IN BRIEF
The Upcoming Charge Due Autopilot workflow automatically sends a reminder to families who have one or more charges coming due within a specified number of days. This workflow helps reduce late payments by proactively alerting families before their due date.
- Overview
- Accessing the Feature
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Best Practice Recommendations
- Troubleshooting & FAQs
- Related Articles
Interactive Demos for configuring Autopilot workflows can be found in the Education Corner, accessible from the Office Portal's "Welcome" screen.
Overview
The Upcoming Charge Due Autopilot workflow monitors outstanding charges and automatically notifies families with balances that will soon be due.
Administrators can customize when the reminder is sent and how families are notified.
- Workflow type: Schedule-driven
- Trigger: Runs on a specific day and time each month
- Purpose: Remind families about upcoming charge due dates to help ensure timely payments.
Accessing the Feature
- From the Office Portal, navigate to AUTOPILOT>WORKFLOWS>"Add a Workflow."
- Locate Upcoming Charge Due in the list of available workflows.
- The workflow will automatically be copied to your account and will open in the Workflow Editor.
- After configuring the workflow, Save your changes.
- When you are ready, Enable the workflow to begin using it.
NOTE: Only account administrators or staff members who have been granted “Admin Access” permissions can copy or edit Autopilot workflows.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Open the Upcoming Charge Due workflow.
- Review the workflow details:
- Trigger Type: Schedule-driven – runs based on the day and time you specify.
- Communication Template Used: Charge Due in X Days Notification.
- Configure the following options:
-
Scheduled Event
- For instructions on configuring the workflow schedule, see “Configuring a Scheduled Event” in How Do I Copy and Configure Autopilot Workflows?
-
Send Bulk Communication by Family
- Reply To Email - Defaults to the Location email address if none is provided.
- Send Email / Send To All Emails
- Send SMS / Send To All SMS
- Send Push Notification
-
Balance Due in X Days - Defines how many days from the current date charge(s) must be due in order for the family to be included in the communication.
- NOTE: This period defaults to fifteen (15) days.
-
Scheduled Event
- After configuring the workflow, Save your changes.
- When you are ready, Enable the workflow to begin using it.
Additional Options
- Communication Templates: While staff cannot select a different communication template, the email, SMS, and Push notification versions of the "Charge Due in X Days Notification" template can be edited under SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERAL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>"Autopilot" tab.
- Opt-In Compliance: Autopilot always respects family-level email and SMS opt-in preferences when sending messages.
Best Practice Recommendations
Configuration Tips
- The workflow should only be used once, and only if there is a delay between running the charges task and the payment task. For example:
- Run charges task on the 25th of the month.
- Schedule this workflow to run on the 26th of the month.
- Run payments task on the first of the following month.
- Include direct payment links to the Customer Portal in your communication template.
- Use clear subject lines, such as “Upcoming Payment Reminder”, to increase open rates.
Operational Tips
- Schedule this workflow between the date on which charges are placed on the ledger for the upcoming month and when payment is date to align with regular billing cycles.
- Combine this workflow with the Payment Method Expiring and Overdue Balance workflows to maintain consistent billing communication with customers.
- Encourage staff to regularly review unpaid balances to ensure timely follow-up.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
-
Why didn’t the workflow send reminders to all families with upcoming charges?
- Check that the workflow is enabled and that the Balance Due in X Days value aligns with the families’ due dates.
-
Can I send multiple reminders for the same charge?
- This is not recommended. The workflow should only be used once, and only if there is a delay between running the charges task and the payment task. For example:
- Run charges task on the 25th of the month.
- Schedule this workflow to run on the 26th of the month.
- Run payments task on the first of the following month.
- This is not recommended. The workflow should only be used once, and only if there is a delay between running the charges task and the payment task. For example:
-
Does this workflow send to inactive families?
- Yes. As long as the family has a charge with an upcoming due date that falls within the Balance Due in X Days value and has opted in to receive email/SMS communications, they will be included regardless of enrollment status.