Payment plans and autopay

A payment plan splits what a client owes on an invoice into scheduled installments, each with its own amount and due date. Your client pays one installment at a time from the invoice's payment link, and when your firm takes card and bank payments through LawPay or Confido Legal, the client can save their card or bank account so the rest of the installments are charged automatically on their due dates. This is called autopay.

This page explains how to create a plan, what your client sees and agrees to, how automatic charges and retries work, which emails go out, and how to manage the plan from the invoice afterwards: editing, adding, and removing installments, pausing, resuming, and cancelling autopay, and charging an installment on the spot.

Before you begin

Permission. Creating a payment link, and so a plan, needs Update access for Invoices. Changing a plan afterwards (editing, adding, or removing installments, pausing, resuming, or cancelling) needs the same. Charge now needs Update access for Invoices and Create access for Payments. Anyone with View access for invoices can see the plan. See Roles and permissions.
A balance to split. The invoice must have a balance due above zero, and it can have only one active plan at a time.
For autopay, a payment processor. Autopay needs a connected LawPay or Confido Legal account with its accounts mapped, Card payments or Bank payments switched on, and Autopay for payment plans switched on. Your processor account must also allow recurring charges. See Taking card and bank payments with LawPay or Confido Legal.
Without a processor, plans still work. Clients then pay each installment by bank transfer or QR code and report it, and your firm clears each payment as usual. There is simply no autopay.

Note: An "installment" is one scheduled payment in the plan. The plan always adds up to the balance due on the invoice, so when you change one installment, Esqase balances the difference on the last unpaid one.

Create a payment plan

A plan is part of a payment link. You set it up when you generate the link for the invoice.

Open the invoice and click Payment link. The Generate payment link dialog opens.
Under Payment methods, tick the ways the client may pay. To offer autopay, tick Card, Bank payment (eCheck) (LawPay), or Bank payment (ACH) (Confido Legal). Manual bank transfer link and QR code can be offered too.
Under Payment terms, choose Firm-defined installments. The Installment plan editor opens below, showing the balance due it will split.
Set up the schedule:
- Installments: how many payments, from 2 to 60.
- First due date: the date the first installment is due, today or later.
- Frequency: Weekly, Every two weeks, or Monthly.
Click Generate. The table lists each installment with its Due date and Amount. Esqase splits the balance evenly and puts any leftover cents on the last installment.
Adjust any row: change an amount, or move a due date. Below the table, Scheduled shows the total of your rows against the balance due, and Remaining shows what is still unscheduled. The installments must add up to the balance due exactly, the dates must run in order with no two on the same day, and no date may be in the past.
Click Generate link. Copy the link from Payment link ready, or click Send email to client to email it.

When Card is ticked, the editor adds a reminder: Autopay: your client can save a card when paying, and the remaining installments are then charged automatically on their due dates.

📷 Screenshot: The Generate payment link dialog with Firm-defined installments chosen, showing the Installment plan editor with the Installments, First due date, and Frequency fields, the Generate button, and a generated table of three installments.

Tip: If your firm's default payment terms are Firm-defined installments, the dialog opens with installments already chosen. See Payment settings.

Important: Firm-defined installments is greyed out when the invoice already has an active plan (This invoice already has an active payment plan. Cancel it on the invoice before creating a new one.) or when nothing is left to pay.

What your client sees

When your client opens the payment link, the page shows a Payment plan list: each installment as Payment 1, Payment 2, and so on, with its due date, amount, and status (Due now for the next one, Scheduled, Processing, Paid, or Reported).

They pay one installment at a time. The amount is fixed to the next unpaid installment and labeled Installment due, with the note Your firm set a payment plan, so this link takes the next scheduled payment. A client can pay the next installment before its due date.
They pay the way you allowed. Card, Bank account, Bank transfer or wire, and QR code appear as you set them on the link and in your payment settings.
While a bank payment clears, the next installment waits. The page reads Payment processing, Your bank payment is processing and usually clears in 3 to 5 business days. The client can pay the next installment once it clears.

See How clients pay invoices for the whole client journey.

How a client turns on autopay

When the client pays an installment by Card or Bank account, and autopay is available, the form shows two extra things above the pay button:

Automatic payments: the installments still to come, each with the date it will be charged and its amount. If you save your payment method, these installments are charged on their due dates. You pay the current installment now.
A checkbox, Save this card and charge the remaining installments automatically (or Save this bank account and charge the remaining installments automatically), with the authorization text beneath it. The text says the client authorizes your firm to save the payment method with its payment processor, to charge it for each remaining installment on or after the due date in the amount shown, and to try a failed payment again on a later day, and that the authorization lasts until the plan is paid in full or the client cancels it by contacting your firm.

If the client ticks the box, the current installment is charged, the card or bank account is saved with the processor, and autopay is switched on for the plan. The confirmation page adds Automatic payments are on. Your remaining installments will be charged on their due dates. If they leave it unticked, they simply pay this installment, and can save a payment method the next time.

