Setting up an Automatic Balance Payment

If you take a deposit at the time of booking, and charge the balance due on the rental or activity a certain amount of time prior to activity/rental start date, then you can set up an auto pay option. Auto Pay will automatically charge the balance due on the order.

Is Auto Pay good for your Business?

The automatic balance payment is a great option for many reasons:

• You charge a deposit at the time of booking
• You want to reduce the amount of no-shows
• You're booking rules require the payment to be made in advance instead of at the start of the rental or activity
• You want to ensure that the balance is paid without manual entry

Auto Pay Set Up

If you've decided that this feature will work great with your business, then setup is simple.

• In your account, go to Settings - Payments
• In the Auto Pay section, check the box
• Add the number of days prior to the rental/activity that you want to charge the balance
• Save your changes

How Auto Pay Works

Once auto pay is enabled, then based on the number of days entered (e.g. charge the balance 7 days prior to rental/activity), the system will automatically charge the balance due on an order based on the auto pay rule. Here's the process:

1. When the customer books online (or if the booking is made through the platform), and it is outside of the auto pay rule (i.e. more than 7 days in advance), then the system will charge the deposit payment at the time of booking.
2. After the booking is made, when viewed through the system, the Order Summary will show the auto pay scheduled date.
3. On that date, the system will automatically charge the amount due from the Balance line item on the Order Summary.
4. A receipt email will be sent to the customer once the balance payment has been made.

Deposit Due at the time of booking (Auto Pay Rule is enabled)

Order Summary will show Auto Pay scheduled date

Receipt Email will send automatically once the auto-pay charges the balance

Auto-Pay Rules

• If the booking is made outside of the auto pay settings, it will be setup to automatically charge to the card on file on the scheduled auto pay date.
• If the booking is made within the auto pay settings, the system will charge the full amount of the rental or activity at the time of booking.
• Auto pay can be turned off on an order as needed by selecting Change on AutoPay, and uncheck the setting. Doing so means that the user will have to manually charge the balance due on that order.
• A disabled Auto Pay can be re-enabled on an order as long as it is still outside of the auto pay day settings.
• Auto-Pay will allow for one balance payment only. Multiple payments are not possible.
• The time when the automatic payment is made is determined by the system. It typically occurs early in the day (i.e. before 8:00 AM) on the scheduled date. It is not possible to set a custom time.
• Your payment rules should be outlined to the customer from the Terms & Agreements section of the checkout, so they are aware of the payment schedule. 
• Your Receipt email should be activated in order for the customer to receive an automated notification once the system charges the balance due.

Uncheck Auto-Pay to disable it on any order

Add Payment Schedule to your Terms & Agreements

Related Articles:

Setting up a Deposit Rule

Sending Receipts to Customers

Creating Terms & Agreements