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How Do I Manage Families in the Office Portal?

IN BRIEF:
Staff with appropriate permissions can create new family accounts in the Office Portal using either the New Family Wizard or the traditional NEW FAMILY form and/or edit family details. The New Family wizard guides staff through each required step to ensure a complete record, while the traditional form allows experienced users to enter all details in one screen. Both options include tools for sending welcome emails and adding family details. Editing the family record allows for managing policies and saving payment information.

Overview

The New Family Wizard guides staff through each required step—guardian details, contact information, address, and additional options—while the traditional form lets experienced users enter everything in a single window. Both methods automatically check for duplicate primary email addresses and shared phone numbers to prevent errors.

Tip: It is highly recommended to use the New Family Wizard when creating family accounts, as it prompts for each data point in logical order to ensure a complete account record.

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Option 1 – Using the New Family Wizard

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  1. On the FAMILIES page, select the “wand” icon next to NEW FAMILY.
  2. Enter the primary guardian’s First Name, Last Name, and Relationship to the student(s) that will be attached to the family account.
    • If needed, extra relationship types can be created under SETTINGS>SETUP>FAMILY SETTINGS> RELATIONSHIPS.
  3. (optional) Select [+New] to add a secondary guardian.
  4. Enter guardian Email address(es):
    • Choose an Email Type and toggle the opt-in/opt-out status for Email Blasts as needed.
    • Select which email is Primary (used for Customer Portal login and statements).
    • The system checks for duplicate primary emails and blocks saving if one is found.
  5. Enter guardian Phone number(s):
    • Choose a Phone Type and toggle the opt-in/opt-out status for text messages as needed.
    • Duplicate phone numbers will trigger a warning, but can be overridden when necessary.
    • NOTE: If both guardians share a number, it is recommended to either leave the phone number field blank for the secondary guardian or supply an alternate.
  6. Enter the family Mailing Address.
    • (optional) Select Add Another to create additional addresses.
  7. Complete Additional Information:
    • How Did You Hear About Us?
    • Family Flag Alert
    • Special Discounts
    • Family Keywords
    • Custom Fields
  8. Review all entries. Use the pencil/edit ️ icon to edit a section, then select Next to return to the review screen.
  9. Select SAVE.
  10. On the Saved Successfully screen, you can:
    • Add Another Family
    • Attach Students to this Family (launches the New Student Wizard)
    • Send Welcome Email (uses “Welcome Email” template under SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERAL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>ICLASSPRO)
    • Close & View Details to open the family profile.

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Option 2 – Using the Traditional New Family Form

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  1. On the FAMILIES page, select NEW FAMILY.
  2. In the New Guardian Details dialog, enter:
    • Name, Phone, Email, and Address.
    • Select Relationship, Phone Type, and Email Type where appropriate.
    • Use Add Another Phone/Email/Address for additional entries.
  3. The system validates duplicate primary emails and phone numbers as described in Option 1 above.
  4. Select APPLY to save the guardian details.
    op_new_family_03.png
  5. The first guardian is automatically flagged as Primary.
  6. (optional) Use Add New Guardian to create additional guardian profiles.
    op_new_family_04.png
  7. By default, new guardians are opted OUT of Texting and Subscribe to Email Blast.
  8. Select View More to record How Did You Hear About Us or other extended data.
  9. Select Save Family to enable additional tabs (e.g., Students, Enrollments, Ledger, Autopay, Keywords, Notes, Custom Fields, etc.)
  10. Proceed to add students, enrollments, payments, and policy agreements as required.

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Additional Tasks & Advanced Options

Email the Family

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Use Email Family (upper-right corner of the family profile) to send or schedule an Email Blast to all subscribed addresses. Options include sending a copy to yourself, choosing a template, or composing from scratch.

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Edit Family Details

Select the pencil/edit ️icon next to the primary guardian’s name in FAMILIES to update any information. Indicators may appear:

  • Can Log In – guardian has accepted invitation for Customer Portal access
  • Invite Revoked – access revoked
  • No Password Set – password not yet created

Expand View More to update License, Family Flag Alert, Referral, and other information.

