(SM-2) Sending Payment Messages

In this lesson we will look at how to send all payment related messages - both payment due type messages for invoices, and the Payment Received message for payments.

As in the previous lesson, you are best to learn about these functions by working in TEST mode with an activity which has a small number of test mode attendees added.

The Bookings - Payments Area

The main place for working with payment related messages is the Bookings - Payments area.

• Go to Bookings - Payments

Here you can see each booking that has been made.

Manually Sending the Payment Due Message

A payment is considered to be due when the payment date is five days or less from the current date. When this is the case, the Status column will show "Due".

At this time, to manually send a payment reminder message:

• Click on the [Send Reminder] button in the Payment Reminder column.

When the message has been sent, the [Check (date)] icon will appear, showing when the message was sent. If it has been sent more than once, it will show the date it was last sent.

If someone booked in the last few days and are due to pay by a non-card method, they will have been sent the "Payment Due" message at the time of booking... in this case you should only send them the Payment Due several days later if it is clear they have not paid.

Non Attendance Invoices

If you have an invoice which is not related to an activity booking, you can send the payment due message from the invoice window.

• Find and open the invoice

• Go to the Send Messages tab

• Click on [Send Payment Reminder Email]

Manually Sending the Payment Overdue Message

If a booking or invoice is overdue, there is a separate message defined for each activity called Payment Overdue. This is designed to explain that the payment is now overdue, and to ask for payment to be made right away.

To send the Payment Overdue message from Bookings - Payments

• Click on [... more]

• Click on [Send Payment Overdue Email]

(This option only becomes available after the due date has passed).

To send the Payment Overdue message for a non-activity invoice

• Find the invoice

• Open it on the Send Messages tab

• Click on [Send Payment Overdue Email]

Sending of the Payment Received Message

This message is sent in these situations:

1. When a client books onto an activity and pays by card

2. When a client makes a subsequent card payment for an invoice using the card payment link that appears in the Payment Due, Payment Reminder or Payment Overdue messages

3. When you record a payment manually within the app, as described in lesson MF-3.

Viewing Messages Sent

You can view the messages you have sent:

• Go to Messages - Messages Sent

By default, with the search fields clear, the list will show the most recent messages sent.

To see the delivery status and contents of a message:

• Click on the message name in the list on the left.

The details will appear on the right.

Summary

What we have discussed here is the manual sending of Payment Due messages. We have looked at how to use the Bookings - Payments area to see which payments are due, and to manually send each reminder message. To work in this way you need to look through your activities each day to find the ones with payments due and send each message individually.

There is also a complete system you can use for having the messages sent automatically... and that is the topic of the next lesson!