AutoPay automatically pays a client's outstanding invoices once a month, on a day the client chooses, using their saved payment method. Clients set it up in the Client Portal, or Firm Admins set it up on a client's behalf. Clients can pay all outstanding invoices in full each month or set a maximum monthly payment amount.
AutoPay is not a Recurring Payment
AutoPay and Recurring Payments are two separate features.
- AutoPay pays the client's actual invoices as the firm posts them. One AutoPay plan covers the whole client account.
- Recurring Payments are scheduled payments that are not tied to posted invoices.
AutoPay replaces Recurring Payments. When a client with an existing Recurring Payment plan turns on AutoPay, they must confirm that the Recurring Payment plan will be disabled before they can finish setting up AutoPay.
Who can set up AutoPay
- Clients who have a Payment Portal user account can turn on AutoPay from the Settings tab in the Client Portal.
- Firm Admins can set up AutoPay on a client's behalf in that client's portal.
Each client account needs only one AutoPay plan.
AutoPay setup options
| Option | What the client chooses |
|---|---|
| Day of the month | The day each month that AutoPay processes. |
| Payment amount | Pay all outstanding invoices in full, or set a maximum payment amount per month. |
| Payment method | An existing saved payment method, or a new one. |
| AutoPay emails | Extra email addresses that receive AutoPay notifications, in addition to the email on the client's portal user account. |
Firm setting: Buffer Days
The firm chooses one Buffer Days value for all clients, for example 5, 7, or 9 days. Buffer Days sets how many days before the AutoPay date the client gets a reminder email. With 7 buffer days, the reminder goes out 7 days before AutoPay processes.
Invoices posted after the reminder email goes out are paid by the next month's AutoPay.
What gets paid on the AutoPay date
On the client's chosen day, AutoPay charges the saved payment method for the client's unpaid invoices.
- No maximum set: all unpaid invoices are paid in full.
- Maximum set: the oldest unpaid invoice is paid first, then the next oldest, until the maximum is reached. If the remaining amount does not cover an invoice, AutoPay makes a partial payment on it.
- Fees count toward the maximum: processing fees and international card fees are included in the maximum. The client is never charged more than the maximum they set.
AutoPay does not pay:
- Late fees (finance charges): the client pays these manually. AutoPay only pays invoices and processing fees.
- Invoices already paid: invoices paid manually in Aiwyn or outside Aiwyn (for example, by check) are skipped.
- Selected invoices only: AutoPay is set at the client level and cannot be limited to certain invoices.
If the client has no unpaid invoices on the AutoPay date, no payment is made. An invoice posted after the AutoPay date is paid on the next month's AutoPay date.
Example: maximum with a processing fee
A client has a $1,000 monthly maximum and pays by credit card with a 3% processing fee. They have two outstanding invoices of $500 each, due May 1 and May 15.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Invoice due May 1 (paid in full) | $500.00 |
| Invoice due May 15 (partial payment) | $470.88 |
| 3% credit card processing fee | $29.12 |
| Total charged (AutoPay maximum) | $1,000.00 |
The May 15 invoice still has $29.12 open. The client gets an email with a link to pay the remaining balance by the due date.
Processing fees for AutoPay
By default, AutoPay uses the credit card processing fees the firm set for its clients. The firm can set different fees for AutoPay and Recurring Payments, for example to absorb card fees on automatic payments but not on one-time payments. To change this, email support@aiwyn.ai.
AutoPay with multiple business entities
For firms that operate under more than one entity, AutoPay combines the client's outstanding invoices across all entities and pays them by due date, most overdue first. The maximum amount, if set, applies across all entities.
- Each entity's bank account gets its own scheduled deposit.
- Each payment has its own confirmation email.
- Reports are split by entity, so two entities produce two payment files and two transaction files.
Example: A client has a $1,000 maximum and four invoices:
| Invoice | Due | Entity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — $400 | March 1 | Entity 1 | Paid in full ($600 remaining) |
| B — $300 | March 1 | Entity 2 | Paid in full ($300 remaining) |
| C — $500 | March 15 | Entity 1 | $300 paid, $200 still due ($0 remaining) |
| D — $200 | March 20 | Entity 2 | Not paid, limit reached |
Payment files: Entity 1 receives $700 (Invoice A and part of Invoice C). Entity 2 receives $300 (Invoice B).
Emails the client receives
AutoPay sends these emails to the client and any added AutoPay email addresses:
- AutoPay was set up (shows the maximum monthly amount, if set)
- A payment will be made in X days (sent at the start of the Buffer Days period; one version for clients with a maximum, one without)
- A payment was made and paid the invoices in full
- A payment was made but did not pay an invoice in full, with a link to pay the remaining balance by the due date
- A payment failed, with a link to pay the invoice manually
- AutoPay settings were changed
- AutoPay was turned off
- A payment method used by AutoPay is about to expire
Clients enrolled in AutoPay stop receiving Smart Statement emails, because the reminder email already lists their outstanding invoices and aging. In the Firm Portal Collections view, their status shows as Enrolled in AutoPay.
Where to see AutoPay
- Client Portal: unpaid invoices show that they will be paid by AutoPay, and the client can view their AutoPay plan.
- Firm Portal: firm staff can see every AutoPay plan and every Recurring Payment plan set up by clients or by Firm Admins on their behalf.
Related articles
- Review a client's AutoPay plan
- Recurring Payments (a separate feature)
- How payment retry and recovery works
- How allocation determines a client's true outstanding balance