Advanced Stripe Integration
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      1. AHQ Help Center
      2. Advanced Stripe Integration

      Getting Started with the Advanced Stripe Integration

      This guide is for organizations using AfterSchool HQ to manage their programs, classes, and activities, while managing all payments directly through our Advanced Stripe Feature.

      To accept online payments in AfterSchool HQ, you'll need a Stripe account. You can either create a new account or use an existing one.

      1. Sign Up for Stripe

      • Sign Up for a Stripe Account  or Login to your existing account.

        • During setup, Provide business details like your legal name, business address, and bank account info.

        • Stripe may ask for additional documents (e.g., government-issued ID, tax information) to verify your organization.

      • Once your account is verified and active, you’ll be ready to start creating products and accepting payments.

      💡 Tip: Add the URL to your AfterSchool HQ portal or your organization’s website so Stripe knows where your payments come from.

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      2. Connecting Your Stripe Account to AfterSchool HQ 

      Once your Stripe account is active:

      • Login to your AfterSchool HQ organization dashboard.

      • Go to Accounting > Stripe Dashboard.

      • Click Connect Stripe and follow the on-screen instructions.

      💡 Tip: Only one Stripe account can be connected to your AfterSchool HQ organization. Make sure it's the right one before you link it.

      3. Managing Your Stripe Account

      1. Updating Business or Bank Info

      • Log in to your Stripe Dashboard.

      • Navigate to Settings > Business Settings to update legal info, email, or bank account details.

      💡 Tip: Update your info right in your Stripe dashboard anytime your organization changes names, bank accounts, or email addresses.

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      2. Resetting Your Password or 2FA Issues

      • You can reset your password here.

      • If you're locked out due to two-step authentication, follow Stripe’s 2FA recovery guide.

      💡 Tip: Lost access to your Stripe account? Use Stripe’s password reset or 2FA recovery steps right away. It’s best to set up a backup authentication method (like SMS or an authenticator app) to avoid getting locked out in the future.

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      4. Payments and Payouts

      Once your Stripe account is set up, you can start collecting payments and receiving payouts directly to your bank account.

      1. How to Create a Product and Set Up Pricing Options in Stripe

      • Log in to your Stripe Dashboard

      • Navigate to the Products page.

      • Click the + Add Product button.

      • Enter the Product Name (e.g., “After School Art Class”).

      • (Optional) Add a Description and Image to help identify the product.

      • Create a Price for the product:

        • Choose if it’s a one-time or recurring price.

        • Enter the price amount and currency.

        • Select the billing interval if it’s recurring (monthly, yearly, etc.).

      • Click Save to create your product and price.

      💡 Tip: Use clear names like “2025 Spring Art Club” for your products in Stripe so it’s easy for families to recognize what they’re paying for.

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      2. How to Create an Invoice 

      • Log in to your Stripe Dashboard
      • Go to the Invoices page and click Create Invoice.

      • Select a customer or add a new one by entering their name and optional contact info.

      • Add items to the invoice:

        • Click Add one-time item.

        • Enter the item name, quantity, and price.

        • To save an item for future use, select Create new product.

      • Choose how to send the invoice:

        • Automatically charge a saved payment method.

        • Send the invoice manually with a payment link.

        • Email the invoice with or without a payment link.

      • Click Review invoice, then Send invoice when ready.

      💡 Tip: When creating invoices, save commonly used items as products in Stripe. This will make future invoicing faster and more consistent, especially if you charge the same amount for programs or classes regularly.

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      5. How to Create a Payment Plan/Subscription

      If you’d like to let families pay for programs in installments or on a recurring schedule, you can create a subscription in Stripe.

      1. Create a Subscription in Stripe

      • Log in to your Stripe Dashboard

      • Go to Billing > Subscriptions.

      • Click + Create subscription.

      • Select a customer from your list, or create a new one.

      • Choose a product/price. This could be a monthly fee, semester payment, or other recurring charge. (or create a new one).

      • Set the billing interval, trial period, and proration if needed.

      • Click Start subscription.

      💡 Tip: Use subscriptions for programs that charge monthly or by semester. This saves time and helps families stay on schedule with payments.

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      2. How to Manage Subscriptions

      After you’ve created a subscription, Stripe makes it easy to track and manage changes.

      • Go to Billing > Subscriptions in your Stripe dashboard.

      • Select a subscription to:

        • Update billing cycle or pricing

        • Add/remove products

        • Cancel or pause subscription

        • Apply discounts

      💡 Tip: You can always pause or update a subscription in Stripe, no need to cancel and start over. This is helpful if a family needs to take a short break from programming.

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      6. Payment Management:

      If you need to handle refunds, cancel autopay, or review balances, Stripe gives you flexible tools to manage payments with ease.

      1. Canceling Autopay

      • Go to the customer’s profile in your Stripe Dashboard.
      • Under Payment Methods, remove the card on file (if applicable).
      • If it's tied to a subscription, cancel the subscription as shown above.
      • (This stops Stripe from automatically charging the customer in the future).

      💡 Tip: Keep an eye on your customer balances and billing cycles to avoid confusion. You can refund families right in Stripe if needed.

      Learn More

      2. How to Reset Billing Cycles

      • Go to Billing > Subscriptions.

      • Click the subscription you want to edit.

      • Select Update subscription schedule or Cancel and recreate the subscription with a new start date.

      • Adjust the billing anchor or next invoice date if needed.


      💡 Tip: Use billing cycle resets to align payments with program start dates. This helps avoid confusion for families and makes reporting cleaner for your team.

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      3. Refunds: 

      • Find the charge in your dashboard and click Refund.
      • You can issue a full or partial refund.

      💡 Tip: Before issuing a refund, double-check your refund policy and confirm whether a full or partial refund is appropriate. Stripe does not return the original processing fees when you issue a refund.

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      4. Disputes:

      • If a payment is disputed (chargeback), Stripe will alert you.

      • Respond promptly with documentation (e.g., attendance logs, refund policy).

      💡 Tip: To reduce the chances of disputes, clearly display your refund and cancellation policies during registration. If a dispute occurs, respond quickly with attendance records or other supporting documents.

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      7. Stripe Fees

      • Stripe charges a small fee per transaction. View Stripe pricing for the most current info.

      💡 Tip: Stripe’s fees are automatically deducted from each transaction, there’s no separate bill. You can view fee details in each payment’s breakdown.

      Learn More

      8. Getting Paid

      • Your first payout takes 7 days after your first successful payment.
      • After that, payouts are sent daily on a 2-day rolling basis.

      💡 Tip: Keep your bank and business details up to date in Stripe to avoid payout delays. You can view expected payout dates from the Balance tab in your Stripe Dashboard.

      Learn More

      9. Contacting Stripe

      For help with payments, refunds, or your Stripe account:

      • Log in to your Stripe Dashboard.

      • Click the ? Help icon in the top right to contact support.

      💡 Tip: Stripe’s support team is best equipped to assist with account-specific issues like verification, locked accounts, and payout delays. Be ready to verify your identity when contacting them.

      Learn More

      10. When to Contact Stripe vs. AfterSchool HQ     

      Contact Stripe for... Contact AfterSchool HQ for...
      • Issues with payouts, refunds, or Stripe Dashboard access
      • Help building or managing activities
      • Account verification or Stripe login problems
      • Support with student rosters, custom fields, or emails
      • Questions about chargebacks or Stripe fees
      • Adding instructions for families on how to pay

      💡 Tip: Bookmark this article so you always have the steps handy when managing payments or subscriptions.