Overview

By default, MonetizeNow collects auto-pay at the moment an invoice is generated. The Auto-Payment Timing setting gives admins control over this behavior, allowing payment collection to be triggered when the invoice is sent instead.

This is useful for teams that generate invoices in advance but send them later, or who want payment to align with the customer's receipt of the invoice rather than its creation.

Prerequisites

Auto-Payment Timing only applies when both of the following are true:

• Auto-collect is enabled on the Bill Group
• A default payment method is on file for the account

If either condition is not met, the timing setting has no effect.

Configuration

Tenant-Level Setting

The Auto-Payment Timing setting is configured at the tenant level under Settings > Payments > Auto-Payment Timing

Available options:

1. Invoice Generation: payment is collected when the invoice is created. This is the default and is backwards compatible with prior behavior.
2. Invoice Send: payment is collected when the invoice is sent (either manually or via automated sending).

Bill Group-Level Override

Auto-Payment Timing can also be set at the Bill Group level. When a new Bill Group is created, it inherits the tenant-level setting.
To change timing for a specific Bill Group, edit the Bill Group and update the Auto-Payment Timing field. This allows different billing groups to follow different payment collection workflows.

Note: The default setting is Invoice Generation, which preserves existing behavior for all customers. No action is required if you want to keep collecting payment at invoice creation.

How It Works

Invoice Generation Timing (Default)

• When set to Invoice Generation, payment is collected immediately when the invoice is created, whether that happens manually or automatically via a billing schedule.
• The invoice is then sent with a "paid" status. No payment action occurs at send time.

Invoice Send Timing

• When set to Invoice Send, no payment is collected when the invoice is generated.
• Payment is collected at the moment the invoice is sent.
• The send flow works as follows:
• MonetizeNow confirms the recipient email address is on the allow list.
• Payment is collected from the default payment method on file.
• If payment succeeds: the invoice email is sent using the paid invoice email template.
• If payment fails: an outstanding balance email is sent with the invoice attached, prompting the customer to resolve the balance.

Auto-Pay Indicator at Send Time

When sending invoices (individually or in bulk), a confirmation popup is shown before emails are delivered. If auto-pay is enabled and a default payment method is on file, the popup will indicate which invoices have auto-pay — so the sender is aware that payment will be collected as part of the send action.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does changing this setting affect existing invoices?
   1. No. The timing setting applies to invoices going forward. Previously generated invoices are not affected.
2. What happens if auto-pay is disabled?
   1. The Auto-Payment Timing setting has no effect. Payment collection is handled manually regardless of this setting.
3. What if there is no default payment method on file?
   1. Auto-pay will not be collected regardless of the timing setting. A default payment method must exist on the account for auto-pay to function.
4. Can different Bill Groups have different timing settings?
   1. Yes. Each Bill Group has its own Auto-Payment Timing field. New Bill Groups inherit the tenant default, but can be changed independently after creation.
5. What email template is used when payment is collected at send time?
   1. If payment succeeds, the paid invoice email template is used. If payment fails, the outstanding balance email template is used, prompting the customer to pay manually.