# Setting Up Payment Plans {% hint style="warning" %} **Are you a student or ticketholder? Check out our** [**Patron's Guide to Payment Plans**](https://docs.crowdwork.com/for-ticket-holders/patrons-guide-to-payment-plans)**.** **The following guide is for venue administrators and managers** who need to configure payment plan options for their events {% endhint %} ### What are Payment Plans Payment Plans are an optional method for customers to break up payments into smaller installments over time. For example, instead of a $100 payment, they can decide to split into four $25 payments over time. This can help with purchasing specific shows or classes that might otherwise not be able to be afforded in one payment. The amount and number of installments can be decided by you, along with which specific shows and classes you want to allow to be purchased via a plan.
### Setting Up Payment Plans Setting up Payment Plans is very straight-forward. Simply expand the "Payment Plans" option on the left-hand sidebar and select [**Manage Plans**](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/payment-plans). > **Direct link:** [Payment Plans Dashboard](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/payment-plans) {% hint style="warning" %} **Heads up for Square users!** Depending on when you created your account and connected Square, you may need to reconnect to grant additional permissions. If you see a "Reconnect Square Account" button present on this page, simply click and follow the steps. You will only need to do this once. {% endhint %} From this page, you'll be able to create a new Payment Plan by clicking the [**Create New Payment Plan**](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/payment-plans/new) option in the upper-right.
#### Payment Plan Configuration Options On the creation page, you have a few options: * **Plan Name**: This is a custom name you can include that is displayed both internally and to the patrons. * **Plan Description**: This is an optional description you can use to include more details about the plan. This is included along-side the Template description (more on that below). * **Select Show, Class, or Tag**: This is to assign the specific events you'd like to this payment plan. * **Template**: This is the payment plan template you'd like. More on templates below.
### Payment Plan Templates We've created helpful templates for you to use with this feature. Choose the template that best fits your payment collection needs:
Plan TemplatePlan SchedulePlan Notes
50% now, 50% at start
  • 1st payment: 50% of the total due at checkout
  • 2nd payment: 50% charged just before the event start date


Ideal for pre-event collection: This template ensures you have everything paid in full prior to the start of the show or class.


⚠️ Special handling: If the patron purchases a plan less than 24 hours from the start of the event, then they are charged both halves at checkout.

50% now, 50% in a month
  • 1st payment: 50% of the total due at checkout
  • 2nd payment: 50% charged one month after checkout
Time-based schedule: Unlike the "50% at start" template, this plan charges the second payment on a fixed schedule relative to checkout — not tied to the event date. This makes it a good fit for events that are far out or when you want a predictable billing timeline.
3 Payments
  • 1st payment: ~1/3 of the total due at checkout
  • 2nd payment: ~1/3 charged just before the event start date
  • 3rd payment: ~1/3 charged 30 days after the event start date

⚠️ Post-event payment included: This template includes a payment that intentionally occurs after the event. Ensure your terms and conditions clearly communicate this to patrons.
3 Payments (monthly)
  • 1st payment: ~1/3 of the total due at checkout
  • 2nd payment: ~1/3 charged one month after checkout
  • 3rd payment: ~1/3 charged two months after checkout

Time-based schedule: All three payments follow a fixed monthly cadence from checkout — not tied to the event date. This is a good option for classes or events where you want straightforward monthly billing.
4 Payments
  • 1st payment: 25% due at checkout
  • 2nd payment: 25% charged 2 weeks after checkout
  • 3rd payment: 25% charged 4 weeks after checkout
  • 4th payment: 25% charged 6 weeks after checkout

