This article explains how Stortech handles the default payment method for a customer, what autopay actually triggers, how to add or change a card or pre-authorized debit, and how to convert a rental from offline payment to autopay.
Common questions
How do I add a credit card for a customer? On the customer record, click Add a card. Stripe opens a secure window to enter the details.
How do I ask the customer to update their payment method remotely? Click Resend the portal link from the customer record. The customer will receive an email with a secure link to add or change their payment method themselves.
How do I convert a rental from manual to automatic payment? The customer must first have a default payment method. Then open the rental record and click Convert.
Why doesn't the Convert button appear on a rental record? Either the rental is already on autopay, or the customer doesn't yet have a default payment method.
What happens when a PAD mandate is revoked? Stortech clears the default payment method on the customer record. The next invoice will fail until a new method is recorded.
Who this article is for
This article is for Owners and Managers of a facility who manage customer payment methods. If you're an Employee, you can generally view payment methods, but adding or changing requires a higher role. If a button is greyed out or missing, ask an Owner on your team.
How autopay works
For a rental to be debited automatically each cycle, Stripe needs two things on the customer:
a payment method on file (credit or debit card, or pre-authorized debit);
that payment method set as the default.
If the default is missing or expired, the renewal will fail and the invoice will go to Open instead of Paid. The customer will receive a notification email, and their gate access may be suspended.
Stortech reflects on the contact record what Stripe has as the default. If the two don't match, contact support.
View a customer's current payment method
To check which payment method is on file for a customer:
From the left menu, click Contacts, then open the customer record.
The Payment method section shows:
- the current default payment method (card or pre-authorized debit), or an empty state if there's none; - the Add a card button to record a new one.
Add a credit or debit card
To add a card directly on a customer's record:
On the customer record, click Add a card.
A Stripe window opens. Enter the card number, expiration date, security code, and postal code.
Click Confirm.
The card appears in the Payment method section. If it's the first card recorded for this customer, it automatically becomes the default.
The add form is served by Stripe directly. Stortech never stores the full card number, only the last four digits and the card brand are kept for reference.
Ask the customer to add or change their payment method
For remote operations, avoid entering the customer's card yourself. Ask the customer to do it via the customer portal:
On the customer record, click Resend the portal link.
The customer receives an email with a secure sign-in link.
The customer signs into the portal, then opens the Billing tab to add a card or pre-authorized debit.
Once confirmed by the customer, the payment method appears on their record in Stortech.
Convert a rental to autopay
This is the typical case of a customer who started with cash or cheque and now wants to pay automatically by card or pre-authorized debit.
The customer must first have a payment method recorded as default. If not, follow the Add a card or Ask the customer to add or change their payment method section above.
Open the relevant rental record from the Rentals list.
If the rental is eligible (it's on Manual payment), a Convert button appears in the record header.
Click Convert and confirm.
Future invoices will be charged automatically. Historical invoices don't change.
If a card is already on file and the rental already charges automatically, no conversion is needed. The Convert button doesn't show in that case.
What happens automatically
On adding a card: Stripe records it on the customer profile, and if it's the first, it becomes the default.
On converting to autopay: future invoices on the rental will be charged automatically. No retroactive change is applied to already-issued invoices.
On revocation of a pre-authorized debit mandate: the default payment method is cleared on the customer record. The next invoice will fail until a new method is recorded.
On loss of a card (expired or declined): the renewal invoice fails, the failure is recorded on the invoice, and depending on the facility configuration, gate access may be suspended.
Important statuses and fields
Item | Meaning |
Payment method (section on the customer record) | The default method Stripe will use for automatic charges. |
Add a card | Opens a Stripe window to enter a card. |
Resend the portal link | Sends the customer an email with a secure link to manage their payment method themselves. |
Credit or debit card | Fastest payment method to set up; the charge is confirmed the same day. |
Pre-authorized debit (PAD or ACSS) | Canadian bank debit; requires a signed mandate and a settlement period of 1 to 5 business days before the first confirmation. |
Offline payment | Cash, cheque, Interac, or bank transfer. The customer pays in person or by transfer, and the operator marks the invoice as paid. |
Common issues
Situation | What to check | What to do |
The customer added a card, but renewal fails. Why? | Is the card actually marked as default, or only on file? | Reopen the customer record, pick the card as default, or add a new card. |
The customer says they paid, but the invoice is still Open. What now? | For a pre-authorized debit, confirmation takes 1 to 5 business days, that's normal. For a card, check the invoice's payments. | If it's a recent pre-authorized debit, wait for confirmation. Otherwise, see the Payment refused or failed article. |
Why doesn't the Convert button appear on a rental record? | Is the rental already on Auto? Does the customer have a default payment method on file? | If the rental is already on Auto, no conversion is needed. Otherwise, add a default payment method, then reload the record. |
Add a card fails with a Stripe error. What now? | Is the error a card decline (insufficient funds, expired) or a connection error? | For a decline, ask the customer for another card. For a connection error, contact support. See the Payment refused or failed article. |
The customer's pre-authorized debit mandate has been revoked. What now? | Does the customer record show no default payment method? | The customer must add a new mandate or a card via their portal. The next invoice will fail until that's done. |
The customer portal from your side
The Billing page in the customer portal is where your customers can manage their own payment method:
view and change their default payment method;
add a card or pre-authorized debit;
see their recent invoices.
Actions performed by the customer in their portal update the same payment method you see on the customer record. No divergence is expected under normal operation.