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Get started paying in brightwheel (for payers)

[For Guardians] Learn the basics of brightwheel Billing and how to get set up to pay your child's tuition

Sabrina avatar
Written by Sabrina
Updated over a week ago

Managing your child’s tuition and payments is easy with brightwheel!

This guide helps guardians and student contacts navigate brightwheel Billing and get set up by adding a payment method and making their first payment.


Start by adding a payment method

Parent contacts and additional payers (like Family or Approved Pickups) can add a payment method in their brightwheel account on the web or app.

We recommend doing this early to be ready for your first bill. To add a payment method, go to the Payments tab on the brightwheel web or mobile app, then select Payment Settings > Add payment method.

ℹ️ For step-by-step instructions and accepted payment types, visit our article Add a payment method.


Make your first payment

Paying is easy to do right from your account on the web or in the app.

To make your first payment, go to the Payments page on the brightwheel web or mobile app, then click Make a Payment.

ℹ️ For step-by-step instructions on making a payment, visit our article Make a payment.


Familiarize yourself with brightwheel

Here are some resources to help you you confidently explore your billing account and find what you need.

🎥 Video tutorial

📄 Written walkthrough

To begin, log in to brightwheel on the web or mobile app, then click Payments > Accounts.

Switching between students

If you’re linked to more than one child at a brightwheel program, you can view each child’s billing info individually. From the Accounts page, simply click on each student name to view their balances and invoices.

View your current balance

You can view your current balance owed from the 'My current balance' box. This includes any unpaid invoices minus any available credits or overpayments.

You can see what is owed for individual children, or for all children if you have multiple.

Review invoices

Head to the Invoices tab to see all of your child’s invoices—both open (unpaid) and closed (fully paid). Each invoice includes a breakdown of charges.

Note: If you’re paying outside of brightwheel (like with cash, check, or Zelle), this is the best place to confirm how much you owe.

Track your payments & credits

The Payments Credits tab gives you a full history of payments made and any credits on your account.

Access historical statements

The Statements tab shows monthly summaries for your child’s account. Each includes all transactions, invoices, charges, and adjustments for that month. brightwheel also auto-generates these monthly and sends them via email.


How taxes & reimbursement work

Payers can access financial reports for tax or reimbursement right in brightwheel.

Individual invoices or statements can be printed, which include the important information like the program EIN, charge details, and dates of service.

Payment history can also be exported and will include the following information: payment method, amount, date, and status; payer name; amount applied to invoice(s); invoice number(s); charges; and any dates of service that the provider added.

ℹ️ To export payment history, see the Student Transaction Summary for a quick video and steps.

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