Four payments evenly split over six weeks. This familiar template is modeled after what many third-party payment plan platforms provide.
### Understanding Payment Plan Fees Payment plan transactions always pass fees on to the patron, regardless of your theatre's fee settings. Even if your theatre absorbs fees for standard ticket sales, payment plan installments will include fees in each payment the patron sees at checkout. This is because each installment is processed as a separate credit card transaction through Square, and each one incurs its own processing fees. The system is designed this way to keep pricing transparent — patrons see the exact amount of each installment (including fees) before they commit to a plan, so there are no surprises on future charges. {% hint style="info" %} **How it works in practice:** When a patron selects a payment plan at checkout, they see a full breakdown of every installment amount — including fees — before confirming their purchase. Each installment is charged as a separate transaction on the scheduled date. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} **If your theatre absorbs fees for standard sales**, be aware that payment plans are the one exception — fees are always included in the patron's installment amounts. You may want to mention this in your plan description so patrons understand the pricing they see at checkout. {% endhint %} For a full overview of how CrowdWork fees work, see [Understanding CrowdWork Fees](https://docs.crowdwork.com/for-theatres/setup-your-theatre-account/understanding-crowdwork-fees). *** ### Payment Processing & Management #### How Payments Work When a patron purchases a plan, we store their credit card information on your Square account. This allows us to automatically retrieve and charge the patron on each plan date. {% hint style="danger" %} **Important Square Account Management** It is highly advised to not edit or modify the payments or customers within your Square account dashboard while they are enrolled in a plan. **Do not switch or reconnect your Square account while patrons have active payment plans.** Changing your connected Square account breaks the link to stored payment methods and will cause all remaining scheduled installments to fail. If you need to reconnect Square for any reason, wait until all active plans have completed their final payments. {% endhint %} #### Payment Retry Logic {% hint style="info" %} **Automatic retry system:** We'll try to charge a patron's payment three times, each time with 24 hours between attempts. If by the third attempt we can't charge their card on file, we'll cancel the payment and alert your theatre. {% endhint %}
### Viewing Enrolled Plans You can view enrolled plans one of two ways: 1. **From Payment Plans menu**: Navigate to [**Enrolled Plans**](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/payment-plans/enrolled) option in the Payment Plans dropdown 2. **From individual Orders**: View payment plan details directly on the specific Order page > **Direct link:** [Enrolled Payment Plans](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/payment-plans/enrolled) #### What You'll See The enrolled plans view shows: * Patron information * Payment schedule and amounts * Payment status for each installment * Card on file details * Next payment date ### Managing Enrolled Payment Plans From the [Enrolled Plans](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/payment-plans/enrolled) page, you can manage individual payment installments for your patrons. This gives you full control over the payment plan lifecycle. #### Searching and Sorting The enrolled plans table allows you to: * **Search by Name**: Find specific patrons by their name * **Search by Email**: Locate plans by patron email address * **Sort columns**: Click on column headers to sort by Patron Name, Email, Date Enrolled, Payment Amount, Payment Due, Payment Status, or Retries
#### Changing Payment Status Each payment installment has a dropdown menu (accessible via the three dots **•••** icon) that allows you to change its status: | Status | Description | When to Use | | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Mark Upcoming** | Resets the payment to upcoming/scheduled status | Use when you need to reschedule a paused or problematic payment to be processed again | | **Mark Paused** | Temporarily pauses the scheduled payment | Use when a patron needs extra time before their next payment, or when resolving payment issues | | **Mark Paid** | Manually marks the installment as paid | Use when payment was received outside of the system (e.g., cash, check, or external payment) | | **Mark Canceled** | Cancels the payment installment | Use when the patron can no longer complete the plan or by mutual agreement to stop remaining payments | {% hint style="info" %} **Pausing vs. Canceling:** Use **Pause** when the payment is temporarily on hold and may resume later. Use **Cancel** when the payment will not be collected at all. Paused payments can be marked as Upcoming to resume processing. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} **Important:** Changing a payment status does not automatically issue refunds or charge the patron. If you mark a payment as Paid manually, ensure you've actually received payment through another method. For refunds, you'll need to process those separately through Square. {% endhint %} #### Common Scenarios **Patron needs more time to pay:** 1. Navigate to their enrolled payment plan 2. Find the upcoming payment installment 3. Click the dropdown menu and select "Mark Paused" 4. When ready to resume, select "Mark Upcoming" to reschedule **Patron paid via cash or check:** 1. Find the relevant payment installment 2. Select "Mark Paid" from the dropdown 3. Record the external payment in your records **Patron wants to stop their payment plan:** 1. Review remaining installments with the patron 2. Mark remaining unpaid installments as "Canceled" 3. Discuss any outstanding balance or refunds needed *** ### Patron Experience #### For Patrons Patrons can view and manage their payment plans through their account page. They can: * See upcoming payment dates * Update their payment method * View payment history {% hint style="info" %} **Email notifications:** Patrons receive email notifications about upcoming payments and any payment issues {% endhint %} #### Payment Method Updates If patrons need to update their payment method, they can do so through their account page under "Payment Methods" where they can replace their card on file. {% hint style="success" %} **Need to help your patrons with their payment plan features?** We've got a guide! See our [Patron's Guide to Payment Plans](https://docs.crowdwork.com/for-ticket-holders/patrons-guide-to-payment-plans) for the customer experience documentation. {% endhint %} *** Have questions about implementing payment plans? Just [reach out to our Support Team for help](https://docs.crowdwork.com/contacting-support).