This article explains how Stortech manages a customer's default payment method, what autopay actually triggers, and how to add or change a card or pre-authorized debit.
How autopay works
For a rental to be charged automatically each cycle, Stripe needs two things on the customer:
1. a saved payment method (credit or debit card, or pre-authorized debit);
2. that payment method set as the default.
If the default method is missing or expired, the renewal will fail and the invoice will show Open instead of Paid. The customer receives a notification email, and their gate access may be suspended.
View a customer's current payment method
From the left menu, click Contacts, then open the customer's page. The Payment method section shows the current default, or an empty state if there is none.
Add a credit or debit card
1. On the customer's page, click Add a card.
2. A secure Stripe page opens. Enter the card number, expiry date, security code, name, and postal code.
3. Click Save.
The form is served directly by Stripe. Stortech never stores the full number — only the last four digits and the brand are kept.
The card then appears in the Payment method section. If it's the customer's first card, it automatically becomes the default. The form is served by Stripe: Stortech never stores the full number, only the last four digits and the brand.
Ask the customer to add or change their payment method
1. On the customer's page, click Resend portal link.
2. The customer receives an email with a secure sign-in link.
3. In the portal, the Billing tab lets them add a card or pre-authorized debit.
Once confirmed by the customer, the payment method appears on their page in Stortech.
Convert a manual rental to automatic payment
If a rental is billed manually (Cash, Cheque, Bank transfer…), the conversion happens from the rental page, not the customer page: Billing panel, Convert button. The full visual guide: Convert a rental to automatic payment.
What happens automatically
When a card is added: Stripe saves it on the customer profile, and if it's the first one, it becomes the default.
When a pre-authorized debit mandate is revoked: the default payment method is cleared on the customer page. The next invoice will fail until a new method is saved.
When a card fails (expired or declined): the renewal invoice fails, the failure is recorded on the invoice, and depending on the facility's settings, gate access may be suspended.
The customer portal on your side
The customer portal's Billing page lets your customers view and change their default payment method, add a card or pre-authorized debit, and review recent invoices. Actions the customer takes in their portal update the same payment method you see on their page.
The customer can remove a payment method themselves, unless it currently funds an active subscription: in that case, Stortech refuses the removal to prevent billing from silently switching to another card. See Common issues below.
Common issues
The customer added a card, but the renewal fails.
What to check: is the card actually set as default, or only saved?
What to do: reopen the customer page, set the card as the default method, or add a new card.
The customer says they paid, but the invoice is still Open.
What to check: for a pre-authorized debit, the confirmation delay is 1 to 5 business days — that's normal. For a card, check the invoice's payments.
What to do: if it's a recent pre-authorized debit, wait for confirmation. Otherwise, see Failed or declined payment.
Add a card fails with a Stripe error.
What to check: is the error a card decline (insufficient funds, expired card) or a connection error?
What to do: for a decline, ask the customer for another card. For a connection error, contact support.
The customer's pre-authorized debit mandate was revoked.
What to check: does the customer page show no default payment method?
What to do: the customer must add a new mandate or a card through their portal. The next invoice will fail until that's done.
The customer tries to remove a payment method in their portal but gets an error.
What to check: does this payment method fund an active subscription, i.e. is it the one that will be charged at the next renewal?
What to do: this is expected behavior. Stortech refuses the removal as long as an active subscription depends on it. The customer needs to add a new payment method and set it as the default first; or contact support to change the method that bills the subscription directly.
The customer sees "Your account is billed on both a card and pre-authorized debit".
Check: the customer has more than one active rental and they are not all collected the same way, one on a card and another on pre-authorized debit.
Do: the portal refuses to choose for them. Change their payment method yourself from their record, or bring their rentals back onto a single method.
The customer sees "This payment method is a different type from the one your billing is set up with".
Check: they are trying to move from a card to pre-authorized debit, or the other way around.
Do: this is intentional. The payment type follows what you set up, not the customer's choice. Make the change from their record; to move them to pre-authorized debit, see Pre-authorized debit (ACSS / PAD).
The customer sees "Your account bills on more than one schedule".
Check: some of their rentals bill monthly and others every four weeks.
Do: same thing, the change goes through you, from their record.
The customer sees "Pre-authorized debit is only available for facilities billing in Canadian dollars".
Check: your facility's billing currency.
Do: nothing to fix. Pre-authorized debit only exists in Canadian dollars; this customer has to use a card.
The customer sees "This payment type is not accepted at this facility".
Check: the payment methods your billing settings accept, either card only, pre-authorized debit only, or both.
Do: if you want to accept that type, change the setting. Otherwise tell the customer which method to use.
The customer sees "We could not confirm your current payment method".
Check: nothing on your side. Stortech could not read their billing state from Stripe at the moment they clicked.
Do: ask them to try again in a moment. If the message comes back, contact support.
The customer sees "Your billing uses a payment method this page cannot update".
Check: their billing is attached to a payment type other than a card or pre-authorized debit.
Do: contact support. The change happens on the billing side, not from the portal.
Common questions
How do I add a credit card for a customer? — On the customer's page, click Add a card. Stripe opens a secure page to enter the details.
How do I invite a customer to switch to autopay? — Rental page, Billing panel, Convert button, then Send invitation if the customer should add their own card.
How do I ask the customer to just update their payment method remotely? — Resend portal link from their page; they manage their card in the portal's Billing tab.
Why doesn't the Convert button appear on a rental? — Either it's already on autopay, or it's cancelled. For a rental migrated from another software still pending activation, add the card on the customer page: billing activation is completed by the Stortech team.
What happens when a PAD mandate is revoked? — The default method is cleared; the next invoice will fail until a new method is saved.
Who can manage payment methods? — Owners and Managers. Employees can view, but not add or change.
Can the customer remove any payment method from their portal? — No. If it funds an active subscription, Stortech refuses the removal to prevent billing from silently switching. The customer must first add and set a new default method; otherwise, contact support to change the method that bills the subscription directly.