Overview
SquadTrip lets organizers create installment payment plans so travelers can pay for their trip over time instead of all at once. You set the deposit, schedule, and optional installment fee -- then SquadTrip handles auto-billing, reminders, and late sign-up adjustments automatically. Payment plans work with whichever gateway you have connected -- Stripe or Square.
Getting to Payment Plans
From your dashboard, open the trip, then choose Trip Actions → Edit Trip Settings
In the left sidebar menu, click "Payments" (under the Main Flow section)
The Payments & Settings page will load with two sections, Payment Options and Payment Settings, both open by default
Under Payment Options, scroll to Payment Plans
You'll see the Payment Plans summary -- a table showing all your packages with their current payment plan status
The Payment Plans Summary
When you first open the Payment Plans section, you'll see a summary table listing every package for your trip. Each row shows the package name, price, deposit amount, number of installments, and a status badge (Pay in Full only, From template, or -- right after a save -- Updated / Applied).
To start editing, click the "Edit Payment Plans" button in the top-right corner.
Step 1: Choose Your Package
After clicking Edit Payment Plans, you'll see all your packages displayed as cards. Select the package you want to configure by clicking on it. Each card shows the package name, price, and current plan details if one is already set.
Note: Packages priced at $99 or less are automatically set to "Pay in Full only" and cannot have installment plans -- the price must be above $99.
Step 2: Choose Your Payment Type
Once you select a package, the editing form opens with a vertical timeline of settings. The first section is Payment Type -- check one or both options:
Pay in Full -- Travelers pay the full amount in one payment
Pay in Installments -- Travelers pay a deposit and then monthly installments
Most organizers enable both options to give travelers flexibility.
Step 3: Set the Deposit Amount
In the Deposit Amount section, enter the minimum deposit travelers must pay when they book. The minimum allowed deposit is $35. Guests can choose to pay more than the minimum at checkout, which reduces their monthly payments.
Step 4: Set the Payment Schedule
The Payment Schedule section lets you set:
First installment date will be -- When the first monthly payment begins after the deposit
Collect all payments by -- The deadline by which all payments must be collected. It must come after the first installment date, and the date picker will not let you pick a date after the trip's start date.
Each field is shown on its own line with the label and date picker side by side. SquadTrip automatically calculates the number of installments based on these two dates and displays the count (e.g. "-> 6 installments") at the end of the second row. Payments are collected on the same day each month (matching your first installment date). For example, if you set the first installment to May 15th and the collection deadline to August 15th, travelers will be charged on May 15, June 15, July 15, and August 15 -- four installments.
Tip: You can set the first installment date well into the future if you want to give travelers a break after their deposit. For example, if someone books in January but your first installment isn't until May, there will be no payments between the deposit and May. This is common for trips planned far in advance.
The Payment Schedule Preview shows the exact dates and amounts, including the deposit, each installment, and the final payment -- so you can verify everything looks right before saving.
Late sign-ups: If a traveler books after some installment dates have already passed, the remaining balance is automatically split across the installments that are left. This means late bookers will have larger monthly payments than early bookers. For example, if 4 installments were planned but a traveler books after 2 have passed, the remaining balance is split across 2 payments instead of 4.
Step 5: Add an Installment Fee (Optional)
The Installment Fee section lets you add an additional cost for guests who choose to pay in installments. We recommend adding at least $100 -- this incentivizes travelers to pay in full upfront, while covering the cost of managing installment payments.
Step 6: Apply to Other Packages
The Apply to Packages section lets you apply the same payment plan settings to multiple packages at once. Check the boxes next to each package you want to include, or click "Select all" to apply to every eligible package. Packages priced at $99 or less will be grayed out since they only support pay-in-full.
Step 7: Save Changes
Click "Save Changes" in the floating action bar at the bottom. The summary table then marks the package you edited Updated and any packages you applied it to Applied.
