# Automatic invoice advancement

Learn how Stripe Invoicing handles automatic advancement and collection.

Unless you explicitly disable it, invoices you create in the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.stripe.com/invoices) automatically finalize when they leave the draft state. However, invoices you create with the API won’t automatically finalize. You must turn on automatic collection by setting the [auto_advance](https://docs.stripe.com/api/invoices/update.md#update_invoice-auto_advance) property on the invoice to `true`. You must also configure a webhook endpoint to receive their associated events. When you set `auto_advance` to `false`, you’re responsible for transitioning the invoice between statuses. Learn more about [webhook endpoints and finalizing invoices](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/webhooks.md#understand).

When you turn on automatic collection, Stripe does everything to drive the invoice towards payment—including automatically finalizing draft invoices after one hour. During this wait period, the invoice shows a **Scheduled** status.

## Update automatic advancement 

You can toggle the `auto_advance` property on `draft` and `open` invoices. Automatic advancement and collection never occur on invoices that are marked `uncollectible`, `void`, or `paid`. For these invoices, `auto_advance` is always set to `false`:

```dotnet
StripeConfiguration.ApiKey = "<<secret key>>";

var options = new InvoiceUpdateOptions { AutoAdvance = false };
var service = new InvoiceService();
Invoice invoice = service.Update("id", options);
```

```go
stripe.Key = "<<secret key>>"

params := &stripe.InvoiceParams{AutoAdvance: stripe.Bool(false)};
result, err := invoice.Update("id", params);
```

```java
Stripe.apiKey = "<<secret key>>";

Invoice resource = Invoice.retrieve("id");

InvoiceUpdateParams params = InvoiceUpdateParams.builder().setAutoAdvance(false).build();

Invoice invoice = resource.update(params);
```

```node
const stripe = require('stripe')('<<secret key>>');

const invoice = await stripe.invoices.update(
  'id',
  {
    auto_advance: false,
  }
);
```

```python
import stripe
stripe.api_key = "<<secret key>>"

invoice = stripe.Invoice.modify(
  "id",
  auto_advance=False,
)
```

```php
$stripe = new \Stripe\StripeClient('<<secret key>>');

$invoice = $stripe->invoices->update('id', ['auto_advance' => false]);
```

```ruby
Stripe.api_key = '<<secret key>>'

invoice = Stripe::Invoice.update('id', {auto_advance: false})
```

## Pause automatic advancement 

In some cases, you might want to stop Stripe from automatically advancing your invoices toward collection. For example, if you want to:

- Use your own business logic to manage the lifecycle of an invoice.
- Decide if and when to send invoice emails on a per-invoice basis.

In both of these cases, use the `auto_advance` property to disable the automatic advancement and collection behavior.

## Automatic advancement feature comparison 

When you set `auto_advance` to `false`, Stripe disables most of the automatic features for Invoicing—leaving collection up to you. The following table outlines some key changes in the behavior of automatic collection, depending on whether `auto_advance` is set to `true` or `false`:

| Feature                                                             | True                                                                                                                                          | False                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Finalize drafts to open                                             | Yes Configurable in settings (after [approximately 1-hour](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/overview.md#subscription-lifecycle)) | Not enabled                  |
| Emailing invoices                                                   | Yes Configurable in settings                                                                                                                  | Not enabled                  |
| Attempting payments                                                 | Yes                                                                                                                                           | Not enabled                  |
| Retries (email and charge)                                          | Yes Configurable in settings                                                                                                                  | Not enabled                  |
| Invoice reminder emails                                             | Yes Configurable in settings                                                                                                                  | Not enabled                  |
| 3D Secure reminder emails                                           | Yes Configurable in settings                                                                                                                  | Not enabled                  |
| Email receipts                                                      | Yes Configurable in settings                                                                                                                  | Yes Configurable in settings |
| [Stripe Automation](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/automations.md) | Yes                                                                                                                                           | Not enabled                  |

#### Legend

- Yes = Can be enabled depending on your settings.
- ⚙ = Configurable in your settings.
- Not enabled = Not enabled. The invoice isn’t automatically transitioned.