Skip to main content

​
Payment Plans

Sometimes customers want to pay but can’t afford the full amount at once. Payment plans let you split the outstanding debt into monthly installments, making it easier for customers to settle their balance while ensuring you get paid.
Payment plans use PayRequest’s built-in subscription system. Each installment is billed automatically — no manual follow-up needed.

​
How Payment Plans Work

  1. A collection case exists with an outstanding amount
  2. You create a payment plan (or the customer requests one)
  3. The total amount is divided into equal monthly installments
  4. PayRequest creates a subscription that bills the customer each month
  5. When all installments are paid, the collection case is automatically closed

​
Creating a Payment Plan

​
From the Dashboard

1
Open the Collection Case
2
Navigate to Debt Collection and click on the case you want to set up a plan for.
3
Find the Payment Plan Section
4
In the case detail view, scroll to the Payment Plan section.
5
Choose the Number of Installments
6
Select how many monthly installments the customer should pay. Available options:
7
InstallmentsExample (EUR 600 debt)2 monthsEUR 300.00/month3 monthsEUR 200.00/month6 monthsEUR 100.00/month12 monthsEUR 50.00/month
8
The monthly amount is calculated automatically based on the total amount due (including any collection fees).
9
Create the Plan
10
Click Create Plan. PayRequest will:
11
  • Create a monthly subscription for the installment amount
  • Link it to the collection case
  • Set the status to Pending Mandate (waiting for the customer to authorize payments)
    • The customer needs to set up a payment mandate (SEPA Direct Debit authorization) before installments can begin. They’ll receive instructions to do this.

    ​
    Customer-Initiated Requests

    You can also let customers request a payment plan themselves from the Customer Portal.

    ​
    Enabling Customer Requests

    1. Open the collection case detail page
    2. Go to Case Settings
    3. Toggle Allow installment requests on
    When enabled, the customer sees a Request Installments button on their collection case page.

    ​
    What Customers See

    Customers can:
    1. Click Request Installments
    2. Choose their preferred number of installments (2, 3, 6, or 12)
    3. See the monthly payment amount for each option
    4. Review a summary (total amount, monthly payment, duration)
    5. Submit the request
    Customer requests don’t create the plan automatically. You receive a notification and can review the request before setting up the actual plan. This gives you full control over the terms.

    ​
    Reviewing Customer Requests

    When a customer submits a payment plan request:
    • A note is added to the case’s internal notes with the requested terms
    • An activity log entry is created
    • You can then create the plan from the dashboard (or contact the customer to discuss)

    ​
    Tracking Payment Progress

    Once a payment plan is active, you can track its progress:

    ​
    Dashboard View

    On the case detail page, the Payment Plan section shows:
    • Progress bar — Visual indicator of completion (e.g., 2 of 6 installments paid)
    • Amount per installment — How much is charged each month
    • Interval — Monthly billing cycle
    • Next payment date — When the next installment will be charged
    • Subscription status — Active, Pending Mandate, or Completed

    ​
    Customer Portal View

    Customers see the same information in their portal:
    • Progress bar with installment count
    • Monthly payment amount
    • Next payment date
    • Overall plan status

    ​
    Payment Plan Lifecycle

    Plan Created → Pending Mandate → Active → Completed → Case Closed
    StatusWhat It Means
    Pending MandateWaiting for customer to authorize SEPA payments
    ActiveInstallments are being charged automatically
    CompletedAll installments paid — case automatically closed
    CancelledPlan was cancelled before completion

    ​
    Automatic Case Closure

    When the final installment is paid:
    1. The subscription is marked as Completed
    2. The collection case is automatically marked as Paid
    3. No manual action needed — everything happens automatically
    This only works when the payment plan covers the full outstanding amount. If there’s a remaining balance (due to rounding), you may need to manually close the case.

    ​
    Cancelling a Payment Plan

    If you need to cancel an active payment plan:
    1. Open the collection case
    2. Find the Payment Plan section
    3. Click Cancel Plan
    This cancels the subscription but keeps the collection case open. You can then:
    • Create a new plan with different terms
    • Continue with regular collection stages
    • Negotiate a different arrangement with the customer

    ​
    Best Practices

    Don’t wait for the customer to ask. At Stage 2 or 3, consider proactively suggesting a payment plan. This shows flexibility and often leads to faster recovery.
    Choose a number of installments that balances your cash flow needs with the customer’s ability to pay. A plan the customer can’t afford will just lead to more failed payments.
    For larger amounts, enabling the “Allow installment requests” toggle lets customers take the initiative. This reduces back-and-forth communication.
    Check the status of active payment plans regularly. If an installment fails, you’ll want to follow up quickly before the customer falls further behind.

    ​
    FAQs

    Not directly. Cancel the current plan and create a new one with different terms.
    The standard subscription retry logic applies. PayRequest will automatically retry the payment after 3 days, then again after 10 days.
    Yes. The payment plan covers the total amount due, which includes the original invoice amount plus any collection fees.
    Yes. External debts work exactly the same as invoice-based cases. An invoice is automatically created for the external debt, and the payment plan is linked to that invoice.
    The customer can always pay the full remaining amount through the payment page or customer portal. The case will close automatically when the invoice is fully paid.

    Escalation Pipeline

    Understand the 4 stages of collection

    Customer Portal

    What customers see in their self-service portal

    Managing Mandates

    How SEPA mandates work for recurring payments

    Failed Payment Handling

    How failed installment payments are retried