Payment methods

Autopay only works for families with a card or bank account saved. The Payment methods page shows who has one and helps you ask everyone else to add one through the parent portal.

Check who has a payment method#

1. Open Billing in the menu.
2. Choose Payment methods.

At the top you'll see:

• Covered: the share of active families with a method on file, against your target.
• With a payment method and Missing one: how many families are in each group.
• Autopay skipped: families who turned autopay on but have nothing saved. Autopay passes over them with no charge attempt and no failed payment notice, so it's worth following up.

The Coverage card shows whether you've hit your target. Aim to hit it before your first billing run.

The family list shows each family's Status (On file or Missing), their payment method, whether autopay is on, and how many card request messages they've been sent. Tick Missing only to see just the families you still need.

Owners, admins and front desk staff can see this page.

Cards about to expire#

The Cards to update before they decline list on the same page shows saved cards that expire by the end of next month, with each family's next charge. Reach out before that charge fails. See Track collection.

Ask families to add a card#

A card request campaign emails and texts families a link to the portal page where they add a card or bank account, then reminds anyone who still hasn't.

1. On Payment methods, select Start campaign in the Card request card.
2. Audience: the campaign goes to every active family with no card or bank account. If you've imported families, you can Limit to an import. The list is fixed when the campaign starts.
3. Channels: tick Email, SMS or both.
4. Reminders: keep or change the reminder days. You can have up to 5, each 1 to 60 days after the start. Reminders only go to families still missing a payment method.
5. Message: use the default message, write your own, or use Draft with Scout. The message must keep the {{link}} placeholder, which becomes the link to the portal page.
6. Check the Recipients summary, select Review and start, then confirm.

These go out as marketing messages, so parents need to have opted in on that channel, and quiet hours and unsubscribes are respected.

To end it early, select Stop campaign. No more reminders go out, and families can still add a payment method in the portal.

Only owners and admins can start or stop campaigns. Only one campaign can run at a time.

Add a card for one family#

To add a card for one family, for example over the phone, open their profile from Students and use Saved payment methods. You can also Make default or Remove a method there. See How autopay works.