Automatic tuition billing turns recorded class outcomes into invoices without retyping each class. Halqora creates monthly draft invoices per family or student, postpaid or prepaid with forecast and reconciliation; you review and send, then payment sync and automatic email reminders follow.
Halqora is our product. We’ve tried to keep this comparison fair: competitor details come from their public pages, linked and dated below. Tell us if anything is out of date at support@halqora.com.
What is automatic billing for online academies?
Automatic billing connects the schedule, recorded class outcomes and family invoice. Halqora is management software for online academies that schedules, bills and pays one-to-one classes. Siblings can share an invoice while keeping separate classes.
The billing run keeps an admin review before sending. Check the amount, recipient, currency and payment setup before the family receives an invoice.
For billing at online academies and tutoring businesses, the important distinction is between a scheduled class and a billable outcome. A cancellation can change the charge even when the class remains on the calendar.
How it works
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Start the monthly billing run. Halqora creates draft invoices for family billing accounts and eligible students without a family account. Sent invoices stay unchanged.
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Check postpaid targets. Postpaid invoices cover the previous month’s completed classes, student no-shows and late student cancellations. A target with nothing billable is skipped with a reason.
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Check prepaid targets. Prepaid drafts include a forecast for the current month’s scheduled classes, prorated using the student’s rate, duration and class minutes. A reconciliation line compares the previous month’s actual billable amount with its invoiced forecast.
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Resolve class outcomes. Teachers record completed classes with a report, student no-shows or student cancellations. Admins resolve other outcomes and record emergency exceptions. The billing calculation uses fixed outcome rules, including the notice rules below.
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Review the needs attention queue for unresolved sessions, incompatible family settings and currency mismatches. Invoice warnings flag missing email addresses and payment setup problems.
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Review and send the drafts. Sending assigns a due date and emails the invoice with a PDF attachment. Families receive a private invoice page without needing an account. A PayPal or Stripe invoice is created where configured.
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Follow payments and balances. The daily routine syncs payments, marks unpaid invoices overdue after their due dates and sends due email reminders. Receivables, aging and student and family ledgers reflect recorded payments.
As of 21 October 2026, the default due date is 7 days after sending. Default email reminders run 3 days before the due date, 3 days after and 10 days after. Paid invoices do not receive reminders. You can change invoice due days, the reminder schedule and email wording.
The guide to billing parents for online classes explains the parent-facing process. The invoice page shows line items, total, paid amount and remaining balance. Invoice links do not expire; replacing a link stops the old link working.
Prepaid with forecast and reconciliation: a worked example
Prepaid billing charges for scheduled teaching before outcomes are known. Reconciliation corrects the forecast afterward. Postpaid billing charges after outcomes are known; compare prepaid vs postpaid tuition when choosing your approach.
Example — illustrative, using 8 forecast classes at USD 5 each. Last month’s forecast was also 8 classes, but last month’s actual billable count was 7.
| Invoice component | Calculation | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Current month’s forecast | 8 × USD 5 = USD 40 | 40 |
| Last month’s actual billable amount | 7 × USD 5 = USD 35 | 35 |
| Last month’s reconciliation | USD 35 − USD 40 = −USD 5 | −5 |
| New invoice total | USD 40 − USD 5 = USD 35 | 35 |
The actual amount is a calculation input, not an additional charge on the new invoice. The new invoice contains the current forecast and the reconciliation adjustment.
A negative reconciliation is a credit within the invoice, not a stored wallet balance. If the credit equals or exceeds the new forecast, Halqora flags the target for attention instead of creating an invoice. The prepaid forecast and reconciliation guide explains that monthly handoff in more detail.
What gets billed under Halqora’s outcome rules
| Recorded outcome and notice (hours) | Billed to family? | Counts for teacher pay? | Appears on invoice as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student cancels at least 3 hours ahead | No | — | Excluded from billable amount; reduces prepaid actuals |
| Student cancels under 3 hours ahead | Yes, in full | — | Billable class in postpaid charges or prepaid actuals |
| Student no-show | Yes, unless emergency-excused | Full pay after waiting at least half the class | Billable class unless emergency-excused |
| Admin emergency exception | No | Recorded outcome and wait rule still apply | Excluded from billable amount; reduces prepaid actuals |
| Teacher cancels under 4 hours ahead, recorded by admin as teacher no-show | No | No | Excluded from billable amount; reduces prepaid actuals |
The table describes rules such as cancellation notice and emergency exceptions. Dashes leave student-cancellation pay outside this billing guide. Teacher pay and family charges are separate calculations; waiving a family charge does not by itself decide teacher pay.
For student cancellations, Halqora uses the actual cancellation time recorded by the teacher or admin. An unknown cancellation time is treated as late. Admins record no-show wait minutes; missing wait information requires review. A teacher cancellation becomes a teacher no-show through an admin decision, rather than an automatic calendar change.
Families, siblings and the ‘needs attention’ queue
Family billing accounts combine siblings’ charges without combining their classes. Each student has a currency, and invoices are never converted. A family with conflicting currencies or mixed prepaid and postpaid settings needs review before the run can produce the family invoice.
The needs attention queue also catches classes without final outcomes and credits that meet or exceed the next forecast. Resolve the underlying record before sending.
For payment sync with PayPal, Stripe, Wise (wise.com) and Mercury, provider behavior matters. Mercury sync is USD only. Halqora matches incoming Wise (wise.com) payments rather than creating them. Unclear matches require review. Dashboard USD totals are approximate, so use invoice currencies when checking balances.
What it doesn’t do (yet)
As of 21 October 2026, Halqora’s pricing separates invoicing from the wider automation. Starter is USD 39/mo for up to 25 active students and includes invoicing. Academy is USD 2.50 per active student per month, with a USD 99 minimum, and adds automatic billing runs, payment sync, reminders and receivables/aging.
Scale has custom pricing for 300+ students. Annual billing gives 2 months free. Halqora offers a 14-day pilot, free onboarding and data import.
Alternatives and how others handle this
Prepayment exists in other tools. As of 21 October 2026, TutorCruncher’s credit-request documentation says credit requests can use planned lessons within a date range, with available balances decreasing as lessons are completed. TutorCruncher may suit you better if you prefer drawing down a prepaid balance as teaching happens.
According to Teachworks’ billing page, checked 21 October 2026, Teachworks supports packages of hours and recurring invoices through Invoice Autopilot. Teachworks may suit you better if selling hour packages is central to your billing model.
As of 21 October 2026, TutorBird describes calendar and attendance billing into a running family balance, while Oases describes scheduled invoicing from booked sessions. Halqora’s approach puts the coming month’s forecast and the previous month’s actual-minus-forecast reconciliation on the monthly invoice. Compare that invoice structure with how you explain charges to families.
Sources
- TutorCruncher: creating credit requests, checked 21 October 2026
- Teachworks: billing features, checked 21 October 2026
- TutorBird: calendar and attendance billing, checked 21 October 2026
- Oases: tutoring invoices, checked 21 October 2026