Billing Setup

In this guide, you will learn

• What you can do in Spark's billing feature
• How to get started in billing
• How to use the billing dashboard
• How to restrict staff access to billing

Overview of the Billing Feature

The Billing feature enables you to manage billing data related to your school or educational service. In it, you have access to tools such as invoices, accounts, payments, and more:

• Accounts: Create accounts for payers and link them to guardians, or keep accounts detached.
• Online Payments: Set up ACH or debit/credit card payments via Stripe integration.
• Prices & Fees: Create prices and fees for use as line items on invoices.
• Invoices: Generate customizable invoices, apply discounts, and choose payment methods. You can also schedule invoices to be sent automatically.
• Installment Plans: Set up recurring payment plans for accounts.
• Dashboard: View payment status, upcoming invoices, and key billing data.
• Settings: Customize invoice details and manage payment options.

Getting Started with Billing

Setup Guide

To begin, complete the Setup Guide, which is presented the first time you access the billing section.

You can skip steps in the Setup Guide, or skip the Guide completely. You can return at any time to finish.

The following steps are part of the Startup Guide and are key to begin creating invoices and collecting payments:

1. Basic Billing Info: Create your school's information that will appear on invoices.
2. Prices & Fees: Create prices for services to use on invoices.
3. Accounts: Set up payer accounts and link them to guardians, or create detached accounts.
4. Payment Options: Select the default payment options available to payers. You may override these defaults on any invoices and customize payment options.
5. Online Payments: If you wish payers to use online payments (ACH or Credit/Debit cards), finish this step and link your Spark account to our Stripe integration.

All of these steps can be completed later, outside of the Setup Guide.

Using Your Dashboard

After you have either finished or skipped the Setup Guide, you will enter your billing dashboard. The dashboard is your home base, with quick access links to important parts of your billing:

• Invoices
• Accounts
• Prices & fees
• Installment plans

The dashboard also gives you a quick view of:

• Projected and recieved income
• Coming due and past due invoices

Restricting Staff Access to Billing

Staff members can only view and edit the features and resources you grant them access to.

• All Access: This is the default setting and provides the staff member full access to all features and information within your Spark school. To customize access, uncheck this box.
• Limit to Classrooms: Restrict the staff member’s access to only the classrooms where they are listed as a teacher. Limiting to classrooms will remove the staff member's access to billing.
• Custom Access: Select specific resources and features the staff member is allowed to access. Some staff may need access to the billing feature, while not requiring access to classroom tools.

To manage staff access levels:

1. Navigate to the Staff section.
2. Click on the staff member’s profile.
3. Locate the Access Levels section.