Monthly fees

Ask in plain words, such as "charge Acme £40 a month for hosting", and Klaudius sets up a recurring fee in your own Stripe account. The client enters a card once and Stripe charges it every month (or year) from then on. Every payment is recorded, and your follow-ups tell you when one arrives or fails.

You need Stripe connected first; Klaudius offers to connect it. Without Stripe, ask Klaudius for an invoice each month instead.

Setting one up

Klaudius confirms the whole arrangement in one message before it creates anything:

• What it's for: one plain line the client sees on every charge and receipt, such as "Website hosting and maintenance".
• The amount and currency. If your pricing terms include a monthly fee, it proposes that, and checks with you when your pitch or a quote named a different one. Stripe charges exactly this figure, so if you charge VAT without Stripe Tax, give the amount including tax.
• Monthly or yearly.
• How it's collected: a card on file, or an invoice each period (below).
• When it starts. With a card, the first charge is taken when the client enters it. Ask if you want a free first month or another delay.

Two ways to collect

Card on file is the default. Klaudius drafts a short email to the client with a link and leaves it in your mailbox for you to send. The link works once, and only for the client's email address. The client enters a card, and Stripe charges it every period and retries a failed card itself.

Invoice each period suits clients who'd rather not leave a card. Stripe emails the client an invoice from your Stripe account each period, with a page to pay online and reminders if it goes unpaid. There's nothing for you to draft.

Keeping track

Your follow-ups tell you when an arrangement starts, when each period is paid, and when a payment fails or the client cancels. If Stripe's own retries and reminders don't recover a failed payment, Klaudius alerts you; whether to chase or cancel is your call. Ask "what's recurring right now?" or "did Acme pay this month?" any time.

Changes and cancellations

• Cancelling. Say "cancel Acme's monthly fee", either at the end of the period they've paid for or straight away.
• Changing the amount. The old arrangement ends and a new one is set up. With a card on file, Klaudius times the new price to start when the paid period ends. With invoicing, the old arrangement ends with the period, and you ask for the new one on that day.
• Updating a card. Turn on Stripe's customer portal once in your Stripe dashboard under Settings → Billing → Customer portal, then send the client its link; they sign in with the email on the arrangement.
• Moving from invoices to a card. Klaudius ends the invoice arrangement with the period and drafts a new card link.

For what to charge, see Pricing your work and your add-ons.