Managing Payment Settings in Spectora
Spectora provides flexible options for managing payment settings, allowing you to enable or disable payment features, customize payment methods, and troubleshoot common issues. This guide outlines the steps to manage your payment settings effectively.
Overview of Payment Features in Spectora
Spectora’s payment features allow you to collect payments from clients directly through the platform. You can enable or disable specific payment methods, such as credit cards or ACH (bank transfers), and customize how payments are presented to clients. Additionally, you can remove payment options entirely if you prefer to handle payments outside Spectora.
Enabling and Disabling Payment Options
Disabling Payments
To disable payments in your Spectora account:
Navigate to Settings > Payments.
Locate the option to disable payment settings and turn it off. - Once disabled, clients will no longer be able to submit payments via their client portal for inspections where payments are due.
Enabling Payments
To enable payments, including bank transfers:
Go to Settings > Payments.
Follow the steps to set up or enable the desired payment method. - For bank transfers, ensure the "Enable Bank Transfer Payments" option is checked.
Removing the Payment Module
If you want to completely remove the payment module:
Go to Settings > Payments.
Use the option to remove the payment module. - Once removed, payment options and banners will no longer appear in client communications or the client portal.
Disabling Specific Payment Methods
Disabling ACH (Bank Transfer) Payments
Navigate to Settings > Business Tools > Payments.
Uncheck the box next to "Enable ACH Payments." - Note: If you are passing credit card fees onto the client, you are required to offer at least one fee-free payment method (e.g., cash or check). Update the "Supported fee-free Payment Methods" field in your payment settings to reflect the available options. If left blank, it will default to "Pay via cash or check at the time of inspection."
Save your changes to apply the updated payment settings.
Disabling Credit Card Payments
Go to Settings > Payments.
Turn off the credit card payment option.
Managing Payment Methods
Customizing Payment Instructions
If you cannot fully remove payment information, you can customize what clients see in your payment instructions:
Edit the payment instructions in your settings to reflect your preferred payment methods (e.g., cash, check, Zelle, or PayPal).
Disabling Payment Links in Client Communications
To remove payment links from client-facing messages:
Go to Automations.
Edit the automation that sends the agreement/payment message.
Replace the placeholder "Sign and Pay" with "Sign," or remove the payment link element entirely.
Troubleshooting Payment Issues
Payment Option Not Visible
If you cannot see the payment option in your settings:
Ensure you are accessing the settings from a desktop device, as some options may not display on mobile.
Verify that you are in the Settings > Payments section.
Note: Payment setup is only available to full (paid) Spectora users. Trial accounts do not have access to payment settings.
Activating Spectora Payments
If clients cannot pay through your site:
Go to Settings > Payments > Set Up Payments.
Complete the activation steps provided.
FAQs and Additional Notes
Can I disable the “payment required to release report” setting for a single inspection? Yes, open the specific inspection, go to the payment/report release settings, and turn off the requirement for that job. This change applies only to that inspection.
Can I handle payments outside Spectora? Yes, you can disable Spectora’s payment feature and continue accepting payments through other methods like cash, check, Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal.
Note that accepting cash, check, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or any other third-party payment cannot be automated through Spectora. You will need to manually mark the inspection paid.
To re-enable Spectora Payments later, go to Settings > Payments > Set Up Payments.- Does Spectora support direct integration with external payment platforms? No, Spectora’s closed API does not support direct integration with third-party payment processors like Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. Payments made through these platforms must be manually marked as paid in the system.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your payment settings in Spectora, ensuring they align with your business needs and client preferences.