Autopay is offered only when your firm has autopay switched on, the plan is not paused or cancelled, your processor account allows recurring charges, and at least one more installment is still to come after the one being paid.

📷 Screenshot: The client's Card form on a payment plan, showing the Automatic payments list of upcoming installments and the Save this card and charge the remaining installments automatically checkbox with its authorization text.

Note: To stop autopay, a client contacts your firm, and you pause or cancel it from the invoice (see below). Stopping autopay never cancels what the client owes.

How automatic charges work

Once autopay is on, Esqase takes care of the rest of the schedule.

Three days before each automatic charge, the client is emailed a notice with a subject such as Upcoming automatic payment for invoice INV-0042. It names the amount, the payment date, and the saved payment method (for example, Visa ending in 4242), and asks the client to contact your firm before that date to change anything.
On the due date, in your firm's time zone, Esqase charges the saved card or bank account for the installment. Charges run through the day, so a charge can land a little after midnight or later that day.
A card charge is recorded as a Cleared payment straight away, and the installment is marked Paid. A bank charge is recorded as Pending and the installment shows Processing until the bank payment clears, usually 3 to 5 business days later.

Every charge is recorded on the invoice like any other payment, reaches QuickBooks or Xero once it is cleared if your firm syncs, and appears in your Payments list.

When a charge fails: the retry schedule

When a card is declined, Esqase tries again 3, 5, and 7 days after the first attempt, so an installment gets up to four tries in all. After each declined try:

The client is emailed (when Send payment plan emails is on), with a subject such as Payment for invoice INV-0042 did not go through. The email gives the amount, the installment's due date, and the reason the processor gave, says when the payment will be tried again, and includes a Pay now link so the client can pay the installment by hand.
Your team is notified in Esqase with Autopay failed, naming the client, the amount, and the reason, and either the next try date or that autopay is now paused for the plan.

After the last try fails, Esqase marks the saved payment method as one that can no longer be charged and pauses autopay for the plan. The client can still pay each installment from the payment link. To start autopay again with a new card or bank account, see Pause or resume autopay.

A few other cases:

A bank payment returned later. If a bank payment that was processing is returned by the client's bank, the payment is marked Failed, the installment opens again, and autopay pauses for the plan. Esqase does not debit the account again on its own; the client gets the failed-payment email (when Send payment plan emails is on) and your team the Autopay failed notification.
A temporary problem at the processor. If the processor cannot be reached, Esqase tries again within an hour and does not email anyone.
Nothing is charged twice. Esqase never charges the same installment twice in 24 hours, and a charge that was already made is not repeated when it is retried.

Note: The upcoming-payment email goes out whenever autopay is on, because clients must be told before their account is debited. The Send payment plan emails switch controls only the emails about failed charges. See Choose how clients can pay.

Tip: Both emails are logged as read-only Email rows, on the Communications tab of the invoice's matter when the invoice belongs to one, so your team can see what the client was told and when. See Logging communications.

Manage the plan on the invoice

Every invoice with a plan shows a Payment plan section on its page, just below its payments.

Open the invoice.
Scroll to Payment plan. The line under the heading shows:
- Autopay: On, Paused, or Off.
- Method: the saved card or bank account, for example Visa ending 4242, marked (cannot be charged) when it no longer works, or None saved.
- Consent: the date the client agreed to autopay.
- Paused or Cancelled: the date, when that applies.
- Scheduled: the unpaid installments against the balance due.
The table lists each installment with its Due date, Amount, Paid (how much and when), Status, Last attempt, and Next attempt.

The Status reads:

Scheduled: not due yet.
Due: due today or earlier and not paid.
Processing: a payment for it is on its way, such as a bank payment that has not cleared or a bank transfer the client reported that your firm has not cleared yet.
Paid: fully paid.
Failed: the last automatic charge or payment for it did not go through.
Cancelled: removed from the plan.

Last attempt shows the most recent automatic charge (Charged, Processing, Declined, Failed, or Skipped) and when it happened; hover over it to read the processor's reason. Next attempt shows when autopay will next charge the installment: a date, or Next autopay run when it is due now.

📷 Screenshot: The Payment plan section on an invoice, showing the Autopay, Method, Consent, and Scheduled line, the Add installment, Pause autopay, and Cancel plan buttons, and a table with Paid, Processing, and Scheduled rows.

Important: The unpaid installments must always add up to the balance due. If something else changes the balance, such as a credit note or a payment made outside the plan, the section says The unpaid installments no longer add up to the balance due. Edit an installment to rebalance the plan. Editing any installment moves the difference onto the last unpaid one.

Edit an installment

On an unpaid installment, click Edit.
In Edit installment, change the Amount, the Due date, or both. If the amount changes, the difference is balanced on the last unpaid installment, so the plan still adds up to the balance due.
Click Save changes. You see Installment updated.

