks Online Advanced  
• Encharge  
• Pipefy  
• Twilio  
• Leadpages  
• Grow  
• Klipfolio  
• Pipeliner CRM  
• Wufoo  

Average Rating from Top 3 Software Directories 

Chargify’s average rating, per the top three software directories, stands at 4.3.

Testimonials

Here are some testimonials from users of the app: 

Customer Support Options 

• Email/Help Desk
• Phone Support
• Knowledge Base
• Chat
• FAQs/Forum
• 24/7 (Live rep)

Support Platforms

•     Web

Bottomline

With Chargify, you can streamline your recurring billing system. Though expensive as compared to other options in the market, this tool facilitates subscription-based companies and offers multiple functionalities such as analytics, revenue retention and offer management. Use the free test account to find out whether it suits your needs or not.

3. Wave Accounting

Product Overview

Wave is an online billing software that you can use to manage your recurring invoices and bills. This tool allows you to accept online payments at nominal fee charged, helping you save costs. Since it offers a basic plan for free, it is suitable for those looking for an affordable option. You can use it to create and send invoices online. You can also send invoices on the mobile phone for everyone’s convenience. Use the receipt scanning feature to attach images of bills and avoid conflicts. 

Wave’s capabilities include billing and invoicing, tracking account payables and receivables, accounts reconciliation, online payment processing, and more. You can send customized invoices on a recurring basis to customers per the frequency of your choosing. You can also set the payment method according to clients’ convenience. Send invoices to several customers at a single time, saving time. 

Though Wave has extensive features, you can choose the capabilities you require and only pay for them; there is no need to pay extra for functions you wouldn’t use. It is also web-based so you do not have to install it in your system. Furthemore, you can install its receipt scanning app in your mobile phone for easy use. The recurring billing feature is quite flexible as it accommodates automatic as well as manual billing. 

Features 

• ACH payment processing
• Account reconciliation
• Accounts payable and receivable
• Automatic billing
• Bank reconciliation
• Billing and invoicing
• Budgeting
• Cash flow management
• Credit card processing
• Currency conversion
• Customer statements
• Electronic payments
• Email reminders
• Expense tracking
• Financial analysis and management
• Financial reporting
• Online invoicing
• Invoice management
• Mobile app

Top Three Features

The top three features Wave include:

1. Accounts Receivable Management 

Wave provides you complete visibility into your account receivables. Use this tool to access all billing details of your customers so you can manage your relationship with them easily. You can also track your payment, view transaction history to get a clear picture and send automated reminders as needed. 

2. Online Payment

Wave allows you to get paid twice as fast than before through its online payment system. Your customers only have to press the ‘Pay Now’ button on the invoice you send to them and the payment will be processed on a secure platform. They can pay through the bank or a credit card with 1% per transaction.

3. Invoice Tracking

Track your invoices effortlessly through Wave. This app gives you a complete picture of all your invoices, whether paid or due. The dashboard offers details about bills received and the information is presented in a visual manner for quick understanding. 

Price Plans

• Accounting software - $0
• Credit card processing - $0.30 + 2.9% per transaction
• Bank payment/ACH processing - 1% per transaction ($1 minimum fee)
• Free trial

Pros

• It offers a free plan, making it affordable for many
• It is easy to integrate into your existing system
• It has a mobile app, allowing ease of use

Cons

• The app can glitches sometimes 
• This tool may not offer advanced features
• The bank connection feature can sometimes give an error message

Integrations 

• Google Drive  
• PayPal  
• Gmail  
• Google Forms  
• Stripe  
• HubSpot CRM  
• Zapier  
• Freedcamp  
• Microsoft Outlook  
• Avaza  
• Pixifi  
• noCRM.io  
• Shoeboxed  
• Insightly  
• Contractbook  
• BookingKoala  
• Cognito Forms  
• Payment Rails  

Average Rating from Top 3 Software Directories 

Wave’s average rating from the top 3 software directories stands at 4.4.

Testimonials

Here are some testimonials from users of the app: 

Customer Support Options 

• FAQs/Forum
• Email/Help Desk
• Chat
• Knowledge Base

Support Platforms

• Web
• Android
• iPhone/iPad

Bottomline

With Wave, you can automate your recurring billing system at practically no costs. You can use the free plan without subscribing to it or signing up. It enables you to conduct invoicing and receipt scanning, in addition to other billing-related tasks. Explore it to decide whether it is the best fit for your company. 

