Payment Status Tracking

Overview

Payment status tracking gives you visibility into what has been paid, what is pending, and what is overdue — so problems surface early and cash flow stays predictable. In MartialFlow, statuses reflect expected payments and the payments staff record against them; the system doesn't process member charges itself, so keeping statuses accurate is a matter of recording payments promptly and reconciling regularly. This guide covers monitoring payment statuses, understanding payment states, and responding to what you see.

Prerequisites

• Membership plans and expected payments are set up
• Staff know how to record payments
• You have access to billing dashboards and reports

Understanding Payment Statuses

Payment States

Up to Date

• Paid - A payment has been recorded against the expected payment
• Partially Paid - A partial payment is recorded; a balance remains

Pending

• Pending - Payment is expected but the deadline hasn't passed yet
• Awaiting Recording - Money may have arrived (e.g. bank transfer or provider collection) but hasn't been recorded yet

Overdue

• Overdue - The payment deadline has passed with no recorded payment
• Long Overdue - Sustained non-payment needing escalated follow-up

Adjustments

• Refunded - A refund was issued through the original channel and recorded
• Cancelled - The expected payment no longer applies (e.g. membership cancelled)
• Custom Arrangement - A modified amount or schedule agreed with the family

Accessing Payment Status Information

Payment Dashboard

Main Payment Overview

1. Navigate to the Payment Views

   • Go to Analytics → Payments or the billing area
   • View the payment status summary
   • Filter by date range, status, or customer

2. Key Information at a Glance

   • Expected This Cycle - What should be collected
   • Recorded Payments - What has actually come in
   • Overdue Accounts - Count and value of missed deadlines
   • Upcoming Deadlines - Payments due soon

Payment Status Filters

1. Status-Based Filtering

   • Filter by status (paid, pending, overdue)
   • Search by customer or amount
   • Date range selections

2. Payment Method Filtering

   • Cash and check payments
   • Bank transfer payments
   • Card terminal payments
   • Direct debit outcomes recorded from your provider

Individual Payment Tracking

Payment Details View

1. Payment Information

   • Payment amount and date
   • Customer and family information
   • Payment method recorded
   • Notes and references

2. History

   • When the payment was recorded and by whom
   • Adjustments and corrections
   • Related membership and expected payment

Customer Payment History

1. Customer Payment Profile
   • Complete recorded payment history
   • Outstanding balances
   • Late-payment patterns
   • Custom arrangements and notes

Keeping Statuses Accurate

Recording Discipline

Daily Habits

1. Record on Arrival

   • Record cash, check, and terminal payments the same day
   • Note the method and any references on every payment

2. Bank Statement Review

   • Check for incoming transfers on a fixed schedule
   • Match transfers to families by reference
   • Record each one against the right customer

Direct Debit Outcomes

1. Provider Dashboard Review

   • Collections, failures, and retries all happen at your provider (e.g. GoCardless)
   • Review provider results after each collection date
   • Record successful collections in MartialFlow; flag failures for follow-up

2. Shop Payments

   • Online shop orders are paid via Stripe at checkout and don't need manual recording
   • Membership fees are never charged through Stripe

Regular Review

Weekly Payment Review

1. Status Sweep

   • Review pending payments approaching their deadlines
   • Identify newly overdue accounts
   • Confirm recorded totals match your bank and provider records

2. Follow-Up Planning

   • Prioritize overdue accounts for contact
   • Note promised payment dates
   • Update custom arrangements

Reconciliation

Reconciliation Dashboard

1. Matching Payments to Memberships

   • Match recorded payments against membership expectations
   • Surface expected payments with nothing recorded
   • Surface recorded payments that don't match any membership

2. Resolving Mismatches

   • Unrecorded arrivals — record them against the right customer
   • Wrong customer or amount — correct the record with a note
   • Missing membership — assign the plan the payment belongs to

Financial Overview

1. Per-Club View

   • Collection totals per club
   • Outstanding balances per club
   • Trends across cycles

2. Feeding Financial Review

   • Use reconciled figures for monthly financial review
   • Compare expected vs. recorded revenue over time
   • Spot clubs or programs with growing collection gaps

Missed and Problem Payments

Identifying Problems Early

Common Causes

1. Family-Side Causes

   • Forgotten transfers or expired standing orders
   • Direct debit failures at the provider (insufficient funds, cancelled mandates)
   • Changed circumstances or financial hardship

2. Recording Gaps

   • Payments that arrived but were never recorded
   • Transfers with unclear references
   • Provider collections not yet reflected in MartialFlow

Pattern Recognition

1. Customer Patterns

   • Repeatedly late accounts
   • Seasonal payment trends
   • Preferred channel issues

2. Process Patterns

   • Recording backlogs after busy periods
   • Reference confusion on bank transfers
   • Provider plan/pricing mismatches

