Offline methods let buyers pay without a card: by bank transfer, on invoice or in cash at handover. No payment provider confirms these payments, so you do it yourself. This article follows an offline order from the checkout to the moment access is unlocked. For an overview of all payment settings, see Payment settings.
The options sit under Payments > Settings > Payment methods, on the Offline payments tab. If Payments is off in your workspace, switch it on under Settings > Features first. Saving payment methods and marking orders as paid both need the permission Update Orders / Customers.
Which purchases can be paid offline?
Only one-time prices, including pay what you want. Subscriptions, payment plans and event tickets always use online payment. You can sell with offline methods even without Stripe, as long as Stripe Tax is switched off. Taxes on offline orders are calculated by Stripe Tax as well, see Tax configuration.
Cash, bank transfer or invoice?
Cash is meant for in-person sales. Turn it on with Enabled. A cash order has no due date, so no reminder or cancellation runs. You mark it as paid when you receive the money.
Payment by invoice means the buyer pays by bank transfer. After switching it on, choose when the buyer gets access:
- Grant access on payment received is the recommended choice. The buyer transfers the amount first and gets access once you mark the order as paid. The checkout shows this as "Bank transfer (prepayment)".
- Grant access on purchase gives access right away, and the buyer pays the invoice within your payment terms. The checkout shows this as "Purchase on invoice".
Only one of the two is active at a time.
Bank details
Under Bank details, enter the Account holder, Bank name, IBAN and BIC. IBAN and BIC are checked for a valid format when you save. Payment by invoice stays hidden in the checkout until account holder and IBAN are filled in.
Payment instructions (optional) takes up to 1,000 characters of extra text, such as a note for the transfer. The field sits under Payment by invoice when that is on, and under Cash when only cash is on. Buyers see the text next to your bank details, cash buyers after checkout.
What does the buyer see?
After ordering, the buyer lands on a confirmation page with the amount, the due date and, for bank transfers, your bank details. The order number is the payment reference, so look for it on your bank statement. The buyer also gets these details by email. With Grant access on purchase, that email carries the invoice as a PDF, and the page confirms that access is ready.
Due dates, reminders and cancellation
Payment terms (days) sets how long the buyer has to pay: 1 to 90 days, 14 by default. The due date is counted from the day of the order.
With Grant access on payment received, two more fields appear:
- Reminder before due date (days) sends one reminder with your bank details this many days before the due date. The default is 3, the maximum 30, and 0 turns the reminder off.
- Cancel unpaid orders after (days) cancels an order that is still unpaid this many days after the due date and lets the buyer know by email. The default is 0, which keeps unpaid orders open. The maximum is 180.
Both checks run once a day.
A cancelled order can no longer be marked as paid. If transfers often arrive late, leave the cancellation at 0 or allow enough days.
With Grant access on purchase, reminders after the due date and the final step for unpaid invoices are set under Payments > Settings > Dunning. If dunning is switched off, the tab shows Dunning is off, and unpaid invoices get no reminders after the due date. See Dunning and overdue payments.
Marking an order as paid
Offline orders wait under Payments > Sales > Orders with the status Pending. The Payment column shows the method and the due date, or Overdue since once that date has passed. To see only offline orders, filter the list by Payment method.
When the money arrives, open the order. The box Payment outstanding offers Mark as paid. After you confirm, access, invoice, commissions and the confirmation email are processed automatically. Only pending orders can be marked as paid.
If an offline order with an invoice is later set to Refunded or Cancelled, a credit note is created, provided credit notes are issued automatically. With a recorded payment the buyer also gets the refund email with the PDF. See Refunds and credit notes.