Auto Payments for Recurring Invoices

Running a childcare center means predictable monthly tuition, registration fees, and activity charges. Auto Payments let you charge families automatically on each invoice due date, so you can spend less time chasing payments and more time caring for children.

This article shows you how Auto Payments work, which card options to choose, what happens when payments fail, and how to manage settings in your recurring invoice templates.

What Are Auto Payments?

Auto Payments automatically charge a family's saved card whenever a recurring invoice becomes due. Instead of waiting for parents to remember to pay each month, Enrollio processes the charge on schedule using the card you select.

You can set Auto Payments to use one of three card types. Each option affects when automatic charging begins:

Customer Card

Uses the card the family first uses to pay any invoice in the schedule. Auto-Pay begins on the next occurrence after that first successful payment.

Example: If a parent pays the 4th invoice manually, auto-pay starts with the 5th invoice (if scheduled).

Saved Card

Uses a card already on file in the family's profile. Auto-charging starts from the first occurrence in the schedule—no initial manual payment required.

New Card

Add a new card while creating or editing the schedule. The card is saved for future use, and Auto-Pay begins from the first occurrence after saving the card.

Note: A small authorization may occur when the card is added to verify it's valid.

💡 Pro Tip: Manage cards on file by opening the family record → Payments → Cards on File. For security, only the last four digits and expiry date are visible.

Why Use Auto Payments?

Auto Payments help you run a more efficient childcare business:

• Faster collections: Charges process automatically on the due date—no more waiting for checks or manual card entry
• Less admin work: Fewer follow-ups, reminders, and manual reconciliations each billing cycle
• Predictable cash flow: More consistent revenue timing across billing cycles
• Flexible card control: Choose Customer Card, Saved Card, or enter a New Card at setup
• Better parent experience: Optional reminders and payment confirmations keep families informed

How Auto-Pay Works

Auto-Pay timing depends on whether you're adding it to an existing recurring schedule or creating a brand new one.

Turning On Auto-Pay for an Existing Schedule

When you enable Auto-Pay on a schedule that's already running, the next invoice in the sequence must be paid manually once. After that payment succeeds, all future invoices charge automatically using the selected card.

Important: You cannot modify the date of invoices already created. For example, if an invoice was created for December 1st, you can't change it to December 3rd.

Creating a New Schedule with Auto-Pay

• If a Saved Card exists: The first invoice auto-charges, and all future invoices auto-charge.
• If no Saved Card exists: The first invoice must be paid manually. After that payment, the card is saved and future invoices auto-charge.

Quick Reference Chart

Scenario	First Invoice	Future Invoices	Notes
Auto-Pay turned ON for existing schedule	Manual	Auto	Manual payment captures the card for future auto-charges
New schedule + Saved Card on file	Auto	Auto	Starts charging immediately on the first occurrence
New schedule + No Saved Card	Manual	Auto	Parent's first successful payment stores the card for future auto-charges

Notifications and Reminders

Keep your team and families informed with automatic reminders, success alerts, and failure notifications.

Parents Receive:

• Optional upcoming-charge reminders (based on your reminder settings)
• Payment success notifications
• Payment failure notifications

Your Team Receives:

• Payment success alerts
• Payment failure alerts
• Notice if an invoice was edited before its auto-charge (that invoice's auto-pay pauses)

💡 Pro Tip: Customize your invoice notification templates to match your brand and communication style. You can set up multiple reminder touchpoints from your invoice settings.

Failed Payments and Retries

If an auto-payment fails, both the parent and your team are notified immediately.

What Happens Next:

The parent can pay manually using either:

• The same card (if it was a temporary issue)
• A new card (which becomes the default for future auto-pay in this schedule)

Enrollio automatically makes two additional retry attempts, 24 hours apart.

If payment still fails after all retry attempts:

• No further automatic attempts occur for that invoice
• The invoice must be paid manually
• Future invoices in the schedule continue as normal (using the saved card)

Editing Schedules and Auto-Charge Pauses

Certain edits to a scheduled invoice will pause its auto-charge to prevent unintended charges.

Important: Editing a generated invoice before its charge date will pause auto-payment for that invoice only. Future occurrences continue to auto-charge unless you edit them too.

When auto-pay is enabled on an edited recurring invoice, Enrollio sends an email notification about the auto-payment change.

To resume charging, verify the invoice details are correct and let the schedule proceed normally.

How to Set Up Auto Payments

Follow these steps to turn Auto-Pay on or off from your recurring invoice builder.

Enable Auto-Pay on an Existing Schedule

1. Go to your recurring invoices list
   Navigate to Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring Invoices
2. Open the schedule
   Click any row in the list to edit that schedule, or click New → New Recurring Invoice to create a new one
3. Open Auto-Pay controls
   In the editor, click the ⋮ (three dots) menu in the top-right corner, then choose Manage Auto Payment
4. Turn on Auto-Pay and choose the card
   Toggle Enable autopayment ON, then select Customer Card, Saved Card, or New Card
5. Save your changes
   Click Save

 

Disable Auto-Pay for Future Invoices

1. Open the schedule
   Navigate to the recurring invoice you want to update
2. Open Auto-Pay settings
   Click the ⋮ menu → Manage Auto Payment
3. Turn Auto-Pay off
   Toggle Enable autopayment OFF, then click Save

Auto-Pay will stop beginning with the next invoice occurrence. Any invoices already charged won't be affected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find the "Manage Auto Payment" option?

Open any recurring invoice, click the ⋮ menu in the top-right corner, then choose Manage Auto Payment. From there you can enable, disable, or choose the card source.

Does the first invoice always auto-charge?

Not always. If no card is on file when you create the schedule, the first invoice must be paid manually. Future invoices auto-charge after that successful payment. With a Saved Card already on file, the first invoice auto-charges.

Which payment methods work with Auto-Pay?

Auto-Pay works with card payments only. Manual methods like cash or bank transfer cannot be auto-charged.

What happens if a card is declined?

Enrollio notifies both the parent and your team, then automatically retries twice (24 hours apart). After that, automatic attempts stop and you'll need to collect payment manually or ask the parent to update their card.

Can I change the card used for future auto-charges?

Yes. Add or select a different card from the family's profile under Payments → Cards on File. The next auto-charge will use the updated card.

Do edits to an invoice stop auto-charging?

Edits to a specific invoice will pause auto-payment for that invoice only. Future invoices in the schedule continue to auto-charge unless you edit them individually.

Need Help? Contact our support team if you have questions about setting up Auto Payments for your childcare center. We're here to help you get paid on time, every time.