Instalment plans

Let customers split payments into scheduled instalments for higher-value bookings.

Instalment plans let you break the cost of a booking into multiple scheduled payments, making higher-value activities more accessible. Customers pay an initial amount at checkout and the remaining balance is collected automatically over time through Stripe.

How instalment plans work

1. You configure an instalment plan on an activity or product, defining the number of payments and the schedule.
2. At checkout, customers see the instalment option alongside the full-price payment.
3. The customer pays the first instalment to confirm their booking.
4. Sailia automatically collects subsequent payments on the scheduled dates through Stripe.
5. If all payments are collected, the plan is marked as complete.

The booking is confirmed after the first instalment is paid. The customer has full access to their reservation while the remaining instalments are outstanding.

Setting up instalment plans

To offer instalment payments on an activity:

1. Open the activity settings

   Navigate to the activity you want to offer instalments for and open its pricing configuration.

2. Enable instalment payments

   Toggle on the instalment option and define the payment schedule — the number of instalments, the interval between payments, and the amount for each instalment.

3. Save and publish

   Save your changes. Customers booking the activity now see the instalment option at checkout.

Managing instalment plans

From your financial dashboard, you can track all active instalment plans. Each plan shows:

Field	Description
Customer	The customer’s name and account
Activity	The booked activity and session date
Total amount	The full price of the booking
Paid so far	The total amount collected across completed instalments
Next payment	The date and amount of the next scheduled instalment
Status	Active, completed, or abandoned

Payment collection

Instalment payments are processed automatically through Stripe on the scheduled dates. If a payment fails:

• Stripe retries the charge according to its retry schedule.
• The customer is notified about the failed payment.
• If retries are exhausted, the instalment plan may be marked as abandoned.

An abandoned instalment plan means outstanding payments were not collected. Review abandoned plans regularly and follow up with customers to resolve payment issues.

Automating instalment communications

Use automated workflows to keep customers informed throughout the instalment lifecycle. Available triggers include:

Trigger	When it fires
Instalment due	An instalment payment is about to be collected
Instalment paid	An instalment payment has been successfully processed
Instalment plan started	A new instalment plan is created
Instalment plan completed	All instalments are fully paid
Instalment plan abandoned	The plan is terminated due to missed payments

Set up an “instalment due” workflow to send a reminder a few days before each payment. This reduces failed payments and improves the customer experience.

Troubleshooting

A customer's instalment payment failed

Stripe automatically retries failed payments on its default schedule. If retries are exhausted, the plan is marked as abandoned. Check the customer’s payment method in Stripe and contact them to update their card details if needed.

A customer wants to pay off their remaining balance early

Currently, instalment plans follow the configured schedule. To close a plan early, you can manually process the remaining amount through the point of sale and update the plan status in the dashboard.

Instalment plan shows as abandoned

An abandoned plan means all retry attempts for a scheduled payment have failed. Review the plan in your financial dashboard, contact the customer to resolve the payment issue, and consider rebooking them if needed.

Related guides

Payments and Stripe

How Sailia processes payments and handles failed charges.

Automated workflows

Set up email reminders for upcoming instalment payments.