4. Zoho Invoice

Product Overview

Zoho Invoice is an online recurring billing system that comes with customization options. It is completely free of cost, proving to be an easy pick for freelancers and small business owners. For a free software, it offers quite a wide range of useful features. You can use it to send customized invoices and bills to customers on a monthly basis. There are free templates available which you can tailor with your brand logo and per the needs of your customers, whether local or international. 

With Zoho Invoice, you can also maintain a customer database, which makes it easy to populate fields in an invoice or bill, especially when you send them frequently. It comes with a billing portal which allows you to monitor transaction history and customer profile effortlessly. This tool also allows added capabilities of tracking your time and expenses and financial reporting. It supports multi-currency and enables you to stay compliant with tax regulations per your specific location. 

Features 

• Billing & invoicing
• Billing portal
• Contact database
• Customizable invoices
• Dunning management
• Hourly billing
• Mobile payments
• Mobile time tracking
• Multi-currency
• Multiple billing rates
• Online invoicing
• Online payments
• Payment processing
• Recurring/subscription billing

Top Three Features

The top three features of Zoho Invoice include:

1. Recurring Billing

Through Zoho Invoice, you can send recurring bills or invoices to regular customers. Set up a profile for recurring billing and adjust the setting to trigger periodic invoices for your services or products. Customers are charged automatically, and it saves your time as you do not have to manually prepare invoices regularly.

2. Payment Reports 

With Zoho Invoice, you can gain a clear overview of the payment patterns. Find out which invoices have been paid and which payments are delayed. You can send automatic reminders through the inbuilt feature and also run reports on refunds and issued credit notes. 

3. Client Portal 

Use Zoho Invoice to give your customers an online portal where they can learn details of their transactions with you. Through this portal, they can view their invoices and overdue bills, track billable time on their projects, download statement of account and pay overdue invoices through an online payment platform.

Price Plans

• Free 

Pros

• The app is completely free, making it a preferred option for freelancers 
• It is customizable so business owners can use their logo and branding on the invoices
• It offers third-party integrations, allowing users to expand its capabilities. 

Cons

• It requires an internet connection to work
• The reporting feature is hard to use
• The customer support is slow 

Integrations 

• Google Drive  
• Slack  
• Microsoft 365  
• Google Workspace  
• HubSpot Marketing Hub  
• Stripe  
• HubSpot CRM  
• Zoho CRM  
• Zapier  
• Square Payments  
• Zendesk  
• Zoho Desk  
• Wrike  
• Zoho Expense  
• Zoho Books  
• Pipefy  
• ServeManager  
• Insightly  
• Zoho Analytics  
• Zoho Projects  
• Infraspeak  
• Authorize.Net  

Average Rating from Top 3 Software Directories 

Zoho Invoice’s average rating per the top 3 software directories stands at 4.6.

Testimonials

Here are a few customer reviews to give you an overview of the user experience:

Customer Support Options 

• Knowledge Base
• Email/Help Desk
• FAQs/Forum

Support Platforms

• Web
• Android
• iPhone/iPad

Bottomline

Zoho Invoice offers a convenient recurring billing system to users who do not want to make a huge investment into getting a tool. You can use this software to send invoices and bills, both one-time and recurring. You can also utilize it to track your time and expenses while maintaining an optimal cash flow through online payment options. Try the free plan and see whether it fulfills your needs. 

5. Zuora

Product Overview

Zuora is a subscription management software that allows you to automate your recurring billing system. If you run a subscription-based business, you can use this tool to streamline your internal and customer management. The billing portal and contact database help create invoices quickly and automatically, which you can then send to customers online. 

Zuoro processes payments online, letting your clients choose from a variety of options such as ACH, debit or credit payment. The mobile payment feature is very convenient as it speeds up the process, enabling you to get paid faster. It supports multiple currencies, so you can easily cater to clients from various places in the world. In addition to automating recurring billing, you can also use this software to manage your quotes and revenues and gain insights into your subscription metrics in order to power your business growth with the right decisions at the right time.

