Instalments let customers split an order into monthly payments. The first payment is taken at public checkout, then Cademy emails the order owner when each remaining payment is due.
Plan availability: Instalments are available on Teams and Custom plans. Customers can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal where that payment method is supported.
On Free, Starter and Pro plans, the Instalments section is visible but disabled and shows which plans support the feature.
Enable Instalments for Your Account
Go to Settings > Payments.
Open Instalments.
Turn on Offer Instalments at Checkout.
Under Number of Monthly Payments, choose a number from 2 to 12.
Optional: add a Customer Message. This appears when the customer selects instalments at checkout.
Click Save.
The number you select is the total number of payments, including the first payment taken at checkout.
Set Instalment Options for an Individual Course
Courses use the account instalment setting by default. You can choose a different number of payments or turn instalments off for one course.
The course-level Instalments section is only shown after Offer Instalments at Checkout has been enabled and saved in the account payment settings.
Go to Courses and select the course.
Open Settings > Payments > Instalments.
Under Instalments at Checkout, choose one of these options:
Use Account Default ([number] Monthly Payments)
Custom Number of Payments for This Course
Don't Offer Instalments on This Course
If you selected a custom number, choose 2 to 12 under Number of Monthly Payments.
Click Save.
The Customer Message is account-wide and cannot be changed for an individual course.
What Customers See at Checkout
When instalments are available, the Payment step shows How would you like to pay?. The options can include:
Pay in Full
Pay [rate]% Deposit, if deposits are also available for the order
[number] Monthly Payments
The instalment option shows how much is due today, the number and amount of later payments, and the final payment date. Your optional Customer Message also appears after the customer selects instalments.
Instalment payments can use card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal where available. Klarna, Invoice and manual payment methods can only be used when Pay in Full is selected.
A customer can choose between a deposit and instalments when both options are shown, but the two cannot be combined on the same order.
Do Monthly Instalments Cost Extra?
There is no additional Cademy setup, add-on or instalment fee. Monthly Instalments are included with Teams and Custom plans, which have a 0% Cademy platform fee.
Stripe or PayPal deducts its standard processing fee from each instalment payment. Because the order is collected through several separate transactions, any fixed per-transaction charge is applied each time. This can make the total processing fees higher than taking one full payment.
Customers do not pay interest or an additional Cademy fee for choosing Monthly Instalments. The order total is divided across the payment schedule.
Check your current rates with Stripe or PayPal, or read Cademy Pricing and Plans Explained.
Compare Monthly Instalments with Klarna and PayPal Pay in 3
Monthly Instalments are Cademy’s native option. Klarna and PayPal Pay in 3 remain third-party payment methods. All three can help customers spread the cost, but they work differently.
Comparison | Monthly Instalments | Klarna or PayPal Pay in 3 |
Supported Cademy plans | Teams and Custom. | All Cademy plans when the relevant payment app is connected. Klarna or PayPal decides whether the option is available for an individual customer or purchase. |
Who creates the plan? | You choose between 2 and 12 monthly payments. | The third-party provider controls the plans available to the customer. PayPal Pay in 3 uses three payments, while Klarna options can vary. |
Who collects later payments? | Cademy sends reminders and payment links to the order owner. They actively pay each instalment. | Klarna or PayPal collects the later payments from the customer automatically. |
When do you receive the money? | You receive each instalment as the order owner pays it. | You receive the full purchase amount upfront, minus applicable fees. |
Fees | No additional Cademy setup, add-on or instalment fee. Stripe or PayPal deducts its standard processing fee from every separate payment. | Klarna currently costs 4.99% + £0.35 for a UK minisite or embed booking. PayPal Pay in 3 has no additional Pay Later cost, but standard PayPal transaction fees apply. The Free plan also has Cademy’s normal 5% platform fee. |
Where is the schedule managed? | The schedule, payment status, reminders and overdue balance are managed inside Cademy. | The customer’s repayment schedule is managed by Klarna or PayPal. The Cademy order is treated as paid at checkout. |
What happens if a payment is missed? | Cademy marks the order overdue and creates one catch-up link. You remain responsible for following up on the unpaid balance. | Klarna or PayPal manages missed repayments with the customer. |
Use Monthly Instalments when you want control over the number of payments and visibility of the full schedule inside Cademy. Klarna or PayPal Pay in 3 may suit you better when receiving the full amount upfront and handing later collection to a third party is more important.
Read the Klarna guide or PayPal Pay in 3 for Business for provider-specific details.
How the Payment Schedule Is Calculated
The final order total after discounts is split into the configured number of monthly payments.
The first payment is due immediately at checkout.
The remaining payments use monthly calendar anniversaries of the order date in the course provider's timezone.
If the order is placed on the 29th, 30th or 31st and a later month is shorter, that payment falls on the last day of the shorter month.
The payments are split as evenly as possible. If the total cannot be divided exactly, the small rounding difference is added to the first payment.
Course start dates do not change the instalment schedule.
For a basket containing several courses, every course must allow instalments. If the courses use different numbers of monthly payments, Cademy uses the lowest number for the whole order.
Instalments are not offered when discounts reduce the total to zero or when any monthly payment would be below the payment provider's minimum amount for the order currency.
What Happens After the First Payment
The order is confirmed and marked as partially paid.
The course places are confirmed and the normal course access rules apply. The customer does not need to finish the payment plan before accessing the course.
Cademy creates one invoice for the full order total and records the first payment against it.
The checkout confirmation shows the monthly payment schedule and marks the first payment as paid.
The order owner receives a Payment plan confirmed email with the schedule, amount paid and remaining balance.
