Automatic payments

Customers authorise a payment method once. Every invoice is then charged by itself on its date, with retries when a payment fails.

Before you start

Connect your Stripe account on the Integrations page (Settings > Integrations). Payments go into your own account; Ellibo never sees card or bank details.
Automatic payments are in the Standard plan and above.

Turn it on for a subscription

Open the subscription and click Turn on automatic payment at the bottom.
If the customer hasn't set up a payment method yet, keep Email the customer the link to set it up ticked.
Click Turn on.

To start a new subscription this way, tick Charge automatically on the subscription form.

The customer sets it up once

The customer opens the link from the email and authorises on Stripe's secure page. The subscription then shows the method, for example Visa ending 4242.

To send the link again, or copy it to share another way, click Set-up link for the customer on the subscription, or Send set-up link next to Payment method on the customer's page.

How invoices are charged

Each invoice dated from the day you turned it on is charged on its date by the hourly job. Older unpaid invoices are charged when you click Charge now.
The payment is recorded like any other payment received, settling the invoice. If the subscription emails its invoices, the customer also gets the receipt.
Some payments take a little time; the subscription shows them as on its way until Stripe confirms.

When a payment fails

The payment is tried again 3, 5 and 7 days later. Each time, the customer gets an email with a Pay now button and a link to update their payment method. After the last try, the invoice stays open and the usual payment reminders carry on.

Cards that expire this month: the customer is asked once to update their payment method.

Stop or change it

Turn off automatic payment on the subscription: invoices are sent for the customer to pay.
Remove next to Payment method on the customer's page: no more charges until the customer sets it up again.
When the customer sets up a new method, it replaces the old one.