Payment Setup Best Practices Before Going Live

Before opening registration to families, it’s important to review your billing setup carefully to help avoid payment confusion, failed charges, and support requests.

Reviewing these settings before launching registration can help:

Reduce billing confusion.
Prevent failed or incorrect charges.
Improve family registration experience.
Minimize refund requests.
Ensure subscriptions and payment plans work as expected.

1. Review Your Registration Fees

Confirm all registration fees are accurate before opening registration.

💡 Tip: Double-check one-time fees, annual fees, and enrollment charges for each activity.

2. Verify Subscription Amounts

Review all recurring subscription amounts and billing frequencies.

💡 Tip: Make sure monthly, weekly, or recurring billing schedules align with your program expectations.

3. Review Payment Plans

If using payment plans, verify installment amounts and payment schedules.

💡 Tip: Payment plans currently apply only to registration fees, not recurring subscriptions.

4. Review Activity Billing Descriptions

Ensure activity descriptions clearly explain:

Registration fees
Subscription charges
Payment schedules
Refund policies

💡 Tip: Clear billing communication helps reduce parent confusion and support requests.

6. Confirm Stripe Connection

Verify your Stripe account is fully connected and active.

💡 Tip: Incomplete Stripe onboarding may prevent activities with pricing from publishing.

7. Review Refund & Cancellation Policies

Make sure your refund and cancellation policies are updated and visible to families.

💡 Tip: Transparent policies help reduce disputes and chargebacks.

Additional Best Practices

Use Clear Naming Conventions. Use activity names that clearly distinguish:

Registration fees
Tuition
Installments
Seasonal Programs.

Avoid Making Billing Changes After Registration Opens

Once registrations have been submitted to an activity, providers should avoid making pricing or billing structure changes directly on that activity.

This includes changes such as:

Subscription pricing
Payment plans
Billing frequencies
Stripe pricing configurations

Making billing changes after registrations already exist can cause:

Billing discrepancies
Incorrect charges
Payment screen errors
Subscription syncing issues
Registration checkout problems
Reporting inconsistencies

⚠️ Always finalize and fully test your pricing configuration before opening registration to families.

💡 Tip: If pricing adjustments are needed after registrations already exist, contact the AfterSchool HQ support team before making changes so the safest approach can be reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should I test registrations before opening enrollment?

A: Yes. Test registrations are highly recommended before going live.

Q: Can payment plans apply to subscriptions?

A: No. Payment plans currently apply only to registration fees.

Q: Can coupons be tested before launch?

A: Yes. Providers should test coupons and discounts before opening registration.

Q: Should providers communicate billing expectations to families ahead of time?

A: Yes. Clear billing communication helps reduce confusion, refunds, and disputes.

Q: Can registration fees and subscriptions be combined?

A: Yes. Providers can combine registration fees with recurring subscription billing.

💡If you experience any issues or have further questions with “Payment Setup: Best Practices Before Going Live”, don't hesitate to get in touch with our support team at support@afterschoolhq.com.