When a student switches between full-time and part-time care, or any time their tuition rate needs to change mid-year, you'll need to update their billing plan in Playground. There are two ways to do this, depending on whether the billing item name also needs to change. This article walks you through both methods.
Method 1: Update the Billing Amount (No Name Change)
Use this method when only the charge amount needs to change and the billing item name can stay the same. This is the quickest way to update a recurring plan mid-year.
💡 Billing item names cannot be updated once they've been created. If the plan name also needs to change, use Method 2 below.
From your admin dashboard, navigate to the Billing tab and select Transactions.
Locate the student whose billing plan needs to be updated.
Click the three dots (. . .) next to the student's name and select Edit installments.
In the Edit Installments window, select Installments after a date and enter the date when the new rate should take effect.
Update the Item amount to the new tuition rate. You can also update the description, discount, and accounting code if needed.
Click Update installments to save your changes.
💡 All installments after the date you specified will update to the new amount. Installments before that date remain unchanged.
Method 2: Switch to a New Billing Plan (Name Change Required)
Use this method when the billing plan name also needs to change. For example, switching a student from a "Full-Time Tuition" plan to a "Part-Time Tuition" plan. This involves two steps: deleting the future installments from the current plan, then creating a new plan starting on the changeover date.
🚨 Be careful when deleting installments. You should only delete installments that will no longer apply at the old rate. It is not recommended to delete installments that have already been paid. Deleting paid debits will create a credit on the account and may cause balance issues.
Step 1: Delete Future Installments from the Current Plan
From your admin dashboard, navigate to the My School -> Students tab and open the student's profile.
Click the Billing tab to view the student's active billing plans.
Click on the current billing plan to expand it and see all installments.
Identify the first installment that falls on or after the date the student's plan is changing. All installments before this date should remain, as those are the ones the student still owes at the old rate.
Click the three dots (. . .) next to that installment, and select Delete.
In the window that appears, select Delete this and future installments. This removes all installments from that date forward while keeping prior installments intact.
Review the new balance preview to confirm the adjustment looks correct, then click Delete installments.
Step 2: Create the New Billing Plan
Once future installments have been removed, create a new billing plan at the updated rate starting on the changeover date.
From the same student's profile, click the Billing tab and select Billing actions.
Click Create Debits.
Set up the new billing item with the updated plan name and tuition amount.
Set the start date to the date when the new rate begins. This should match the date you used when deleting the previous installments.
Review and confirm the installment schedule, then click Add item.
Once the item has been added, click Next: Notify Guardians and select whether or not any notifications should be sent to guardians.
Click Create debits to finalize the debit creation process.
FAQs
How do I know which method to use?
How do I know which method to use?
Use Method 1 if only the tuition amount is changing and the billing item name can stay the same. Use Method 2 if the billing plan name also needs to change (for example, from "Full-Time Tuition" to "Part-Time Tuition"). Billing item names cannot be edited after they've been created, so if the name matters, you'll need to create a new plan.
What happens if I accidentally delete a paid installment?
What happens if I accidentally delete a paid installment?
Deleting a paid installment creates a credit on the student's account for the amount already paid. Click here to learn more about resolving this discrepancy. Always confirm you're only deleting future, unpaid installments before finalizing.
Will deleting future installments affect the student's past balance?
Will deleting future installments affect the student's past balance?
No, as long as you only delete future, unpaid installments. Past paid charges and their associated credits remain intact. The system shows you a balance preview before you confirm the deletion, so you can verify the changes look correct.