Payment Plans - Introduction

Allow your customers to pay invoices in installments.

Offering flexible payment options can help ease the burden on your customers. With Class Manager, you can set up payment plans that allow customers to pay their invoices in manageable installments. 

How to Set Up a Payment Plan

There are several ways to create a payment plan - either for individual customers or for groups of customers.

Creating a Payment Plan for One Customer

1. Click < to the right of Billing.
2. In the expanded menu click Payment Plans.
3. Select Create.
4. Select the customer for whom you'd like to set the payment plan.
5. Choose the payment method (card, direct debit, manual).
6. Select the invoice or confirm the amount to be paid.
   • Be sure to choose the correct invoice; selecting 'Full Outstanding' will assign the payment plan to the latest approved invoice.
7. Enter the number of installments, and the start date,  and choose the installment frequency (daily, weekly, fortnightly, or monthly).
   • The system will calculate the amount per installment and the date of the last payment.

Alternatively, you can set a payment plan directly from the customer's profile by navigating to their profile heading to the Payment Plans tab and clicking Create.

Creating a Payment Plan for Multiple Customers

1. Click < to the right of Billing.
2. In the expanded menu click Payment Plans then View All.
3. Select Select Many button.

Alternatively, you can head over to your customer list by:

1. Click < to the right of Customers.
2. In the expanded menu click View All.
3. Select the customers by ticking the boxes next to their names.
4. Click Group Actions and then Create Payment Plans.

What Happens Next?

• Your customer will receive a notification when their payment is due.
• Depending on the payment method:
  • The fee will automatically be charged from their account or card, or
  • They will need to pay manually via card, cash, or bank transfer.
• Customers can track their payment progress via the Billing > Plans section of the Parent Portal.

Payment Methods for Installments

1. Card Payments (Stripe): If you’ve enabled online card payments through Stripe, customers can make payments directly via the portal. Installments are automatically generated on the due date and marked as paid once processed. Customers can also set up automatic payments, but you’ll need to configure the card payment settings to allow this. More details are available here.
2. Direct Debit (GoCardless): For direct debit payments, you can enable GoCardless. Like card payments, installments are generated automatically on the due date and marked as paid once processed. Ensure that customer mandates are set up properly. Learn how to configure GoCardless in our guide ➡️ GoCardless - Introduction.  There are additional settings that need to be configured, discussed here.
3. Manual Payments (Cash, Bank Transfer, etc.): For payments made via cash or bank transfer, you will need to manually generate and mark the installments as "Paid" in the system. Instructions for recording manual payments can be found here.

Important Settings for Card and Direct Debit Payments

It's important to ensure the customer's payment settings are correctly configured:

1. Click < to the right of Customers.
2. In the expanded menu click View All.
3. Select the customer and navigate to the Settings tab.

If using Stripe: In the Card Payment Settings section:

• Allow automatically create payment once invoice is approved - set to No
• Allow automatically create payment for payment plans - set to Yes

If using GoCardless: In the Direct Debit Settings section:

• Allow automatically create payment once invoice is approved - set to No
• Allow automatically create payment for payment plans - set to Yes

Customers can update their own payment settings through the customer portal, but it's always a good idea to confirm with them before setting up any payment plans.

Handling Failed Stripe (debit/credit card) / GoCardless Installments

If a customer's card or GoCardless payment fails for an installment in their payment plan, you can manually retry the payment. Here's how to retrigger a failed installment:

1. Locate the payment plan. You can do this in two ways:
   • Via Billing:
     1. Click < to the right of Billing.
     2. In the expanded menu click Payment Plans.
     3. Click View All.
     4. Locate and select the plan.
   • Via Customer Profile:
     1. Click < to the right of Customers.
     2. In the expanded menu click View All.
     3. Find and select the customer profile.
     4. Navigate to the Payment Plans tab and select the plan.
2. Once you're on the payment plan page, click the failed installment.
3. For Card (Stripe) Payments: Click the Delete button. The system will automatically retry in the next 24 - 48 hours.
4. For GoCardless Payments: Contact our support team to delete the installment. Once deleted, the system will automatically retry in the next 24 -48 hours.

Recording Manual Payments

If a customer pays in cash or via bank transfer, you can mark the installments as 'Paid' manually:

1. Click < to the right of Customers.
2. In the expanded menu click View All.
3. Select the customer and navigate to the Payment Plans tab.
4. Find the plan and click on it.
5. You will need to generate the next installment or all installments by clicking the appropriate button Generate next installment or Generate all installments. These installments will also be visible on the customer portal in the Billing > Payments section.
6. After generating the installment(s), click on it and confirm the payment method and date, then click Mark as Paid.

Cancelling or Deactivating a Payment Plan

• If no installments have been paid yet:
  • Go into the payment plan details, click Delete button and confirm the deletion. 
  • If the installment has been generated but not yet paid, you may also need to delete the first instalment by clicking on it to open then delete.
• If installments have already been paid:
  • You can only make the payment plan inactive by going into the details and selecting Make Inactive. This will stop future installments from being charged.

Offering payment plans is a great way to provide flexibility and convenience for your customers while ensuring timely payments for your business. Whether you're setting up plans for individual customers or groups, Class Manager makes it easy to manage installments and payment tracking. By automating the process with card or direct debit payments, you can save time and ensure a smooth payment experience for both you and your customers. Feel free to reach out to our support team if you have further questions! 👍