The course provider receives an email confirming the new instalment order.
Cademy does not automatically charge the original card or PayPal account for later payments. The order owner pays each amount from the link sent by email.
Pay the Remaining Instalments
Cademy sends the order owner two reminders for each unpaid instalment:
Seven days before the due date: a Payment due soon email. This is a heads-up and does not include a link for the upcoming instalment. If an earlier amount is already overdue, the email can include a link for that overdue amount.
On the due date: a Payment due today email with a Pay Now link for the amount currently due.
The payment link does not require a Cademy login. It opens the order's payment page, where the customer can review Your Payment Plan and pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal where available.
The link only collects the instalment amount that is due. A future instalment cannot be paid before its due date through the automatic instalment link.
After each later payment, the order owner receives a Payment received email. After the final payment, the order and invoice are marked as paid and the order owner receives a Payment plan complete email.
If Xero is connected, all instalment payments are recorded against the same invoice in Xero.
Overdue Instalments
An unpaid instalment becomes overdue on the day after its due date. Cademy keeps one live payment link for the full amount currently overdue.
If another monthly payment becomes due before the overdue amount is paid, the payment link is updated to collect the combined overdue amount. Future instalments remain on their original monthly dates.
Cademy does not automatically cancel an overdue order or remove course access. The course provider remains responsible for following up with the customer and applying its own payment and cancellation policy.
Reminders and automatic payment requests stop when the outstanding balance is settled or the order is cancelled.
View and Manage an Instalment Order
Go to Orders.
Select the order.
Open Invoices & Payments.
The invoice card shows the total collected, the remaining balance and every payment in the schedule as Paid, Due, Overdue or Scheduled.
When money is due, Instalment payment request (automatic) appears under the invoice. Use its menu to copy the current payment link if the customer needs it again.
Recorded payments, credits, refunds and order edits are reflected in the live outstanding balance. Cademy will not automatically request more than the amount still due on the invoice.
Related Guides
Pay for a Course in Monthly Instalments for customers
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Monthly Instalments cost extra?
There is no additional Cademy setup, add-on or instalment fee. Teams and Custom plans have a 0% Cademy platform fee. Stripe or PayPal deducts its standard processing fee from each separate instalment payment, so any fixed per-transaction charge is applied more than once.
Why is the Instalments section disabled in Settings?
Instalments are available on Teams and Custom plans. On Free, Starter and Pro plans, the section is visible but disabled and shows the plans that support the feature.
Why can't I see Instalments in my course's payment settings?
First go to Settings > Payments > Instalments, turn on Offer Instalments at Checkout and click Save. The course-level Instalments section only appears after the account setting is enabled.
Can the customer choose the number of monthly payments?
No. The account or course setting determines the number. The customer can choose Pay in Full or the instalment option offered for the order.
Can I set weekly, fortnightly or custom payment dates?
No. Instalments are monthly and use calendar anniversaries of the order date. You can choose 2 to 12 payments, but the payment interval and individual dates cannot be changed.
Does Cademy automatically charge later instalments?
No. The customer must use the emailed payment link for every later payment. Cademy does not store the first payment method for automatic monthly charges.
Can a customer pay a future instalment early?
No. The automatic instalment link is created for money that is due or overdue. It does not collect a future instalment before its due date.
Which payment methods can be used?
Instalments can be paid by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal where available. Klarna, Invoice and manual payment methods require Pay in Full.
Is PayPal available for instalments in every currency?
No. PayPal is not available for orders in Malaysian ringgit (MYR) or South African rand (ZAR). Card payments are supported for these currencies when card payments are enabled.
Can a customer pay a deposit and then use instalments for the balance?
No. Deposits and instalments can both appear as checkout choices, but the customer selects one payment plan for the order.
Can I create an instalment order in the Admin dashboard?
No. Instalments are offered through public checkout. For an admin-created order, use the existing invoice, payment request and partial payment tools instead.
What happens when a basket contains courses with different instalment settings?
Every course must allow instalments. If one course has instalments disabled, no instalment option is offered. If the courses use different numbers of payments, the lowest number applies to the whole order.
What happens for a fully discounted or low-value order?
No instalment option is shown when the total is zero after discounts or when any monthly payment would be below the payment provider's minimum amount for the currency.
Do course dates change the payment dates?
No. The schedule is based on monthly anniversaries of the order date, not the course start date.
Does an instalment order create one invoice or several?
One invoice is created for the full order total. Each payment is recorded against that invoice. If Xero is connected, the payments are recorded against the same Xero invoice.
What happens if an instalment is overdue?
The order becomes overdue the next day. The payment link collects all amounts currently overdue. Cademy does not automatically cancel the order or remove course access.
What happens to existing orders if I disable instalments?
Disabling instalments removes the option from future checkouts. Existing instalment orders keep their stored schedules and continue to receive payment reminders until they are settled or cancelled.
What happens if I edit an order during its payment plan?
The original number of payments and payment dates stay fixed. The live invoice balance is used to limit what remains to be collected, so Cademy does not request more than the outstanding amount.
What happens if I refund or cancel an instalment order?
A partial refund does not automatically cancel the payment plan if money is still due. Payments continue against the remaining invoice balance. If the balance is fully settled by refunds or credits, or the order is cancelled, collection stops.
Why is the instalment option missing at checkout?
Check that:
Your plan supports instalments.
Instalments are enabled in Settings > Payments.
Every course in the basket allows instalments.
The order total is greater than zero after discounts.
Card or PayPal is available for the order currency.
Every monthly payment meets the payment provider's minimum amount.