Self Guided : 7b, Account Settings > Accounting Set up - Time Tracking, Invoicing & Payments, Stripe Integration - CounselMore Pay

 

Track Time

The images below demonstrate how to use the Stopwatch icon to easily track time spent and apply time to a category or Billing Profile.

 

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When time is added via the stopwatch widget, it will appear in the student record Accounting tab.

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The Accounting Tab - Navigation Map

see image

 

Add Time to Student Account > Accounting Tab 

Click on the Menu button

               

Line items appear on screen & Counselor chooses which to make visible on the invoice 

See image

Click Menu button > Preview Invoice

Key Benefits:

• ✅ Instant payment processing
• ✅ Automatic invoice (Accounting Tab) updates when payment is received
• ✅ Funds transferred directly to your bank account
• ✅ Email notifications when payments are received
• ✅ Secure, PCI-compliant payment processing

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Prerequisites

Before you can accept online payments, you need to:

1. Set up your Stripe Connect account - See Setting Up Stripe Connect
2. Complete Stripe onboarding - Verify your identity and connect your bank account
3. Have an active CounselMore subscription with accounting tab features enabled

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How to use Stripe when generating Client Invoices

Step 1: Generate Your Invoice

1. Navigate to your student's Accounting tab
2. Add billable time items as usual (be sure the item is active!)
3. Click Preview & Send Invoice
4. Tick the 'Include Payment Link' box at the top of the invoice preview

Step 2: Payment Link Generation (Automatic)

When you preview your invoice, CounselMore automatically:

• Creates a unique Stripe Payment Link for the exact invoice amount
• Configures the payment to transfer to your bank account
• Adds a "Pay Now" button to your invoice
• Makes the payment link single-use (prevents duplicate charges)

Step 3: Send the Invoice

1. Review the invoice preview
2. Click Send to email the invoice to parents/contacts in student profile
3. Recipients will see the "Pay Now" button at the bottom of the emailed invoice

Step 4: Client Pays Online

When a client clicks "Pay Now":

• They're redirected to a secure Stripe payment page
• They enter their payment details
• Payment is processed instantly
• They receive a payment confirmation from Stripe

Step 5: Automatic Updates (No Action Needed from you!)

Once payment is complete, CounselMore automatically:

• ✅ Marks the invoice as PAID
• ✅ Creates a payment record in the Accounting Tab
• ✅ Updates the student's balance
• ✅ Sends you an email notification with payment details
• ✅ Creates an in-app notification
• ✅ Initiates transfer to your bank account

You don't need to do anything manually!

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To manually record payment on the Accounting tab -The steps are demonstrated in the images below.

 

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Traditional Payment Link (Settings → Accounting)

• Generic URL (PayPal, Venmo, etc.)
• Manual updates required
• No automatic tracking
• You mark invoices as paid

Stripe / CounselMore Integrated Payment Links (Automatic)

• Generated per invoice
• Automatic updates when paid
• Built-in tracking
• Instant notifications
• Single-use security
• Funds to your bank account

We recommend using Stripe Payment Links for the best experience!

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Security & Compliance of StripePayment Processing and CounselMore Integration

For You (Counselor)

• No sensitive data storage - Payment info never touches CounselMore servers
• PCI DSS compliant - Stripe handles all security requirements
• Bank-level encryption - All transactions are encrypted
• Fraud protection - Stripe's advanced fraud detection included

For Your Clients

• Secure checkout - Hosted on Stripe's infrastructure
• No account required - Pay as guest
• Payment confirmation - Instant receipt via email
• Dispute protection - Standard card dispute process through Stripe

Do I need a business banking account to use Stripe?

No. Stripe Connect supports both individuals and businesses. During onboarding, select "Individual" if you operate as a sole proprietor. 

Can my clients pay partial amounts when using Stripe payment links?

No, the payment link is for the full invoice amount only. For partial payments, you'll need to:

1. Manually record the partial payment in the accounting tab
2. Generate a new invoice for the remaining balance

Can I customize the Stripe payment page?

Limited customization is available through your Stripe Dashboard:

• Business name (automatically uses your CounselMore company name)
• Logo (uses your CounselMore logo if configured)
• Colors/branding (Stripe Express account limitations apply)

Do payment links expire?

• Active until used - No time expiration
• Single-use only - Expires after first successful payment
• Invoice-specific - Each invoice has a unique link

Can I see payment history?

