What Are Payment Plans?
Not every attendee can pay the full cost of an event upfront — and that's okay. Brushfire's payment plan feature lets you offer flexible payment options so attendees can pay in installments rather than all at once.
Whether you're running a $1,500 trip or a $350 kids camp, payment plans make registration more accessible without adding manual billing work on your end.
How to Set Up a Payment Plan
Payment plans are configured at the ticket type level. Here's how to set one up:
- Go to your event page.
- Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the event name.
- Go to Attendee Types.
- Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the ticket type you want to configure.
- Go to the Price tab.
- Select Customer can make payments.
- Set up your payment plan and balance due date.
Configuring Your Payment Plan
Once you select Customer can make payments, you'll see several options to configure:
Full Amount
Enter the total cost of the ticket. This is what the attendee will owe in full.
Initial Payment
Set the deposit amount due at registration. An initial payment is required — attendees cannot register without paying at least this amount upfront.
Next TOTAL (Additional Payment Options)
After the initial payment is set, you can add additional payment milestones by clicking + Add. Each "Next TOTAL" represents the cumulative total the attendee can choose to pay at their next payment. For example, if the full amount is $200 and you want to offer options of $100, $150, or the full amount, you'd set an initial payment of $50 and add Next TOTALs of $100 and $150. The full amount option is always provided automatically.
Default Payment Option New
You can now set a default payment option that will be automatically pre-selected for attendees on both the registration page and the admin experience. This is useful when you have a preferred or recommended payment amount you want to highlight. Just select the radio button in the Default column next to the installment you want pre-selected.
💡 Example: If the full amount is $250 and you want to charge a $50 deposit and allow payments of $50 increments, you would set an Initial Payment of $50 and add Next TOTALs of $100, $150, and $200. The option to pay in full is automatically included.
Balance Due By
Set a date by which the full balance must be paid. This date is displayed to attendees alongside their ticket type so they know when payment is expected.
⚠️ Important: The Balance Due By date does not automatically charge attendees for their remaining balance. All payments must be made manually by the attendee. See the How to Get Attendees to Make Follow-Up Payments guide for more on that.
Allow Custom Payments
If you want attendees to be able to enter any payment amount of their choosing (above the initial deposit), check the Allow Custom Payments box. To limit attendees to only the options you've defined, leave it unchecked.
📌 Note: Admin users will always have access to the custom payment amount option, regardless of whether this is enabled for attendees.
Here's what the payment options look like to your attendees:
How Attendees Make Follow-Up Payments
Brushfire does not automatically charge attendees for outstanding balances. Attendees receive a link in their confirmation email that brings them back to their registration to make additional payments. You can also use Brushfire's email tool to send follow-up payment reminders. See the How to Get Attendees to Make Follow-Up Payments guide for more detail.
Turning Off Payment Plans
If you want to stop offering payment plans for future registrations without affecting existing attendees who are already on one, update the deposit amount on the ticket type to equal the full amount. New registrants will pay in full, while existing attendees can still make payments on their outstanding balance.
Limitations to Know
- An initial payment is required. You cannot enable payment plans without setting a deposit amount. Attendees must pay at least this amount to complete registration.
- Paid Attendee Field Add-Ons are collected at registration. Any paid add-on fields are added to the deposit amount collected at checkout and cannot be deferred to a later payment.
- Percentage-based promo codes only apply to the amount paid at checkout. If an attendee uses a percentage discount, it applies to their cart total at the time of registration — not to any outstanding balance.
- Payment links go inactive when an event goes inactive. Payment plan functionality assumes all collections happen before the event date. Once an event goes inactive, public payment links are no longer accessible.
- The Balance Due By date is informational only. It does not trigger any automatic charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I offer more than two payment options?
Yes. After setting your initial payment, click + Add to add as many Next TOTAL options as you need. The full amount option is always included automatically.
- What's the difference between "Next TOTAL" and an installment amount?
Next TOTAL represents the cumulative running total, not the amount of the individual payment. If the full amount is $200 and you add a Next TOTAL of $100, the attendee pays $100 total at that step — not $100 on top of what they've already paid.
- Can I set a default payment option for attendees?
Yes. In the payment plan setup, use the Default radio button next to any installment to pre-select it for attendees on both the registration page and the admin experience.
- Will Brushfire automatically charge attendees for their remaining balance?
No. All payments must be initiated by the attendee. Brushfire does not automatically charge outstanding balances. You can send follow-up payment reminders using Brushfire's email tool.
- What happens to existing payment plan attendees if I turn off payment plans?
They're not affected. Update the deposit to equal the full amount to stop offering payment plans to new registrants — existing attendees can still log back in and make payments on their outstanding balance.
- Can attendees use a promo code to reduce their outstanding balance?
No. Percentage-based promo codes only apply to the amount in the attendee's cart at the time of checkout. They cannot be used to reduce an existing outstanding balance.