A new due date must be after today, and it cannot be the same day as another unpaid installment. That is how a change never causes an immediate charge. Editing an installment also restarts its retry schedule.

Add an installment

In the Payment plan section, click Add installment.
Enter the Amount and Due date. The amount is taken from the last unpaid installment, so the plan still adds up to the balance due.
Click Add installment. You see Installment added.

A plan can have at most 60 installments.

Remove an installment

On an unpaid installment, open the ⋯ menu next to Edit and click Remove.
Confirm in Remove this installment? with Remove installment. Its amount moves to the last unpaid installment, so the plan still adds up to the balance due. You see Installment removed.

You cannot remove the only unpaid installment left. Cancel the plan instead.

Pause or resume autopay

Pause autopay stops every automatic charge on the plan. Confirm in Pause autopay?. The client can still pay from the payment link. You see Autopay paused.
Resume autopay switches automatic charges back on. Confirm in Resume autopay?. Installments that are due are charged to the saved payment method on the next autopay run, and the retry schedule starts again. You see Autopay resumed.

Note: Resuming needs a saved card or bank account that can still be charged. When Method shows (cannot be charged), for example after four declined tries, Resume autopay is refused with Ask the client to save a new card or bank account from their payment link before resuming autopay. While a plan is paused, the payment link does not offer to save a new payment method, so to set up autopay again with a new card or bank account, cancel the plan and generate a new payment link with a new plan for the balance that is left. The client saves the new payment method when they pay its first installment.

Cancel the plan

In the Payment plan section, click Cancel plan.
Confirm in Cancel this payment plan? with Cancel plan. You see Payment plan cancelled.

Unpaid installments are removed and autopay stops. Payments already made stay on the invoice, and the balance stays due, so the client still owes it. To collect the rest, generate a new payment link, with or without a new plan.

Charge an installment now

When an installment is due and a client asks you to take it right away, for example after they sort out a declined card with their bank, you can charge it yourself.

On an installment that is due today or earlier, open the ⋯ menu next to Edit and click Charge now. It appears only while autopay is on and the saved payment method can be charged.
Charge this installment now? names the saved method, the amount, and the processor. Click Charge now.
You see Installment charged. A card charge is recorded as cleared straight away; a bank charge shows as Processing until it clears.

If the processor declines, the charge is recorded as a declined attempt and the message tells you why. If a charge for the installment might already be under way, Esqase asks you to wait and refresh the page in a little while before trying again, and if the last automatic charge is still being confirmed with the processor, it asks you to try again in an hour. Either way, the client is never charged twice for the same installment.

Installments that are processing or paid

An installment with a payment still processing shows Processing and has no actions: it cannot be edited, removed, or charged until the payment clears or fails. If the payment fails, the installment opens again. A paid installment has no actions either.

For a bank transfer or QR payment the client reported, the installment is marked Paid when your firm marks the payment cleared, and opens again if you mark it failed. See Mark a pending payment as cleared.

Every change to a plan is recorded on the invoice's activity timeline with who made it. See Activity timelines and audit logs.

Troubleshooting

Firm-defined installments is greyed out. The invoice already has an active plan, or its balance due is zero. Cancel the existing plan first if you want a new one.
The dialog says the installments must add up to the balance due. Change the amounts until Remaining reads zero, or click Generate again.
The client did not get the option to save their card. Autopay is offered only when Autopay for payment plans is on, the plan is not paused or cancelled, your processor account allows recurring charges, and at least one more installment is still to come. It is also only offered for Card and Bank account, not for a bank transfer or QR payment.
Charge now is missing. The installment is not due yet, autopay is off or paused, or the saved method can no longer be charged.
An edit is refused with "Pick a due date after today". Choose a later date. A change never moves an installment to today, so it can never cause an immediate charge.
An edit is refused because a payment is still processing. Wait until the bank payment clears or fails, then edit.
Autopay stopped by itself. Esqase pauses autopay when the saved card was declined four times or a bank payment was returned, and saved payment methods stop working when your firm disconnects its payment processor. The client can keep paying installments from the link. After a returned bank payment, you can Resume autopay once the client confirms the account is good. After four declines, see Pause or resume autopay.
Resume autopay is refused. The saved card or bank account can no longer be charged. See the note under Pause or resume autopay.

Common questions

Can the client change the plan? No. The client pays the next installment and can turn on autopay. Changes to amounts and dates are made by your firm.
Can a client pay ahead? Yes. The payment link always takes the next unpaid installment, even before its due date.
What happens to the plan if we disconnect LawPay or Confido Legal? The plan stays on the invoice and the client keeps paying from the link, but saved cards and bank accounts stop working and cannot be charged. See Disconnect.
Do automatic charges add a fee for the client? No. The installment amount is charged exactly as scheduled.
Where do I see all the money that came in? Every installment payment appears in your Payments list with the rest. See Recording and managing payments.

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