Setting your season payment options
Getting started
From the Season area of the navigation, select Payment settings. Here you can define payment rules and options for the selected camp season. These settings determine how payment choices appear to families during the enrollment checkout process.
Payment methods
Choose which payment methods are available to families at checkout, and set convenience fees for each method.
Credit card - accept credit card payments. Optionally set a convenience fee percentage to pass on to families.
Debit card - accept debit card payments. Convenience fees are not supported for debit card transactions, as most U.S. states prohibit surcharges on debit cards.
Bank account (ACH) - accept ACH bank transfer payments. Optionally set a convenience fee percentage.
Check by mail - allow families to pay by mailing a check.
Wire transfer - allow families to pay by bank wire.
Cash - record cash payments collected in person.
Offline payment methods (Check by mail, Wire transfer, and Cash) aren't enabled by default. Email support@campfront.com to have them switched on for your camp.
A card on file is required before enabling Check by mail, Wire transfer, or Cash. For enrollments paid offline, your camp will receive an invoice at the end of each month. Read how our pricing works here.
Payment plans
Configure the payment plan options available to families during enrollment checkout.
Pay in full - families pay the entire balance upfront.
Deposit + balance - collect a deposit at enrollment and the remaining balance by a set due date. The deposit is set on each session or session group, as a percentage of that session's price or a fixed amount. Click Session deposits in the top right of this card to edit every session and group's deposit from one place without leaving Payment settings, or set them individually from each session or group (see Setting up your sessions). This page controls whether the plan is offered and when the balance is due.
Installment plan - split payments across multiple scheduled dates. The first payment is the session deposit used for Deposit + balance. Define each remaining installment date and its percentage of the balance after that deposit.
Late enrollment handling: When a family enrolls after one or more installment dates have passed, Campfront can:
Spread all missed installments equally across future installments
Collect all missed installments with the first payment
Invoices & reminders
Automate payment communications to families.
Auto-send invoices - automatically send invoice emails to families before each scheduled payment is due.
Payment reminders - send reminder emails for upcoming and overdue payments.
Default options
Payment methods - choose which of your enabled methods (Credit card, Debit card, Bank account, and any offline methods) are on by default.
Payment plans - choose which of your enabled plans (Pay in full, Deposit + balance, Installment plan) are available by default.
Invitation templates
Invitation templates let you create custom payment plans for specific families. When a template is applied to an enrollment invite, that family will only see the payment methods and plans defined in the template - not the defaults.
This is useful for scenarios like financial aid, staff families, or extended payment plans.
Creating a template
Click Add template and configure the following:
Name - give the template a clear name (e.g. 'Financial aid – 50%', 'Staff family', 'Extended plan').
Description - optional, for internal reference to help your team know when to use this template.
Payment methods - select which methods are available for this template.
Payment options - choose from Pay in full, Deposit + balance, and Installments.
Installment schedule - if installments are enabled, choose an amount type. Percentage splits the balance across your payment dates by share, the same as the season default - set the number of payments, collection date, and when payments start. Fixed amount sets a specific dollar figure for each payment instead; the family is billed exactly those amounts, and any part of the booking they don't cover stays outstanding rather than being collected later. This is the option to use for financial aid or scholarship terms, where the family is only expected to pay part of the cost.
Automatic discounts - choose which of your season's automatic and grade discounts can stack with this template's discount. The list reflects the discounts you've set up for the season, so it updates as you add or remove them.
Discount - optionally apply an additional discount - set the type and amount.
After saving the template, it will then be available to select when sending enrollment invitations.
How payment options appear to families
Each payment option you enable - such as paying in full, deposits, or installments - will appear as a selectable choice during the enrollment checkout.
Families can then choose the payment plan that best fits their needs, giving them flexibility and transparency at checkout.