Yes, in two places:

1. CounselMore: Student's Accounting tab shows all payment records
2. Stripe Dashboard: Complete transaction history, fees, payouts, and reports

What happens if Stripe is down?

• Invoice still shows the Pay Now button
• Button will display an error when clicked
• Clients should try again later
• No data is lost
• Check status.stripe.com for updates
  
  

Can I use this with international clients?

Yes, but your Stripe account must be based in a supported country (currently US-based in CounselMore). Your clients can pay from anywhere with international credit/debit cards.

What currencies are supported?

The current implementation supports USD. Multi-currency support may be added in future updates.

Can I disconnect my Stripe account?

Currently, Stripe accounts cannot be disconnected directly through CounselMore. Contact support if you need to remove your Stripe Connect integration.

How do I handle refunds?

All refunds must be processed through your Stripe Dashboard:

1. Click the Dashboard button in your Accounting settings
2. Navigate to Payments
3. Find the transaction and click Refund

Note: You'll need to manually update the invoice status in CounselMore after refunding.

Security & Compliance of Stripe Payments / CounselMore Integrations

• PCI Compliance: Stripe handles all payment security and PCI compliance
• Data Protection: Your clients' payment information never touches CounselMore's servers
• Identity Verification: Stripe requires identity verification to prevent fraud and comply with financial regulations
• Bank-Level Security: All transactions are encrypted and protected by Stripe's security infrastructure

Additional Resources for Stripe Payment Integrations

• Understanding Stripe Payouts
  
  

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💰 Costs of Processing & Fees CounselMore Pay & Stripe

CounselMore Pay is designed to make billing effortless and secure — so you spend less time tracking payments and more time counseling students. Every transaction includes a standard processing cost, which covers both Stripe’s secure payment handling and CounselMore’s automation features.

Processing costs typically range from 8–10% per transaction and automatically decrease as your TOTAL volume over time grows.

This cost includes:

• Credit/debit card processing

• PCI-compliant data security (managed entirely by Stripe)

• Real-time updates to your Accounting Tab

• Automatic ledger reconciliation

• Instant fund transfers to your bank

You pay only when you get paid — no setup fees, no subscriptions, no hidden charges.

Over time your fees decrease to the lowest allowable costs - industry wide!

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⚖️ Reality Check vs. Alternatives

If you used QuickBooks, Venmo Business, or PayPal, you’d still pay:

• 3–4% in transaction fees,

• Still have to manually track invoices and payments,

• Still need to update your student records separately.

With CounselMore Pay, that extra few percent buys automation, ledger syncing, and zero admin time — eliminating hours of manual work every month.

Every processed payment automatically updates your student’s balance, marks invoices paid, and triggers a receipt confirmation — saving you time that can be spent on clients, not bookkeeping.

⚠️ Important Note About Zelle & Other Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps

While apps like Zelle, Venmo (personal), or Cash App may seem convenient, they are not designed for business transactions. Zelle in particular does not provide buyer or seller protection, does not support refunds or dispute resolution, and may flag or freeze accounts used for commercial activity. In some cases, receiving business payments through a personal Zelle account can even violate your bank’s terms of service.

For your protection — and your clients’ — always use business-approved, PCI-compliant platforms such as CounselMore Pay (powered by Stripe). These systems provide the security, transparency, and audit trail necessary for professional educational services. Yes there are fees because there is protection protocols. 

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🧠 Best Practice Tip for Collecting Payments with CounselMore Pay

Savvy consultants often build processing costs into their pricing.

For example:

Instead of $3,500, quote $3,650 all-inclusive.
That covers your processing cost and signals a premium, professional system to your clients.

Even a small price adjustment absorbs the transaction cost while reinforcing the value of your modern, streamlined business process.

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💡 Perspective: Time Is the Real Savings

For most counselors, one saved hour of administrative work equals $200–$300 of billable time.
Even with modest transaction fees, the time saved through automation pays for the feature many times over — while keeping your client experience simple, professional, and secure.

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Need Help with Stripe / CounselMore Pay?

If you encounter issues setting up Stripe Connect:

• Email: support@counselmore.com
• Check Stripe Status: Visit status.stripe.com for service updates
• Stripe Support: For payment-specific issues, contact Stripe support through your dashboard