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Change the Primary Guardian

Edit any guardian and enable Set as Primary Guardian, then APPLY and SAVE.

NOTES:

  • If the Primary Guardian is changed on an account, or if the “Family Merge” tool is used to combine multiple family accounts, all secondary access to that account will be revoked, and the Primary Guardian will need to send new invitations to restore secondary access for those users.
    • NOTE: This includes simply updating the Primary Guardian's name -- not just promoting an existing secondary guardian to the Primary Guardian position.
  • If the Primary Guardian is changed on the account, any payment information associated with that guardian will be removed. New payment information will need to be entered for the new Primary Guardian if it is required.
    • NOTE: In both instances, the Primary Guardian will receive an email alerting them to the change and steps necessary to restore secondary access or re-enter payment information.
  • If the Primary Guardian name is edited, or if the “Family Merge” tool is used to combine multiple family accounts, all policy acceptances will be voided and the Primary Guardian will be prompted to accept all policies upon the next login to the Customer Portal (as the system will not have any records of acceptance with the edited name).

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Revoke Secondary Login Access

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Accept Policies Manually

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With the proper permission, staff can manually accept policies under the POLICIES tab when a signed copy is on file.

However, we always recommend directing families to accept policies electronically via the Customer Portal/Mobile App whenever possible.

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Suspend a Family

Enable Suspend Family to block Customer Portal/Mobile App logins.

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Manage Billing & Saved Payment Information

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  1. Open the Billing tab.
  2. Select Add Payment Method.
    op_new_family_08.png
  3. Choose Credit Card or eCheck (depending on the customer's payment method and which methods are enabled in your gateway configuration).
  4. (optional) Enable This Payment Method is Authorized for Recurring Billing.
    • NOTE: Whenever the Opt-In/Opt-Out status changes for recurring billing, the family is sent an email to notify them that the status has been updated. When a staff member changes this status in the Office Portal, he system uses either the "Confirmation of Staff Opt-In for Recurring Payment" or "Confirmation of Staff Opt-Out for Recurring Payment" communication template, respectively.
  5. Complete the secure payment form (opens on securepay.unifiedbusiness.com):
    • Name and address fields will be automatically filled in based on the information in the Family profile. If there is a different name on the card, or if the card uses a different mailing address/email/phone number these fields may need to be updated manually.
    • Enter the Payment Details.
      op_new_family_09.png
      • For Credit/Debit Cards, enter the Card Number, Expiration Date, and CVV.
      • For eChecks, enter the Bank Routing Number, Account Number, Name on Account, and select the Account Type.
    • Click SUBMIT to save the payment information to the gateway and link it to the family profile.
    • If you have selected the "This Payment Method is Authorized For Recurring Billing" option, this option will automatically be enabled, and the family will receive the "Opt-In Confirmation for Recurring Payment" email.
      • If the payment method should not be authorized for recurring billing, you will need to disable the option and save the family details.
  6. Up to three methods per guardian are allowed; however, only one can be marked Primary.

Note: Only the primary payment method linked to the Primary Guardian is used in recurring billing tasks.

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Keywords, Notes & Custom Fields

  • Tag families with Keywords for quick filtering.
  • Record private Notes (requires that staff members have been granted the EDIT Family permission).
  • Capture business-specific data with Custom Fields.

See “How Do I Create Family and Student Custom Fields?” for details on setting up custom fields.

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Troubleshooting / FAQ

  • Why can’t I save a family record with a duplicate email?
    • The system does not allow two families to share the same primary email. Change or remove the duplicate.
  • What if I get a duplicate phone number warning?
    • Verify the number. Staff can override for secondary guardians if necessary.
  • Why can’t I edit Family Notes?
    • Ensure the staff member has the EDIT Family permission.

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    Why did a saved payment method fail validation?

    •  

      Review and re-enter the payment details.

  • What if another user edits the family record while I am working on it?
    • Reload the record when prompted, re-enter any unsaved changes, and save again.

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Need more assistance?

Customer support is available at 1-877-554-6776 Mon - Fri, 9 am to 9 pm (CT) and Sat, 9 am to 6 pm (CT).