The Pay Now Link on Invoices
The Pay Now link is a Stripe Checkout URL that is generated for an invoice when you send it. Clicking it takes the family to a secure Stripe hosted payment page. The link is created automatically when the right condition
When a Pay Now Link Is Created
A Pay Now link is generated and attached to an invoice automatically when the invoice is sent, provided all of the following conditions are met:
- The invoice has a positive balance — there is an amount outstanding to collect
- Your Stripe account is connected — you have completed Stripe onboarding in Octavia
- Charges are enabled on your Stripe account — Stripe has verified your account is ready to accept payments
- Online payments are enabled for your school — the Stripe billing feature must be active for your plan and school
If any of these conditions are not met, the invoice is sent without a payment link. Families can still pay manually — by bank transfer, cash, or however you normally collect — using the payment instructions shown on the invoice.
Where the Link Lives
The Pay Now link is stored against the invoice in Octavia. If a link has already been generated for an invoice, sending the invoice again will reuse the same link rather than creating a new one. This means:
- Resending an invoice does not generate multiple Stripe sessions
- If you update invoice details and resend, the same payment link is used
What the Link Does
Clicking the Pay Now link opens Stripe's hosted Checkout page. This is a secure, Stripe-managed page — not part of the Octavia app. The family enters their payment details there.
The checkout page shows the invoice total and your school name (as registered with Stripe). The family completes payment and receives a Stripe-generated payment confirmation screen.
What Happens After Payment
Once payment completes, Stripe notifies Octavia automatically via a webhook. Octavia records the payment against the invoice in the billing ledger. The invoice balance is updated immediately — no action required from you.
See How Stripe Payments Are Recorded for the full detail on what happens in the ledger.
If Stripe Is Not Connected or Not Enabled
Invoices sent without a Pay Now link still include your standard payment instructions — whatever you have configured in Invoice Settings (bank account details, preferred payment methods, etc.). Families will see those instructions on the invoice and pay accordingly.
You record these payments manually in Octavia the same way you would any other payment. See Recording a Payment.
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