Activity Billing & Pricing: Your Quick Reference Guide

Choosing the right billing structure is an important part of setting up an activity in AfterSchool HQ. Whether your organization charges a one-time registration fee, offers recurring subscriptions, bills based on attendance, or provides discounts and scholarships, understanding your options can help you create a smoother payment experience for families.

This guide serves as a quick reference to help you explore the available billing features and find the appropriate setup instructions.

 

1. Free Activities

Best for: Programs that do not require families to pay to participate.

If your organization offers a free activity, you can configure it without requiring an activity fee.

This is commonly used for community programs, free enrichment opportunities, and other no-cost activities.

 

2. Registration Fees

Best for: Programs that charge a fee when a participant registers.

Registration fees allow organizations to establish a cost associated with joining an activity.

Before configuring a registration fee, review whether your program also requires additional payments and confirm that the intended billing combination is supported.

 

3. Registration Payment Plans

Best for: Programs that need a structured payment arrangement for registration-related charges.

Registration payment plans provide an option for organizing eligible payments according to a configured plan.

This can be useful when your organization's registration pricing should not be collected as a single upfront payment.

 

4. Subscription Billing

Best for: Ongoing programs that collect payments on a recurring basis.

Subscription billing allows organizations to configure recurring payment arrangements for activities.

This option may be appropriate for programs that charge families regularly throughout their participation.

Before setting up a subscription, review the billing schedule and any additional payment requirements.

 

5. Attendance-Based Billing

Best for: Programs that charge families based on student attendance.

Attendance-based billing allows organizations to calculate charges using recorded attendance and the billing rules configured for the activity.

This option can be useful when the amount owed depends on participation rather than a fixed recurring charge.

Accurate attendance records are particularly important when using this billing method.

💡 Tip: Review your attendance tracking procedures before enabling attendance-based billing to help ensure that charges reflect the appropriate participation records.

 

6. Coupons for Discounts and Scholarships

Best for: Organizations offering reduced fees to eligible families.

Coupons can help organizations provide discounts for qualifying participants, including scholarship recipients or families eligible for special pricing.

Before sharing a coupon, confirm that its configuration matches the intended discount.

 

7. Coupons for Subscriptions

Best for: Programs that need to apply eligible discounts to subscription billing.

Subscription discounts have their own setup considerations. Review the dedicated instructions before configuring a coupon for recurring payments.

 

8. Donations

Best for: Organizations that want to collect contributions in support of their programs.

AfterSchool HQ provides a donation collection workflow for organizations that want to receive contributions.

 

9. Track Payments Received Outside AfterSchool HQ

If your organization receives payments through an external method, you can use the available manual payment tracking workflow to record those payments.

This can help your team maintain more complete payment records.

 

10. Process Refunds

If your organization needs to refund a payment, follow the appropriate refund workflow.

 

11. Which Billing Option Should I Choose?

Billing Option	What It's Used For
Free Activity	Programs that do not charge a participation fee.
Registration Fee	Collecting a fee associated with registering for an activity.
Registration Payment Plan	Allowing families to pay registration-related charges through a structured payment arrangement.
Subscription Billing	Collecting recurring payments for ongoing programs.
Attendance-Based Billing	Charging families based on recorded attendance and configured billing rules.
Coupons & Scholarships	Providing eligible families with discounts or reduced pricing.
Donations	Collecting contributions to support your organization's programs.
Manual Payment Tracking	Recording payments received outside AfterSchool HQ.

Your Program's Needs	Start Here
Families participate for free	Free Activity
Families pay a registration charge	Registration Fee
Families need a structured registration payment arrangement	Registration Payment Plan
Families are charged on a recurring basis	Subscription Billing
Charges depend on student attendance	Attendance-Based Billing
Some families qualify for reduced pricing	Coupons & Scholarships
Subscription participants qualify for discounts	Coupons for Subscriptions
Your organization wants to collect contributions	Donations
Your organization receives payments outside the platform	Manual Payment Tracking

 

💡 Important: This table is intended to help you identify which billing option to explore. It does not mean that all options can be combined within the same activity.

Before configuring multiple billing features, review Supported Billing & Payment Setup Combinations.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I create an activity without charging families?
A: Yes. You can configure a free activity if your program does not require payment.

Q: What is the difference between a registration payment plan and a subscription?
A: A registration payment plan is used for a structured arrangement of registration-related payments, while a subscription is intended for recurring billing. Review the dedicated setup articles to determine which option fits your program.

Q: What is attendance-based billing?
A: Attendance-based billing calculates charges using recorded attendance and the billing rules configured for the activity.

Q: Can I combine different billing options?
A: Some billing combinations may be supported, while others may not. Review the Supported Billing & Payment Setup Combinations article before configuring multiple payment features.

Q: Can I offer scholarships or discounted pricing?
A: Yes. Coupons can be used to provide eligible families with discounts or reduced pricing.

Q: Can I apply coupons to subscriptions?
A: AfterSchool HQ provides a dedicated workflow for subscription coupons. Refer to How to Use Coupons for Subscriptions for instructions.

Q: Can I record payments collected outside AfterSchool HQ?
A: Yes. The manual payment tracking workflow allows organizations to record applicable payments received outside the platform.

Q: Can I refund a payment?
A: AfterSchool HQ provides a refund workflow. Refer to How to Process a Refund for the applicable instructions.

Q: Can I change my billing structure after creating an activity?
A: Certain pricing and billing configurations cannot be changed after setup. Review your settings and the payment setup best practices before finalizing your activity.

Q: Where should I start if I'm unsure which payment setup to use?
A: Start with Payment Setup Best Practices Before Going Live and Supported Billing & Payment Setup Combinations. These resources can help you evaluate your intended billing configuration before proceeding.

 

💡If you experience any issues or have further questions with “Activity Billing & Pricing: Your Quick Reference Guide”, don't hesitate to get in touch with our support team at support@afterschoolhq.com.