On the rentals list and on each record, you see labels like Auto, Manual, Card, or Cash. These labels describe how Stripe is set up to bill this rental, not how the rental was created. This article explains what each label means and how to convert a rental from manual to automatic payment.
Common questions
What's the difference between the Auto and Manual labels? Auto means Stripe automatically charges the customer's default payment method on each cycle. Manual means each invoice is sent to the customer by email with a Stripe payment link; the customer pays at their convenience.
How do I convert a rental from manual to automatic payment? On the rental record, click Convert (visible if the customer has a default payment method). Pick the payment method and confirm. Unpaid invoices will be charged immediately.
Why doesn't the Convert button appear on some rentals? Either the rental is already on autopay (Auto badge), or the customer doesn't yet have a default payment method on file. Add a payment method and reload.
The customer doesn't have a card on file. How do I enable autopay? In the Convert dialog, click Send an invitation to the customer. An email invites them to add their card via their portal. Once done, the Convert button appears.
Can we go back to manual payment after converting? Not via the standard interface. For exceptional cases, contact support.
What do the Cash, Cheque, Interac labels on the record mean? These labels appear on rentals created manually with Offline payment. No Stripe charge is made; you record the payments manually.
Who this article is for
Viewing payment labels is available to all roles. Converting to autopay requires the Owner or Manager role. If the Convert button is missing, either the condition (payment method on file) isn't met, or your role doesn't have the permission.
Labels shown
On the Rentals list
The Method column shows a badge:
Auto, autopay: Stripe charges the default payment method on each cycle.
Manual, manual payment: each invoice is sent to the customer by email with a Stripe payment link.
On a rental record
The Billing section in the Summary tab shows the specific payment method:
Card (with brand and last 4 digits if available).
Pre-authorized debit (PAD/ACSS), for rentals charged via an ACSS mandate.
Cash, Cheque, Interac / Debit, Bank transfer, or Other, for rentals created manually with Offline payment.
An additional badge can show Automatic or Manual, with the Convert button typically visible when the badge is Manual.
Payment label vs creation channel
The label doesn't say anything about how the rental was created:
A rental created via the public storefront is typically on autopay (card or ACSS).
A manual rental created by the operator can be on autopay (Credit card) or on manual payment (Offline payment).
To know the source channel, check the rental's Details tab or the trace in the Activity tab.
Convert a manual rental to autopay
The Convert button appears on a rental record only when:
the rental is on manual payment (Manual badge); AND
the customer has a default payment method on file.
The customer already has a payment method
Open the rental record.
Click Convert.
The Convert to autopay dialog opens, with the subtitle "Switch this rental from manual to automatic payment. The customer's card will be charged automatically on each billing cycle."
Pick the payment method among those on file for the customer.
Click Convert to autopay.
During processing, the button shows Converting....
A notification confirms "Rental converted to autopay".
The customer doesn't have a payment method
In the Convert to autopay dialog, the message "No payment method on file" is shown.
Two options:
- Add a card, enter a card on the operator side via Stripe Elements. - Send an invitation to the customer, send an email asking the customer to add their payment method via their portal. Subtext: "Send an email inviting the customer to configure autopay via their portal."
If you choose the invitation, click Send the invitation. The button shows Sending..., then the notification "Autopay invitation sent to the customer" confirms the send.
Wait for the customer to add their card via the portal. Once done, the Convert button appears and the conversion can be made.
Customer-side: banner in the portal
On the customer portal, a Switch to autopay banner may appear:
Description: "Set up automatic payments so you never miss a due date. Your invoices will be charged automatically on your card."
Button: Switch to autopay
If no card is on file, the message "Add a payment method first" replaces the button.
After activation on the customer side, the success banner shows "Autopay enabled! Your invoices will now be charged automatically."
What happens automatically
On conversion from the operator side
The rental moves to autopay in Stripe.
If unpaid invoices exist, they may be charged immediately with the chosen card. A notification shows "{count} unpaid invoice(s) charged".
The rental history is tracked in Activity: "Converted to autopay" with the card details (for example "Card: Visa ****4242").
On conversion from the customer via the portal
Same effect as conversion from the operator side.
The history is tracked in Activity: "The customer enabled autopay".
Reverse direction (Auto to Manual)
Stortech doesn't support a direct return to manual payment after automatic conversion via the standard interface. If required (rare), contact support.
Important statuses and fields
Item | Meaning |
Auto (badge) | Rental on autopay: Stripe charges on each cycle. |
Manual (badge) | Rental on manual payment: invoices sent to the customer. |
Convert (button) | Visible when the badge is Manual and the customer has a default payment method. |
This rental is already on autopay | Error if you try to convert a rental that's already Auto. |
Please select a payment method | Error if no method is chosen before Convert. |
Send an invitation to the customer | Alternative when the customer doesn't have a payment method yet. |
Common issues
Situation | What to check | What to do |
The Convert button doesn't appear. Why? | What's the badge? If Auto, the rental is already on autopay. If Manual, does the customer have a default payment method? | Add a payment method via the customer record, or send an invitation. See the Payment methods and autopay article. |
The error This rental is already on autopay appears. Why? | The badge should be Auto; another operator or the customer may have converted recently. | Refresh the page. |
The error Please select a payment method appears. What now? | No method was picked in the dialog. | Pick a method and click Convert. |
The customer invitation isn't received. What now? | Check the facility's Emails tab or the Resend status. | Resend the invitation. If recurring, see the Customer can't sign in article. |
After conversion, unpaid invoices were charged automatically and the customer wasn't aware. What now? | That's the expected behaviour: Open invoices are charged at conversion time. | Warn the customer ahead of time. To undo a charge, issue a refund via the invoice record. |
The customer asks to go back to manual payment after conversion. How? | No self-service option. | Contact support for a manual intervention. |