To avoid late payments, brightwheel sends payers automatic notifications when a new invoice is posted in brightwheel, a balance is due, and when a balance becomes past due (the morning after the due date).
However, in the case that a payment is still late, you can easily apply or waive late fees when appropriate, and send reminders to families to pay any overdue bills.
Set program late policy & fees
To begin charging late fees, you must first configure your program's late policy by adding fee amounts, a grace period, and set when fees are due.
Simply click Billing from the main menu > Settings to configure. Additional steps can be found here: Set late payment fees.
Send a payment reminder
Providers can manually send a payment reminder if the a payer has yet to complete the transaction. The option to send a payment reminder will only be visible if there is a past-due balance on the account.
Log in on the web
Click Billing
Scroll down to click Unpaid Balances from the 'At a Glance' page
Next to the student to remind, click Actions > Send a reminder
How reminders appear for families
How reminders appear for families
Once a provider has sent the reminder, the payer(s) will receive a notification that prompts them to make a payment and enroll in autopay to avoid future past-due payments!
If the payer(s) have an email address and phone number on file, the reminder will be sent to their email by default. If the payer(s) only has a phone number on file, a similar reminders will be sent via SMS text message.
Charge late fees
Late payment fees aren’t automatically applied, so after setting them up, you’ll need to review and process any charges before billing families. This gives you the chance to ensure fees are correct and waive them if needed.
Follow the steps below to process late fees and bill families:
Log in on the web
Click Billing in the sidebar > At a Glance tab
Press Select an action in the top right > Add a late payment fee
Continue through the steps to select the students, then click Create charges when done
Waive late payment fees
Providers reserve the right to waive late payment fees when applicable.
Log in on the web
Click Billing in the sidebar > At a Glance tab
Press Select an action in the top right > Add a late payment fee
Use the checkboxes on the left to select the charges that should be waived
Click Waive
FAQs
Can I customize my billing reminder notifications?
Can I customize my billing reminder notifications?
Billing reminder notifications are preset and cannot be customized. If you need to include additional information, we also recommend messaging the parents privately.
How do I reverse a late payment fee I charged by mistake?
How do I reverse a late payment fee I charged by mistake?
If a late payment fee was charged by mistake, we recommend you void the nvoice from the student's billing profile.