> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.deandesk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payment setup

> Connect Stripe to collect tuition, fees, and donations from your community.

<Info>
  **School-level feature** — managed within your school portal at `yourschool.deandesk.com`. Your school's Stripe account is configured here. Your institution's Stripe account (for receiving payouts) is configured separately from the [institution dashboard](/getting-started/institutions-and-schools).
</Info>

DeanDesk uses Stripe to process all payments. Connecting your Stripe account takes about 10 minutes, after which you can create recurring billing plans, send invoices, and track payouts — all without leaving DeanDesk.

## Navigate to Stripe Configuration

From the **Admin Dashboard**, click **Stripe Configuration**.

## Test Mode vs. Live Mode

At the top of the Stripe Configuration page, you will see a **Test Mode / Live Mode** toggle.

| Mode          | What it does                                                                                                               |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Test Mode** | Processes simulated payments only. No real money moves. Use this to verify your setup before going live.                   |
| **Live Mode** | Processes real payments from your students and families. Switch to this mode when you are ready to collect actual tuition. |

<Warning>
  Never share real credit card numbers or bank details while in Test Mode — and never use test card numbers in Live Mode. Switch to Live Mode only when your billing plans are fully configured and you are ready to charge real students.
</Warning>

## Connect your Stripe account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click Start Onboarding">
    On the Stripe Configuration page, click **Start Onboarding**. This opens Stripe's secure onboarding flow in a new window.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create or connect a Stripe account">
    If you already have a Stripe account, sign in. Otherwise, create a new one. Stripe will guide you through the process.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify your identity">
    Stripe requires identity verification for compliance. Have your government-issued ID ready. Depending on your business type, Stripe may also ask for your Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Social Security Number (SSN).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your bank account">
    Enter your bank account details so Stripe knows where to deposit your payouts. You can add multiple bank accounts and change the default payout destination later from your Stripe Dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete onboarding">
    Follow any remaining prompts in the Stripe flow. Once finished, you will be redirected back to DeanDesk with your account connected.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Stripe may ask for additional documentation if it cannot automatically verify your identity or business. Check your email after completing onboarding — Stripe will let you know if anything else is required.
</Note>

## Create recurring payment plans

Recurring payment plans let students pay tuition automatically on a schedule instead of all at once.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Program">
    In the Stripe Configuration section, go to **Tuition Plans** and click **Create Program**. A Program is a container for related pricing plans (for example, `Annual Tuition` or `Test Prep Enrollment`).

    Give the program a name and description, then save.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Pricing Plan">
    Inside your program, click **Add Pricing Plan**. Set:

    * **Name** — what students will see on their invoice (e.g., `Monthly Payment Plan`)
    * **Amount** — the charge per billing period, in your school's currency
    * **Billing interval** — choose monthly, every 3 months, every 6 months, or annually
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the plan">
    Click **Save**. The pricing plan is now available to assign to students when they enroll.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  All plans and prices use your school's sales currency — USD, GBP, or EUR. The currency is chosen when the school is created and cannot be changed, so there is no per-plan currency setting.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Offer multiple pricing plans under the same program to give families payment flexibility — for example, a monthly plan and a 6-month plan at a slight discount. Students can select the option that works best for them.
</Tip>

## Send invoices

Use Invoice Management for one-time charges, fees, or situations where a recurring plan does not fit.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Invoice Management">
    In the Admin Dashboard, go to **Invoice Management**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select students">
    Search for and select the student or students you want to invoice. You can invoice multiple students with the same line items at once.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add line items">
    Click **Add Line Item** for each charge. Enter a description (e.g., `Registration Fee`) and an amount. Add as many line items as needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Issue refunds with a negative line item">
    To apply a refund or credit to an invoice, add a line item with a **negative amount** (e.g., `-50.00`). This reduces the total owed by that amount.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send the invoice">
    Click **Send Invoice**. The student receives an email with a link to pay through their Billing History page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## How students pay

Students access all their payment history and outstanding balances from the **Billing History** page in their portal. From there, they can:

* View past invoices and payment receipts
* Pay outstanding invoices
* Update their payment method

Students do not need to contact you to make a payment — everything is self-serve through their portal.

## Payouts

Stripe automatically deposits collected payments to your bank account on the payout schedule set in your Stripe account (typically 2 business days for card payments). To view payout history, available balance, and transfer details, log in to your **Stripe Dashboard** at [dashboard.stripe.com](https://dashboard.stripe.com).

<Tip>
  Encourage students and families to pay by **bank account (ACH)** instead of credit card. ACH payments have Stripe fees capped at \$5 per transaction, which is significantly lower than the percentage-based fee on card payments for larger tuition amounts.
</Tip>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Products" icon="box" href="/finance/products">
    Create products with pricing plans for tuition, programs, fees, and donations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Discounts" icon="tag" href="/finance/discounts">
    Set up discount codes, automatic rule-based discounts, and sibling discounts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Invoicing" icon="file-invoice-dollar" href="/finance/invoicing">
    Send invoices with custom line items to one or more students.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stripe configuration" icon="credit-card" href="/finance/stripe">
    Manage your Stripe account, test/live mode, and DeanDesk subscription.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>