Responding to Missed Payments

First Steps

1. Verify Before Contacting

   • Check the bank statement and provider dashboard first
   • Confirm the payment really is missing, not just unrecorded

2. Customer Contact

   • Friendly reminder via email or SMS using message templates
   • Clear amount, deadline, and payment options
   • Support contact information

Follow-Up Procedures

1. Escalation

   • Progressive follow-up per your collection policy
   • Payment arrangement discussions
   • See Handling Overdue Payments for the full process

2. Account Management

   • Status notes on the customer account
   • Custom arrangements recorded
   • Communication history maintained

Payment Performance Analytics

Collection Metrics

Success Measurements

1. Collection Rates

   • Recorded vs. expected payment percentages
   • On-time payment rates
   • Comparison to historical averages
   • Trend analysis and forecasting

2. Channel Performance

   • Collection reliability by payment method
   • Which channels produce fewer late payments
   • Customer preference trends

Overdue Analysis

1. Aging Tracking

   • Overdue balances by age bracket
   • Recovery rate measurements
   • Impact on cash flow

2. Improvement Opportunities

   • Channel guidance for late-paying families (e.g. direct debit sign-up)
   • Reminder timing improvements
   • Recording process improvements

Revenue Impact Analysis

1. Cash Flow Monitoring

   • Expected vs. actual collections
   • Payment timing analysis
   • Seasonal variation tracking

2. Risk Visibility

   • Long-overdue balances at risk
   • Accounts needing payment arrangements
   • Bad debt candidates

Customer Communication

Payment Status Communication

Confirmations

1. Payment Confirmations
   • Confirm recorded payments to families
   • Answer balance inquiries from payment history
   • Provide statements when requested

Reminders

1. Pre-Deadline Reminders

   • Upcoming payment notifications via email or SMS
   • Amount and deadline confirmations
   • Payment channel instructions

2. Overdue Notices

   • Clear explanation of the missed payment
   • Action steps and payment options
   • Support contact information

Use message templates and bulk messaging to keep reminders consistent — see the Communications articles for setup.

Reporting and Documentation

Payment Status Reports

Standard Reports

1. Collection Summary

   • Payments recorded in the period
   • Expected vs. recorded totals
   • Outstanding issues

2. Aging Reports

   • Overdue account summaries
   • Age distribution analysis
   • Follow-up priority lists

Custom Views

1. Management Overviews

   • High-level collection metrics
   • Per-club financial overview
   • Exception lists

2. Operational Views

   • Customer payment histories
   • Recording activity logs
   • Reconciliation results

Documentation Requirements

1. Payment Records

   • Complete recorded payment history
   • Correction and adjustment notes
   • Follow-up documentation

2. Compliance Documentation

   • Audit trail of who recorded what
   • Customer communication records
   • Refund and dispute records

Troubleshooting Payment Issues

Tracking Issues

Issue: Status doesn't reflect a payment the family made
Solution: The payment hasn't been recorded or was recorded against the wrong customer — check the bank statement or provider dashboard, then record or reassign it

Issue: Discrepancies between MartialFlow and the bank/provider
Solution: Run through the reconciliation dashboard, compare against statements, and correct recording gaps

Customer Issues

Issue: Customer disputes their payment status
Solution: Review the recorded payment history, check bank and provider records, provide documentation

Issue: Direct debit shows collected at the provider but overdue in MartialFlow
Solution: The outcome hasn't been recorded yet — record the collection against the customer to update the status

Best Practices

Monitoring Excellence

1. Prompt Recording - Record payments the day they arrive
2. Proactive Review - Check statuses before deadlines, not just after
3. Comprehensive Documentation - Maintain detailed payment records
4. Regular Reconciliation - Reconcile against bank and provider records on a schedule
5. Continuous Improvement - Regular review and process optimization

Customer Service

1. Transparent Communication - Keep customers informed about their balance
2. Quick Response - Address payment questions promptly
3. Multiple Channels - Offer various ways to pay and to get in touch
4. Empathetic Support - Understand customer payment challenges
5. Solution-Focused - Resolve payment issues quickly and fairly

Next Steps

After mastering payment status tracking:

1. Handling Overdue Payments - Manage collection processes
2. Direct Debit Setup - Link classes to your direct debit provider
3. Reports & Analytics - Advanced payment analytics
4. Communications - Improve payment communication

Getting Help

For payment status tracking assistance:

• Review Managing Customer Billing for billing context
• Check Setting Up Payment Methods for the payment tracking model
• Contact support for complex tracking scenarios

Accurate payment status tracking rests on two habits: record payments promptly, and reconcile regularly. Do both, and MartialFlow gives you an always-current picture of your school's cash flow.