Features 

• ACH payment processing
• Billing & invoicing
• Billing portal
• Contact database
• Credit card processing
• Customizable invoices
• Debit/credit card processing
• Discount and dunning management
• Hourly billing
• Mobile payments
• Multi-currency
• Multi-period recurring billing
• Online invoicing and payment processing
• Recurring invoicing
• Recurring/subscription billing
• Refund management

Top Three Features

The top three features of Zuoro include:

1. Multiple Pricing Strategy 

Zuora helps you launch and monetize a new service effortlessly. You can set the price and package according to the requirements of your customers – whether one-time, recurring or usage-based.

2. Subscription Management

Zuora offers a feature called CPQ - configure price quote. This allows you to manage the subscription life cycle and ensure everything - whether suspends, resumes, upgrades or downgrades - are done flawlessly to deliver a satisfying customer experience to your clients. 

3. Cash Collection

Zuora simplifies your billing system through using machine learning. It helps increase your revenue and boosts the chances of success for  first-time payments. With this, you can look forward to keeping a growing list of subscribers. 

Price Plans

• Custom quote
• Free trial.

Pros

• The billing system is customizable per your business needs
• It offers mobile payments 
• It allows online payment and credit card processing

Cons

• It can be slow sometimes
• The reporting feature can be hard to use
• The app is not very intuitive 

Integrations 

• PayPal  
• Salesforce Sales Cloud  
•  Quickbooks Online  
•  Anypoint Platform  
•  Sisense  
•  NetSuite  
•  Pipefy  
•  Grow  
•  Boomi  
•  Quickbase  
•  Sage Intacct  
•  Domo  
•  Matillion  
•  Kayako  
•  Workato  
•  Chartio  
•  ProfitWell  
•  YayPay  
•  TIBCO Cloud Integration  
•  BlueSnap  
•  LeadMaster  
•  Bitium  

Average Rating from Top 3 Software Directories 

Zuoro’s average rating per the top 3 software directories stands at 3.9.

Testimonials

Here are a few customer reviews to give you an overview of the user experience:

Customer Support Options 

• FAQs/Forum
• Knowledge Base
• 24/7 (Live Rep)

Support Platforms

•       Web

Bottomline

Zuora offers subscription businesses a wide-ranging solution. It allows you to automate your recurring billing and payment process while also helping you improve your cash flow and track your performance. This software is more suitable for enterprises, as it offers extensive functionalities more suitable for extensive needs.  

Part B - Table Comparison

Part C - Best of Best FAQs

• What is the best recurring billing system overall? 

ZarMoney is our top recommendation as the best recurring billing system in 2022. This tool caters to your billing models and is customizable per your business needs. In addition to automatic billing, it offers a multitude of other useful features like bank connections, online payments and accounts reconciliation, which will help you consolidate your financial system on a single platform available on cloud for 24/7 access. It is also quite affordable which makes it appealing to a wide range of users. 

• What is the most suitable recurring billing system for freelancers? 

For freelancers, Zoho is a good software to explore. That’s because this tool offers several useful features at an affordable rate and is also pretty easy to use. It also offers free plans which will work great for those only starting out with their venture, since they would not want to make a huge investment into a tool right away. 

• What is the most suitable billing system for B2B business owners?

For B2B businesses that offer subscription-based billing, Chargify is a good option. This software is made with the needs of B2B SaaS in mind and offers a comprehensive management solution for regular billing and invoicing. 

Conclusion

In this blog, we reviewed the top 5 recurring billing systems in 2022. We investigated each tool in detail, and explained their top features, the integrations they offer, their pricing tiers, customer support options and supported platforms. We also shared testimonials from customers of each tool to offer you verified insights into user satisfaction levels. This detailed analysis will familiarize you with the features and capabilities you should look out for when buying a recurring billing software. You now know where to start!

A solid recurring billing system can streamline and simplify your billing system while also making it fast and error-proof. There is a plethora of options available in the market. However, you must assess your business needs and budget before you pick out the tool to purchase. You can also try the software out, if they offer free trials or demos, before you make a money investment. ZarMoney offers a free trial and has rich features while being affordable so you can begin with it. Start your exploration today to boost your bottom line in the future.