> ## 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.

# Billing & payments

> Manage tuition plans, invoices, payment methods, and financial history for students.

<Info>
  **School-level feature** — managed within your school portal at `yourschool.deandesk.com`.
</Info>

DeanDesk billing is powered by Stripe. You collect payments directly through your platform — tuition plans, one-time fees, and invoices — and Stripe deposits the funds into your bank account on a standard payout schedule. No separate billing tool is required.

## Tuition plans and recurring billing

Tuition plans let you charge students on a schedule — monthly, quarterly, per semester, or any cycle you define. You create plans at the program level so different programs can carry different pricing.

### Create a program and pricing plan

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Tuition Plans">
    Go to **Admin Dashboard → Tuition Plans**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a program">
    Click **New Program** and enter a name (e.g. "Part Time Program", "Full Time Program"). A program groups one or more pricing options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a pricing plan">
    Inside the program, click **Add Pricing Plan** and configure:

    * **Plan name** — what students see when selecting a plan (e.g. "Monthly Tuition")
    * **Amount** — the charge amount per billing cycle
    * **Billing cycle** — how often the charge recurs (monthly, every 6 months, annually, etc.)
  </Step>

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

**Example pricing plans:**

| Plan name       | Amount  | Billing cycle  | Total per year |
| --------------- | ------- | -------------- | -------------- |
| Monthly Tuition | \$100   | Monthly        | \$1,200        |
| Semester Plan   | \$600   | Every 6 months | \$1,200        |
| Annual Tuition  | \$1,100 | Annually       | \$1,100        |

<Tip>
  Offering multiple plans for the same program lets students choose the payment frequency that works best for them while you collect the same total tuition.
</Tip>

## How students enroll in a plan

Once a pricing plan exists, students can select and pay for it from their own portal.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Student opens Billing History">
    The student logs in and navigates to their **Billing History** page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Student selects a plan">
    Available pricing plans appear on the page. The student selects the plan they want.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Student enters payment details and pays">
    The student enters their credit card or bank account information and confirms payment. The first charge is collected immediately. Recurring charges are collected automatically on the billing cycle.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Limited-billing tuition plans (e.g. "12 monthly payments") can be configured to delay the first charge by one billing cycle. When that's set, the order summary shows **Due today** alongside a **Starts after one billing cycle** line so the student understands when the first paid charge will occur. See [First Payment](/finance/products#pricing-plans) on the Products page for setup.
</Note>

Admins can also enroll a student in a plan on their behalf from **Admin Dashboard → User Management → \[student profile] → Billing**.

## Send an invoice

Use Invoice Management to create and send custom invoices to one or more students. Invoices are useful for one-time charges, supply fees, late fees, or any amount that falls outside a recurring plan.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Invoice Management">
    Go to **Admin Dashboard → Invoice Management**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select students">
    Search for and select the students who will receive the invoice. You can invoice one student or a group at the same time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add line items">
    Click **Add Line Item** for each charge. Enter a description and amount for each item.

    | Example description | Amount  |
    | ------------------- | ------- |
    | Registration fee    | \$75.00 |
    | Course materials    | \$45.00 |
    | Late payment fee    | \$25.00 |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and send">
    Review the total and click **Send**. Each selected student receives an invoice by email and sees the outstanding balance on their Billing History page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Issue a refund

Refunds are issued as negative line items on an invoice.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Invoice Management">
    Go to **Admin Dashboard → Invoice Management**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the student">
    Search for the student you are refunding.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a negative line item">
    Click **Add Line Item**, enter a description (e.g. "Refund – Registration Fee"), and enter the amount as a **negative number** (e.g. `-75.00`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send the invoice">
    Click **Send**. The negative amount reduces the student's outstanding balance. If the balance goes below zero, the credit carries forward toward their next charge.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Negative invoice line items create a credit on the student's account inside DeanDesk. If you need to return funds to a student's card or bank account, process the refund directly from your Stripe dashboard.
</Note>

## View a student's billing history and outstanding balance

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the student's profile">
    Go to **Admin Dashboard → User Management**, search for the student, and open their profile.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Billing tab">
    The Billing tab shows:

    * **Outstanding balance** — the total amount currently owed
    * **Payment history** — a list of every charge, payment, and credit with dates and amounts
    * **Active plans** — any recurring billing plans the student is enrolled in
  </Step>
</Steps>

Students can see the same information on their own **Billing History** page and can pay their outstanding balance directly from there.

## Add a payment method for a student

Admins can add or update payment methods on behalf of a student from the Admin Dashboard.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the student's profile">
    Go to **Admin Dashboard → User Management** and open the student's profile.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to the Billing tab">
    Click the **Billing** tab, then scroll to **Payment Methods**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a payment method">
    Click **Add Payment Method** and select the type:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Credit or debit card">
        Enter the card number, expiration date, and CVV. DeanDesk stores the card securely via Stripe. The student can use this card for future payments.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Bank account (ACH)">
        Enter the account holder name, routing number, and account number. Bank account payments go through ACH transfer.

        <Tip>
          Bank account payments are recommended for large tuition amounts. The processing fee is capped at **\$5 per transaction**, regardless of the payment amount — significantly lower than percentage-based card fees.
        </Tip>
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save**. The payment method is now available for future charges.
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Payment method comparison:**

| Method              | Processing fee  | Settlement time   | Best for                             |
| ------------------- | --------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Credit / debit card | \~2.9% + \$0.30 | 2 business days   | Smaller or one-time payments         |
| Bank account (ACH)  | Capped at \$5   | 3–5 business days | Tuition and large recurring payments |

## Stripe payouts to your institution

DeanDesk sends collected funds to your institution's bank account through Stripe's standard payout schedule.

* **Default payout timing** — funds are deposited 2 business days after a successful card payment; ACH payments settle in 3–5 business days
* **Payout schedule** — daily by default; configurable to weekly or monthly in your Stripe settings

### Access your Stripe dashboard

Go to **Admin Dashboard → Stripe Configuration** and click the **Stripe Dashboard** link in the top-right corner of the page. From the Stripe dashboard you can:

* View detailed transaction history
* Monitor upcoming payouts
* Update your payout bank account
* Issue direct refunds to cards

<Warning>
  Changes made in the Stripe dashboard (such as refunds or payout schedule adjustments) are reflected in Stripe but may not automatically sync back to DeanDesk's billing records. Keep both systems in mind when reconciling your finances.
</Warning>

## Export financial data and reports

DeanDesk provides built-in financial reporting to help you track revenue and reconcile accounts.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Financial Reports">
    Go to **Admin Dashboard → Reports → Financial Reports**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your date range">
    Select the start and end dates for the report period.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Filter by program or student (optional)">
    Use the filters to narrow the report to a specific program, pricing plan, or individual student.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Export">
    Click **Export CSV** to download the data for use in a spreadsheet or accounting tool.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The financial report includes:

* Total revenue collected in the period
* Breakdown by program and pricing plan
* List of all invoices with status (paid, outstanding, voided)
* Refunds and credits issued
* Stripe processing fees

<Tip>
  Run a monthly export and reconcile it against your Stripe payout deposits to catch any discrepancies early.
</Tip>

## Related finance pages

For detailed guides on managing the finance system, see:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Products" icon="box" href="/finance/products">
    Create and manage products, pricing plans, and donation campaigns.
  </Card>

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

  <Card title="Enrollments" icon="clipboard-list" href="/finance/enrollments">
    View and manage payment-backed enrollments and subscriptions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Transactions & refunds" icon="receipt" href="/finance/transactions">
    Search transactions, issue refunds, and track refund status.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>