Auto-Billing
Auto-billing is turned ON by default. Travelers are automatically charged on their scheduled payment dates. By default SquadTrip sends a reminder email 5 days before each due date. The lead time is a setting on the reminder email template, so you can move it closer to or further from the due date.
Late Sign-Ups Adjust Automatically
If a traveler registers after some installment dates have already passed, SquadTrip automatically recalculates their schedule. Only future payment dates are included -- past dates are skipped, and the remaining balance is divided evenly across the installments that are left. This means late bookers pay larger monthly amounts but still finish by the same deadline.
Important Notes
The collection deadline ("Collect all payments by") must be after the first installment date -- the date pickers cap both dates at the trip's start date
Payments are collected on the same day each month (based on your first installment date)
The minimum deposit is $35 and each installment must be at least $35
Packages priced at $99 or less can only accept pay-in-full — the price must be above $99
Payment plans work with whichever gateway you have connected -- Stripe or Square
Save your payment plan before publishing -- the Publish button warns "Please save your changes before publishing" while there are unsaved changes
Troubleshooting
Problem | Solution |
Cannot create installment plan for a package | The package price is likely $99 or less. Packages priced at $99 or less are automatically locked to pay-in-full only. Increase the package price above $99 (for example, $100) to enable installment plans. |
"Save Changes" button is grayed out or not responding | Save Changes is disabled when neither Pay in Full nor Pay in Installments is checked, when the trip has already started, when no package is ticked under Apply to Packages, when a room-priced package has no rooms assigned, or when you do not have edit access. It also will not save while the collection deadline is earlier than the first installment date. |
Installment count looks wrong | SquadTrip calculates installments based on the months between your first installment date and collection deadline. Adjust those two dates to increase or decrease the number of installments. |
Late bookers are seeing very high installment amounts | This is expected behavior. Late sign-ups have fewer remaining installments, so the balance is split across fewer payments. Consider extending the collection deadline or lowering the package price to reduce per-installment costs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I change a payment plan after travelers have already booked? A: You can edit the payment plan for future bookings at any time. However, travelers who have already booked keep their original payment schedule. To modify an individual traveler's plan, use the Edit Order flow on the traveler’s booking.
Q: What is the minimum deposit I can require? A: The minimum deposit is $35. You can set it higher if you want a larger upfront commitment from travelers. Guests can also choose to pay more than the minimum deposit at checkout, which reduces their remaining installments.
Q: Do travelers receive reminders before each installment is charged? A: Yes. SquadTrip automatically sends an email reminder 5 days before each scheduled payment date by default - the lead time is set on the reminder email template. If a charge fails, the system retries every 2 days, up to 4 times (when auto-retry is enabled in Payment Settings -- it can only be on while Auto-Charge is on). After the 4th failed attempt the payment is marked failed and must be resolved manually. If the card has expired or was lost or stolen, retrying will not help -- the traveler needs to update their payment method and then pay from their dashboard.
Q: Can I offer installment plans if I use Square instead of Stripe? A: Yes. Payment plans work with whichever gateway you have connected -- Stripe or Square. The installment schedule, auto-billing, and reminder emails function identically regardless of which gateway processes the payments.
Q: What happens if I set the first installment date far in the future? A: Travelers will only pay their deposit at checkout and then have no charges until the first installment date arrives. This is useful for trips planned far in advance where you want to give travelers a payment break after booking.
Q: Why does a traveler have a $0.01 balance remaining? A: This happens due to rounding when installment math divides unevenly (e.g., a $1,000 balance split into 3 payments of $333.33 leaves $0.01). SquadTrip automatically clears any leftover balance of $0.10 or less once a day, so it will disappear within a day or two. No action is needed from you or the traveler.
Q: How do I change the payment collection deadline after setting it up? A: Go to Payments > Payment Plans > Edit Payment Plans, select the package, and update the "Collect all payments by" date. The new deadline changes the number of installments accordingly. Note that this only affects future bookings — travelers who have already booked keep their original payment schedule. To adjust an individual traveler's dates, use the Edit Order flow on the traveler’s booking.
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