The number one goal for brightwheel’s billing platform is to help you get paid on time every time.
An important step in accepting online payments is ensuring that payment settings are properly adjusted - giving you maximum control over your billing process.
Choose accepted payment methods
Turn card payments on/off
Brightwheel allows payers to pay via credit and debit cards. This setting is disabled by default, but you can turn it on if you would like to accept credit card and debit card payments. The accepted credit card brands are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club, and China UnionPay.
Log in on the web
Click Billing from the sidebar
Select the Billing Settings tab
In the 'Payment options' tile, manage the 'Accept card payments' setting to toggle ON/OFF as needed
💡 We recommend turning this setting on if you currently accept card payments in your center or if you would like families to have the option to pay using credit cards, debit cards, or FSA cards online.
Choose autopay settings
Require autopay
To ensure on-time payments, we recommend requiring payers to enroll in autopay. This setting is turned on by default for new schools and guarantees that on the invoice due date, the payer will be charged automatically for the full balance due, including any past due balance.
Log in on the web
Click Billing from the sidebar
Select the Billing Settings tab
In the 'Autopay settings' tile, turn ON the setting 'Make autopay required at your school'
ℹ️ How will autopay appear for families? When autopay is mandatory, payers will be prompted to enroll while adding a new payment method. They cannot disable autopay once enrolled.
Customize autopay for individual payers
You can customize autopay settings for specific payers. If autopay is not required for all families, you can make it mandatory for select payers. This can be especially helpful for families who tend to make late payments. Similarly, you can exempt certain families from autopay if it's required for others.
Log in on the web
Click Billing from the sidebar
Select the Billing Settings tab
Under 'Autopay settings,' click Manage next to the 'Customize individual payer autopay settings'
Select or deselect the desired students
When finished, click Save
Turn off mandatory autopay
Log in on the web
From the sidebar, click Billing
Select the Billing Settings tab
In the 'Autopay settings' tile, manage the 'Make autopay required at your school' setting to toggle OFF
Determine who pays processing fees
You can choose whether your organization or families pays processing fees for credit card and direct bank transfer payments. If you pass fees to payers, they will be charged processing fees for all payments (including autopay) when paying an invoice.
Take the steps below to pass fees, or choose to pay fees yourself.
Log in on the web
Click Billing from the sidebar
Select the Billing Settings tab
In the 'Processing Fees' tile, manage the available settings to turn ON or OFF as needed
Pass card processing fee to payers - Turn ON to pass credit card fees to payers, turn OFF to cover them yourself
Pass ACH or AFT bank transfer processing fees to payers - Turn ON to pass ACH/AFT fees to payers, turn OFF to cover them yourself
FAQs
Should families or my organization pay processing fees?
Should families or my organization pay processing fees?
Should families or my organization pay processing fees?
Some state restrictions may apply to your ability to charge customers for processing fees. It is your responsibility to determine if you can pass these fees to the payer. We recommend reviewing applicable regulations before enabling these settings.
If you do pass processing fees to payers, it is highly recommended that you communicate with your families that there may be fees associated with their selected method of payment. Fees will apply to all online payments, including autopay.
Set late payment fees
You can optionally set up a late payment fee policy to determine how your program will charge families for past-due invoices. This setting must be enabled if you wish to add late payment fees to invoices.
Log in on the web
Click Billing from the sidebar
Select the Billing Settings tab
Scroll down to the Late Payment Fees section and enter the following information:
Dollar amount to be charged for late payments (this is a flat rate it does not accrue until the payment is paid)
Grace period of how many days past due is acceptable
How soon late fees should be due once charged
When finished, click Save
ℹ️ Applying this setting does NOT automatically charge parents. You still need to approve, process, and/or waive the final late charge. Visit Manage Late Payments to learn how.
Choose to accept online payments
Once a deposit account is added and provider information is verified, the setting Accept Online Payments is turned on automatically, allowing families to make payments right away via direct bank transfers. However, you can turn it off if you're not ready to accept payments. This gives providers full control over when they will begin accepting online payments.
💡 New programs who wish to set up charges and billing plans before accepting payments can turn off Accept Online Payments. We recommend turning it on as soon as you are ready to accept payments.
Take these steps to enable or disable online payments:
Log in on the web
Click Billing from the sidebar
Select the Billing Settings tab
In the 'Payment Options' tile, locate the 'Accept online payments' setting and toggle ON or OFF as needed
FAQs
What happens to pending payments when I turn off 'Accept Online Payments'?
What happens to pending payments when I turn off 'Accept Online Payments'?
When toggling Accept online payments to OFF, you'll have two options: 'Cancel all pending autopay payments' and 'Collect all pending autopay payments'.
If you choose to collect all pending autopayments, autopay will trigger for all upcoming scheduled recurring charges along with any posted charges. However, payers will no longer be able to make manual payments on their student's accounts.
If you choose to cancel all pending autopayments, autopay will not initiate payments.
Can I still set up billing plans and families add payment methods if I turn off 'Accept Online Payments'?
Can I still set up billing plans and families add payment methods if I turn off 'Accept Online Payments'?
Yes! If you are not ready to accept payments, you can still add charges and recurring charges will post as usual to students’ billing accounts. Payers will still be able to add and set up their payment methods but won’t be able to submit online payments. This allows your families to prepare to make payments through brightwheel as soon as they set up their accounts.
What’s Next?
Once you've finished configuring your Billing settings, it's time to invite families! 🎉
FAQs
I don't wish to accept online payments through brightwheel. Can I still use it to track outside payments?
I don't wish to accept online payments through brightwheel. Can I still use it to track outside payments?
Brightwheel saves admins time and 90% of preschools report more families pay on-time with brightwheel. However, if you do not wish to accept online payments through brightwheel and simply want to use the billing feature to log payments that are made offline, can do so free of charge.