Set Up Wire Transfer as a Custom Payment Method

In Finalsite Enrollment (EMS), you can offer families flexibility by providing payment options beyond standard credit cards or electronic checks. One common requirement for international or high-value transactions is a Wire Transfer.

Because wire transfers are handled outside of the system’s automated gateway, they must be configured as a Custom payment method. Follow the steps below to set up wire transfer, provide instructions to families, and enable it on your forms.

⚠️ Important Note: Payment Processing Capabilities Differ By Location

Schools in the United States and Canada have access to all available options, including the Custom/Wire Transfer option. In contrast, international schools outside of the U.S. and Canada are limited to accepting credit card payments.

Step 1: Create the Custom Payment Method

First, you need to define Wire Transfer as an available option within your financial settings.

1. Navigate to Settings > Financial > Payment Setup.
2. Click on the Custom tab.
3. In the Display Name field, enter Wire Transfer.
4. Add a brief statement to the Submit Button Text field (e.g., "I will submit my payment to the school via Wire Transfer").
5. Save your changes.

Step 2: Add Payment Instructions

Since the system cannot automatically provide your school's unique banking details to the family, you must add these to the form via a Parent Portal Content template.

1. Navigate to Settings > Portal > Parent Portal Content.
2. Locate and open the Custom Payment Instructions template.
3. Enter the specific instructions and banking details a parent will need to complete the wire transfer.
4. Save the template. These instructions will now automatically appear whenever a parent selects the Wire Transfer option on a form.

Step 3: Enable Wire Transfer on Forms

Finally, you must choose which specific fees/forms will accept wire transfers. You can enable this for application fees, deposits, or AdHoc fees.

• Application Fees: Navigate to the Application Fee page and check the box for Wire Transfer.
• Enrollment Deposits: Navigate to the Deposit page and select Wire Transfer as an accepted method.
• AdHoc Fees: Navigate to any Custom Form Fee page, click the pencil icon next to the fee group you want to edit, and select the Custom option to make wire transfer an available payment method for that fee.

Best Practices for Wire Transfers

• Manual Reconciliation: Remember that because wire transfers happen outside of the Finalsite Enrollment payment gateway, you will need to manually mark these fees as paid in the system once you verify the funds have arrived in your school's bank account. This will most likely include marking a fee checklist item as complete and/or adding the payment to the family’s ledger.
• Clear Communication: Use the custom payment instructions (Step 2) to manage expectations regarding how long it takes for a wire to be processed and reflected on the student's checklist and/or ledger.

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Additional Resources

• Payment Setup
• Parent Portal Content
• Contact Support & Best Practices