Review a payment plan request
Read a co-signer's request to pay over time, then approve it with terms or decline it with a reason.
When your agency offers payment plans, the primary co-signer can ask to pay the amount due over time instead of all at once. The request parks the posting at Review Plan Request until you answer it, and nothing can be paid in the meantime. You approve it with the plan's terms, or decline it and tell them why.
What the co-signer does
- On their bail page, below the ways to pay, they click Request a payment plan.
- They can add a Note (optional) about what they can afford, then click Send request.
- Their page shows Payment plan requested, with their note and a Withdraw request button. Other co-signers see that a plan was requested and that nothing is needed from them.
The button only shows on an approved posting (Awaiting Payment or Payment Rejected), when your agency has payment plans on and the amount due meets its minimum. A co-signer asks once: after you decline their request, or withdraw a plan you offered, the button is gone for good. See Set up payment plans.
Before you start
- You can edit the posting. Only the posting's assigned agent or an agency admin sees Approve Plan and Decline Plan.
- The posting shows Review Plan Request. That amber badge puts it in the Waiting for agent lane on the Dashboard, and the assigned agent is told by text or email that a plan was requested.
Read the request
Open the posting. The status card says Payment plan requested, with who asked, the amount due, the co-signer's Note if they left one, and when they asked.
Approve it with terms
Click Approve Plan
In the status card, click Approve Plan. The Approve payment plan dialog opens with your agency's default terms filled in.
Set the terms
- Down payment: in dollars, with its share of the amount due shown beside it. It has to be less than the amount due.
- How often: Weekly, Every 2 weeks or Monthly.
- Number of payments: how many installments follow the down payment.
- APR: the yearly interest rate. Enter
0for no interest.
Check the preview
The preview under the terms, titled with the co-signer's first name (for example What Dana will see), updates as you type: the Down payment, the Amount financed, how much each payment is and how often, The last payment when rounding makes it differ, Interest over the plan and the Total of payments. It also says when the first payment falls due: one period after the down payment is paid.
If the payments would be too small to split, you're asked to use fewer.
Click Approve
You'll see Payment plan approved.
What happens next
- The posting goes back to Awaiting Payment, carrying the plan. The status card says Payment plan offered, with the terms in one line.
- The primary co-signer is told by text or email, with the terms.
- Their bail page shows Your payment plan is ready, with the invoice and Your plan. They accept the plan by paying the down payment, or they can pay the full amount instead. See Offer a payment plan for what they see and how to change the plan before they pay.
Decline it
Click Decline Plan
In the status card, click Decline Plan.
Give a reason
Write a Reason, such as We only finance an amount due of $5,000 or more. It's required, and the co-signer reads it, so write it for them.
Click Decline
You'll see Payment plan request declined.
What happens next
- The posting goes back to Awaiting Payment, without a plan.
- The primary co-signer is told by text or email, with your reason.
- Their bail page shows Payment plan request declined, with your reason, and they can still pay the amount due in full. They can't ask for a plan again, but you can still offer them one. See Offer a payment plan.
If the co-signer withdraws the request
The co-signer can click Withdraw request while you haven't answered. The posting goes back to Awaiting Payment and the assigned agent is told. Withdrawing gives them their ask back, so they can request a plan again later.
A request that isn't going anywhere
A posting waiting on a plan request can still be closed, since no money has moved. See Close or reopen a posting.