Seedling bills tuition for you and collects it automatically through Stripe, so you spend less time chasing payments.
1. Connect payouts (one time)
Before you can collect, connect your Stripe account in the Billing area — see Getting paid: connect Stripe for exactly what Stripe asks for. Once it's done, money from tuition lands in your bank on Stripe's payout schedule.
2. Create a tuition plan
- In Billing, add a New Billing Plan with a name, an amount, and a billing frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly).
- Optionally add a one-time registration fee or a deposit — both are charged at enrollment, and the deposit is credited toward future tuition.
- Assign the plan to a child.
3. Apply discounts
Create a discount once, then apply it per child — for example a sibling or staff discount:
- Add a discount with a name and either a percentage or a flat amount.
- Apply it to a child's billing assignment.
4. Who pays the processing fee?
In Billing, the "Who pays the service fee?" setting lets you choose:
- Families pay the fee — a small service fee is added at checkout, and you receive full tuition.
- Our center covers it — families pay tuition only, and the fee comes out of your payout.
Seedling's fee is just 0.4% per card payment or a flat $0.30 per bank (ACH) payment, on top of standard Stripe processing — so steering families to bank payments keeps costs tiny.
5. Get families on autopay
- From a family's billing, choose Send Setup Link — they get a secure link by email.
- They add a card or bank account in a couple of taps — no account to create.
- Charges then run automatically on schedule.
Anyone who hasn't finished setup shows as Pending Setup so you can give them a nudge.
One-time charges & reminders
- Bill a one-off (a field trip, a late fee) with Add One-Time Charge — see One-time charges & deposits.
- Behind on payments? Remind unpaid emails every family with a failed charge a fresh secure link — see Failed payments & refunds.
Year-end statement time? See Year-end tax statements.