Payment plans give your firm a structured, automated way to collect an outstanding balance without manual follow-up each cycle. You schedule recurring card or Pay by Bank charges against a client's payment method toward a balance, a client funds account, or ongoing services. The plan charges automatically until the balance is paid or you stop it, and both you and the client receive email updates.
Important: Only administrators and users with billing permissions can create, edit, and delete payment plans. Plans are set up by the firm, not by the client. Firms in the UK and Ireland can accept credit card or Pay by Bank payments on a plan.
Understand payment plan terms
These terms control how a plan applies each payment and when it stops.
- A plan toward an outstanding balance pays the invoice with the oldest due date first. When two invoices share a due date, the invoice created first is paid first. The payment order is fixed.
- When the remaining balance on an invoice is less than the scheduled amount, the plan charges only the remaining amount.
- A plan toward an outstanding balance continues until all due invoices are fully paid, even when a payment fails or is voided, or until you stop it. An ongoing plan continues until you stop it.
- Client funds payment plans stay at the client level, not the matter level.
- You and the client receive an email when a payment processes or fails. For a balance plan, the confirmation email lists the remaining balance.
- Automated invoice reminders pause while a client has an active plan and resume when it stops.
Note: When a payment fails because of invalid card details or an expired or cancelled card, complete the steps under Stop a payment plan and Create a payment plan with a valid method, or Edit a payment plan after the client saves a new payment method.
Create a payment plan
You can create a plan from the Online payments page once the client has a stored payment method.
Tip: Confirm the client has a stored payment method first. Learn how in Request and Store Payment Methods.
- Go to Manage > Online payments and click New payment plan.
- Add the contact, the bank account for deposit, the amount per payment, the start date, the payment frequency, and the Repeat until condition.
- For Repeat until, select one option.
- Total payment amount reached: End the plan once a set total is reached. Set a fixed amount, or apply the plan to the entire outstanding balance, which updates as amounts are paid or invoices are added.
- Ongoing: Continue the plan until you stop it.
- Click Next step.
- Confirm the payment plan details and click Create payment plan.
Edit a payment plan
You can edit a plan to change its amount, schedule, or payment method.
Note: To change the payment method, first request a new method from the client. After the client saves it, edit the plan and select the new method. The next payment uses the new method.
- Go to Manage > Online payments.
- Select the Payment Plans tab.
- Find the plan and click Edit.
- Make your changes.
- Click Save payment plan.
Stop a payment plan
A plan ends automatically when the entire overdue balance is paid, and the client receives no email. You can also stop a plan at any time. When you stop a plan, the client receives an email, and any paused invoice reminders resume.
Note: An inactive plan stays inactive when a new invoice is generated. Create a new plan for a new balance.
- Go to Manage > Online payments.
- Select the Payment Plans tab.
- Click the down arrow next to Edit and select Stop.
- In the Stop payment plan window, click Stop.
Up next
Record and Manage Online Bill Payments: Record and reconcile client invoice payments in Clio Manage.