Taking Payments
OnTrack provides the flexibility to make various types of payments towards outstanding balances.
We utilize relationships to determine the balances that a constituent is responsible for. For instance, a parent might have an outstanding line item on their individual record as well as any outstanding line items for their children.
Relationships
As previously mentioned, we rely on predefined relationships to determine the responsibility for open line items. Let's consider a two-person household with Molly and Ben:
Molly
Participant
2 open line items
Is child of Ben
Ben
Parent
1 open line item
Is parent of Molly
If we were to view Ben's record, we would see a balance due for three open line items. However, if we accessed Molly's record, we would only see the two open line items.
The predefined relationships we use to establish responsibility include:
Is Guardian Of
Is Foster Parent Of
Is Parent Of
Is Step Parent Of
Line Items & Invoices
As constituents accumulate fees, these charges are recorded on their open invoice. This invoice operates discreetly in the background and is primarily responsible for managing line items. When payments are made to settle these open line items, they are then moved to a paid invoice, which essentially functions as a receipt for the constituent.
It's important to note that a line item can be partially paid. Consequently, the original line item on the open invoice will exhibit a remaining balance as payments are applied to it. Once this balance is entirely covered, the line item is removed from the open invoice.
Making Payments
When dealing with a constituent who has an outstanding balance, locate the constituent in the Constituent Module, select them and scroll down on the profile to find the "Balance Due" section.
Please note that if there is no balance due for that constituent, the "Make Payment" button will not be displayed.
You can review the open line items for the selected constituent. To see more details, simply click on any line item. From there, you can select the line items you want to pay for today. On the next screen, you will be able to enter the amount you wish to pay.
At the top, specify the amount you wish to pay today. The payment amount must be greater than zero and less than the total amount of the selected line item. Finally, you can choose the payment method you'd like to use.
Payment Methods
There are five payment types: Credit Card, Cash, Check, Gratis and Alternate.
Credit Card Payment
Please ensure you have set up your Stripe account before proceeding with credit card payments.
To process a credit card payment, complete all the required fields. If you wish to save the card details to the constituent's record for future use, leave the corresponding box checked.
Alternatively, if you have a credit card processor and would like to swipe the card, select "Click To Swipe" when prompted. Once it reads "Swipe Credit Card Now," physically swipe the card.
Check & Cash Payment
To process a payment using cash or a check, simply select the corresponding option from the payment method choices.
Cash: Record the amount of cash you received in the provided field. You can also enter an optional memo.
Check: Enter the details of the check, including the check number, the bank it's drawn from, and any relevant notes or comments.
Once you've filled in the required information, you can proceed with the payment.
Gratis & Alternate Payments
You can also record scholarships, discounts, or any other special considerations by selecting "Gratis."
Similarly, if the payment was collected via an alternative method that isn't covered by the predefined options, you can record it under "Alternate."
Please be aware that the open memo fields are open-text, so it's advisable to maintain an internal reference system to keep track of these payments, similar to how you manage tags.
Completing Payment
If you choose to pay less than the total amount due today, the selected line items will be split based on the percentage of the total amount due for each line item.
Once you have selected the open line items, specified the amount you are paying today, chosen the payment method, and confirmed all the information, make sure to review everything before clicking on "Process Payment." This step ensures that all the details are accurate before finalizing the payment.
Discounting Line Items
You have the option to review a line item or apply a discount to it by clicking directly on the line item.
Test Credit Card
If you wish to test the payment process, you can use the following test card details. Please note that this will simulate a regular transaction within OnTrack but will exclude actual processing on Stripe.
Card Number: 7777 4242 4242 4242
CVV: Any 3-digit number
Expiration: Any valid date
Zip code: Any
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