Payment Processing

All payments in Otesse are processed through Stripe, providing secure, PCI-compliant payment handling.

Automatic Payment

For customers with saved payment methods:

1. Invoice is generated (auto or manual)
2. If auto-charge is enabled, Stripe charges the default payment method
3. Payment confirmation or failure is recorded
4. Customer receives a receipt email
5. Invoice status updates to "Paid" or stays "Pending" on failure

Payment Methods

Customers can save multiple payment methods:

• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
• Debit cards
• One card is marked as "Default" — used for automatic charges

Failed Payments

When a payment attempt fails:

Automatic Retry

The system retries failed payments:

• Attempt 1: Immediately
• Attempt 2: 24 hours later
• Attempt 3: 72 hours later
• Final attempt: 7 days later

Customer Notification

After each failure:

• Email notification with "Update Payment Method" link
• SMS notification (if enabled)
• Portal banner prompting payment method update

After All Retries Fail

• Invoice status changes to "Overdue"
• Active subscriptions are paused
• Account manager is notified for manual follow-up
• Customer portal shows a prominent payment alert

Manual Payment Processing

For situations where automatic payment is not possible:

Process a Payment

1. Open the invoice
2. Click Record Payment
3. Select the payment method or enter card details
4. Enter the amount (full or partial)
5. Process the payment

Record an External Payment

For payments received outside Stripe (check, cash, wire):

1. Open the invoice
2. Click Record External Payment
3. Select the payment type
4. Enter the amount and reference number
5. The invoice balance is reduced accordingly

Reconciliation

The Payments dashboard provides:

• Daily settlement report — All payments processed and deposited
• Outstanding receivables — Unpaid and overdue invoices
• Payment method distribution — Breakdown by card type
• Failed payment log — All failed attempts with reasons
• Stripe payout schedule — When funds reach your bank account

Export payment data for accounting integration (CSV compatible with QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks).