While parents and guardians typically manage payments through the Parent Portal, school administrators may occasionally need to process a payment manually (e.g., over the phone). This guide covers how to securely handle these transactions.
đź’ˇQuick Answers
- Can I process an ACH or Electronic Check payment for a parent? No. For security reasons, admins can only process credit card payments when impersonating a parent.
- Can I use the credit card that the parent has already saved on file? No. Admins must manually enter the card information for every phone/manual transaction to remain PCI compliant.
- Can I enroll a family in Autopay during a phone call? No. Admins do not have the permission to enroll families in Autopay; the parent must do this themselves within their portal.
- Will the parent receive a receipt? Yes. An automated "Payment Received" email is sent immediately upon a successful transaction.
In This Article
⚠️ Important Note: Critical Limitations & Security
To maintain security and compliance, please note the following restrictions:
- Credit Card Only: ACH/Electronic checks are unavailable while impersonating.
- Manual Entry Required: You cannot access or use a parent’s saved payment profile.
- Autopay Required Schools: If your school mandates Autopay, you can only process a manual payment if the family already has a saved payment profile active in the system.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Processing a payment on behalf of a parent/guardian or other payer requires the use of the Impersonate feature within Finalsite Enrollment. You must have the impersonate permission enabled from within Settings > Portal > Admin Portal Accounts to do this.
Step 1: Locate the Student Record
Access the contact record of the student who needs the payment. You can do this by selecting the student from a list page/search or by using the Quick Search action.
Step 2: Navigate to the Portal Access Page
On the student's record, click the Households tab > Parent Portal Access.
You can also access this page using the quick link on the contact record summary. This is the computer monitor icon to the right of the page (below the parent/guardian contact information).
Step 3: Impersonate the Parent/Payer
- Find the parent/payer in the list, then click the Impersonate button in the Linked Account column to begin impersonating their account.
- Once you have clicked the Impersonate button, you will be redirected to the Parent Portal - My Students page, where you will be logged in as the selected parent.
Please note: The payer must have an active, authenticated Parent Portal account to complete this step.
Step 4: Access the Billing Management Tab
Click the Billing Management tab at the top of the Parent Portal. You will see the billing accounts, amounts due, and ledger.
Step 5: Make the Payment
- Click the green Make Payment button.
- Enter Amount: Enter a custom amount into the Enter Amount field.
- Enter Card Details: Click the Add Payment Method button to manually type in the name and credit card information provided by the payer.
- Submit: After reviewing the details and accepting the convenience fee (if applicable), click Confirm Payment to finalize.
This is just an example of the Make a Payment page you will see. The exact page may vary slightly on your end, depending on your school's setup.
Post-Payment Confirmation
- Success: The parent receives a "Payment Received" email.
- Failure: If the card is declined, a "Payment Failed" notification is sent.
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