Offer the two or three methods your families already use, put the invoice number in every payment reference, and record each payment against an invoice the day it arrives. PayPal and Stripe tell you which invoice was paid; transfers through Wise (wise.com) or a bank need a reference you can match.
The three methods at a glance
| PayPal | Stripe (cards) | Wise (wise.com) or bank transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the family pays | PayPal balance, card or bank through a PayPal invoice or link | Card through a hosted invoice or payment link | Transfer to your local account details |
| You know which invoice it was | Yes, when you use PayPal invoices | Yes, when you use Stripe invoices | Only if the reference has the invoice number |
| Good for | Families who already use PayPal | Families who want to pay by card | Families who prefer bank transfers, larger amounts |
| Watch out for | Fees and currency conversion on your side | Fees, and availability in your country | Payments without a reference |
Fees and availability change and depend on your country. Check each provider’s current pricing page for your account before you set prices.
Step 1: choose by where your families are
List your families by country and how they paid last time. Offer the methods that cover most of them. A typical mix is one wallet (PayPal), one card option (Stripe), and one transfer option (Wise account details or your bank). Every extra method is another place to check for payments.
Step 2: invoice in the family’s currency where you can
Families pay more promptly when the invoice is in their own currency and the amount matches what leaves their account. If you invoice in one currency, say so on the invoice and in your policy, and decide who carries the conversion cost. The post on invoicing families in different currencies covers the options.
Step 3: make every payment traceable
- Give every invoice a unique number, and print “Payment reference: INV-00012” next to the bank details.
- For PayPal and Stripe, send the provider’s own invoice or a payment link tied to the invoice, so the payment carries it.
- For transfers, ask families to copy the invoice number into the reference. Repeat it in reminders.
- Keep the same family name on the invoice as on their bank account where possible. It helps when a reference is missing.
Step 4: match payments every few days
- Export or open the payments received since the last check.
- Match each one by invoice number first.
- If there is no number, match by exact amount, the same currency and the payer’s name, but only when exactly one open invoice fits.
- Put everything else (two possible invoices, a different amount, an unknown payer) on a short list and ask the family.
- Mark matched invoices as paid the same day, so reminders stop for families who have paid.
Step 5: send reminders on a schedule
Send a friendly reminder a few days after the due date, a second one a week later, and only then a message about pausing classes, as your policy says. Include the invoice link, the amount and the payment reference each time. The post on chasing unpaid tuition invoices has wording.
Step 6: keep refunds and disputes simple
Refund through the same method the family paid with, and record the refund against the invoice. Card and PayPal disputes are easier to answer when your invoice lists every class with its date and your policy was agreed in writing. See preventing chargebacks.
How Halqora handles this
Connect PayPal, Stripe, Mercury and Wise. Halqora reads payments back and matches them to invoices: Wise transfers match by the invoice number in the reference, or by exact amount, currency and payer name, and anything unclear goes to a one-click queue. Families pay from a public invoice page without logging in. The admin can send the invoice message and payment follow-ups on WhatsApp from the academy’s paired number. See billing.