---
title: Invoice numbering
description: How invoices are numbered, and how to set the prefix and format.
domain: invoice
status: shipped
visibility: public
last_verified: 2026-07-11
order: 30
---
Every invoice gets a number when it is created. The number is a prefix followed by a counter, and both are yours to configure. Out of the box an invoice looks like `INV-000010`.

## The format

A number has two parts:

- **A prefix.** Text at the front. The default for invoices is `INV-`.
- **A padded counter.** A number that goes up by one each time, zero-padded to a fixed width. `10` with a width of six digits becomes `000010`.

Put together, the tenth invoice with the default settings is `INV-000010`. You can change the prefix and the width, and set where the counter starts.

## Contiguous and gapless

Invoice numbers count 1, 2, 3 with no gaps, per organization. There are no holes in the sequence and no jumps. This matters because many countries require invoice numbers to be unbroken, and the numbering is built to guarantee it: a number is never skipped, even if something fails partway through creating an invoice.

## Starting somewhere other than one

The starting number can be set. A business moving to yRecurring from another system can continue its existing series instead of resetting to one, so the first invoice here picks up where the old system left off.

## Other documents have their own series

Numbering is not just for invoices. Each kind of document counts on its own:

| Document | Default prefix |
|---|---|
| Invoice | `INV-` |
| Credit note | `CN-` |
| Payment | `PAY-` |
| Refund | `REF-` |
| Subscription | `SUB-` |

## Edge cases

- **Each organization has its own count.** Your numbers are yours; they are not shared or interleaved with any other organization's.
- **If you bill under more than one business entity, each entity can keep its own series,** so a multi-brand setup does not mix numbers across brands.
- **The number is fixed once assigned.** It is set when the invoice is created and does not change afterward.