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How to set up payment plans for a program offering

  • Updated

To let families pay a registration fee in installments, set the program's Multiple Payments to Payment Plans on 1 Setup, then add a plan to each offering with Payment Plan Setup on 2 Configuration. A family who chooses the plan pays the 1st payment by card at checkout, and the same card is charged automatically for each remaining payment on its date.

Applies to: Org admins · Enhanced, Elite and Enterprise plans · Registration programs paid by credit card

Where: Programs > Manage Programs > (program) > 1 Setup > Multiple Payments, then 2 Configuration > Payment Plan Setup

Before you start

  • Plan and setup: payment plans are part of the Enhanced, Elite and Enterprise plans. Your admin role needs the payment plan permission, and your card payment gateway must allow recurring payments. If Payment Plans isn't in the Multiple Payments list, see the article Why isn't the payment plan option showing? (plan and setup checks). If your organization is on an older package, contact TeamSideline Support.
  • One choice per program: Multiple Payments offers None, Partial Pay or Payment Plans, so a program uses Partial Pay or payment plans, not both.
  • Card only: an order that includes a payment plan is paid by credit card, even if your site also takes checks or other payment types.
  • One plan per offering: you set up each offering separately, and families choose between its plan and the full cost. To offer a choice of plans, such as two or three payments, create an offering for each plan. An offering without a plan is paid in full at checkout.

Turn on payment plans for the program

  1. Go to Programs > Manage Programs and open the program.
  2. Click 1 Setup and scroll to General Settings.
  3. In Multiple Payments, choose Payment Plans.
  4. Click Save.

What you'll see: "Program has been saved." The program's 2 Configuration page now has a Payment Plan Setup button next to Add Offering in the Offerings section. On a Team Registration plus Roster program, the button is on 2a Team Configuration for team fees and on 2b Roster Configuration for player fees.

Add a payment plan to an offering

  1. Click 2 Configuration, then Payment Plan Setup.
  2. Under Step 1: Select Offering, choose the Offering. For a camp, also choose the Session(s).
  3. Under Add Payment Plan, choose the Total # of Payments, from 2 to 52, counting the payment made at registration.
  4. Enter the 1st Payment: the amount the family pays at registration, at least $5.
  5. Choose the Frequency: Weekly, Every 2 Weeks, Every 3 Weeks, Monthly or Custom (you set each payment's date).
  6. Click Add. A table lists the payments: payment 1 is marked "(At Registration)", and the rest of the fee is split evenly over the other payments, with any rounding difference on the last one.
  7. Check the Early, Regular and Late columns. Early and Late appear only when the offering has those registration periods. Each column must add up to the offering's fee for that period; change any amount if you want uneven payments.
  8. For Custom, enter a Payment Date for every payment after the first. The table starts them one month apart from today, so replace them with your dates and check the year.
  9. Click Save.
  10. Repeat for each offering that should offer a plan.

What you'll see: "Payment plan updated for this offering. Existing Customer payment plans will remain active using previous payment plan options." The first column's heading shows the frequency, for example "Payment Number (Monthly)".

What families see

  • When they choose the offering, a required Payment Options list offers "1st Payment of $(amount)" or "Full Cost of $(amount)" ("Payment Plan" or "Full Cost" for camps). If they skip it, they see "Please select a Payment Option."
  • The cart notes "***Payment Plan: 1st Payment of $(amount) required on checkout only."
  • At checkout they pay the 1st payment, plus anything else in the cart such as add-ons, by credit card.
  • The remaining payments are charged to that card on their dates. Weekly, Every 2 Weeks, Every 3 Weeks and Monthly dates count from the day the family registers, so late registrants finish later. Custom uses your dates for everyone.
  • Families see their schedule, and can change the card for upcoming payments, under My Account > Payment Plans.

Change or remove an offering's plan

  • Change amounts or Custom dates: open Payment Plan Setup, choose the offering, edit the table and click Save.
  • Change the Total # of Payments or the Frequency: click Delete, click OK on "Are you sure you want to delete this Payment Plan for this offering?", then add the plan again.
  • Stop offering a plan: click Delete. You'll see "Payment plan deleted for this offering. Customer payment plans using this option will remain active." A plan has no end date, so to stop new sign-ups on a certain day, delete it that day.

Changes and deletions apply only to families who register afterward. Families already on a plan keep the schedule they signed up for; to change or cancel one family's payments, see the related articles below.

If it doesn't work

  • Payment Plans isn't in the Multiple Payments list. Your plan, your admin role or your payment gateway doesn't include payment plans, the program uses Tiered Pricing, or it's a Team Registration plus Roster program with Variable Pricing. See Why isn't the payment plan option showing? (plan and setup checks).
  • Multiple Payments is grayed out at Payment Plans. Offerings already have payment plans. Delete them in Payment Plan Setup before you change the setting.
  • Multiple Payments is grayed out at None. Req Payment Type is Check. Choose Not Applicable or Credit Card.
  • There's no Payment Plan Setup button on 2 Configuration. Multiple Payments isn't saved as Payment Plans on 1 Setup.
  • "Regular Payment Plan Option payment total does not equal regular offering cost." (or the Early or Late version) The payments in that column don't add up to the fee for that registration period. Change the amounts and click Save again.
  • "Missing Payment Date." A Custom plan needs a date for every payment after the first.
  • "Total # of Payments selection is required." or "Frequency selection is required." Choose both before you click Add.
  • Families don't see Payment Options. The plan's payments for the current registration period no longer add up to the offering's fee (for example, after you changed the fee), every Custom date has passed, the offering is free, or it's a volunteer or sponsorship registration. Fix the amounts or dates in Payment Plan Setup and click Save.
  • Families are asked to pay more than the 1st Payment at registration. A Custom payment date has already passed, often because of a wrong year. Every payment dated on or before the day the family registers is added to the first one, and the cart says "***Payment Plan: (number) Payments totaling $(amount) required on checkout only." Correct the dates and click Save. Families who already registered keep their schedule: they don't pay more in total, only sooner.

Good to know

  • Admin Place Order doesn't offer payment plans. To spread a balance a family already owes, use Add Payment Plan on their Account Overview; see How to Setup Payment Plan on Customer's Account.
  • A coupon used at registration comes off the last payments, so the plan ends sooner. A scheduled payment is never more than the account balance, and the plan stops itself when the registration is canceled or paid off. Payment Plan FAQs covers reminders, failed payments and retries.
  • To get copies of payment plan decline emails, enter addresses in Payment Plan Copy To on Programs > Configurations > General. Those addresses also receive membership auto-renewal failure emails.
  • Partial Pay is the other Multiple Payments choice: families pay a deposit at checkout and the rest later, with no automatic charges.

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