Introduction

Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing allows course providers to accept bookings without collecting payment inside Cademy. This option is designed for cases where payment is handled outside the platform, such as bank transfers, cash payments, or external invoicing systems like Xero.

When this payment method is used, customers complete checkout, receive confirmation, and gain full access immediately. Payment status inside Cademy is used only for internal tracking by the course provider.

This article explains:

where Manual Payment Handling is configured,
how it behaves at checkout,
what customers experience after booking,
how bookings appear in the admin area,
and how to manually create bookings with the same behaviour.

How Manual Payment Handling Works (Conceptual Overview)

Manual Payment Handling treats bookings as confirmed at the moment of checkout, regardless of payment status.

Key principles:

Customers are treated as paid from an access and communication perspective.
Payment is collected externally by the course provider.
Cademy does not send payment requests, invoices, or payment reminders.
The payment status shown in the admin area is for internal reference only.

This behaviour applies to both bookings (set dates) and orders (on-demand courses).

Where Manual Payment Handling Is Configured

Account-Level Settings

Manual Payment Handling is enabled and configured at the account level.

Path: Settings → Payments → Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing

From here, the course provider can:

enable or disable the payment method,
set the label shown at checkout,
add a notice with payment instructions.

The label and notice are shown directly to customers during checkout.

Course-Level Settings

Manual Payment Handling can be enabled or disabled per course.

Path: Courses → select a course → Settings → Payments

In the Payment Methods section, the course provider can:

enable Manual Payment Handling for the course,
disable it for specific courses if needed.

Important behaviour:

Manual Payment Handling can be the only payment method on a course.
It can also be combined with other payment methods such as card payments (via Stripe) or Invoice.
Customers will see only the payment methods enabled for that specific course.

What Customers See at Checkout

When Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing is enabled for a course, customers see it as a payment option during checkout.

The label shown is the one configured in account settings. Examples include:

Manual Payment
Pay by Bank Transfer
External Invoice

After selecting this payment method, customers see the notice text provided by the course provider. This should clearly explain how and when payment will be handled.

When the customer clicks Confirm Booking:

checkout completes immediately,
no payment is collected inside Cademy.

What Happens After Checkout

After completing checkout with Manual Payment Handling:

the customer sees a Booking Confirmed or Order Confirmed page,
links such as View & Manage Booking or Access Course are available,
the customer has immediate access to the course or booking.

Email behaviour:

booking or order confirmation emails are sent immediately,
reminder emails for set-date courses are sent as usual,
no payment required or payment request emails are sent.

Customer-facing limitations:

no Cademy invoice is shown,
no buttons to view, download, or pay an invoice are available,
all payment handling is expected to happen outside Cademy.

How Bookings Appear in the Admin Area

Bookings and orders completed with Manual Payment Handling appear in the admin area with the following characteristics:

Payment method: Manual
Payment status: Awaiting Payment (by default)

Even though the status shows Awaiting Payment:

customers already have full access,
emails have already been sent,
no additional customer communication is triggered.

If the course provider later changes the status from Awaiting Payment to Paid:

no email is sent to the customer,
access and communication remain unchanged.

Payment status updates are for internal tracking only.

Creating Manual Bookings from the Admin Area

Course providers can manually create bookings that behave exactly like Manual Payment Handling checkouts.

Steps to create a manual booking with immediate access:

Go to the Enrollments page or a course dashboard.
Click New Booking or Create New.
Select the course and date.
Add the primary contact and order details.
In the Payment Status section, select To be paid.
Ensure Send payment request is disabled.
Ensure Send confirmation email is enabled.
Create the booking.

Result:

the learner receives a booking confirmation email,
no payment request email is sent,
the learner gets immediate access,
changing the payment status later does not trigger emails.

Best Practices for Labels and Notices

The label and notice text play a critical role in setting customer expectations.

Recommendations:

Use a clear label that matches the payment process.
Use the notice to explain exactly what will happen next.
Include bank details, invoicing timelines, or instructions as needed.

Examples of notice content:

bank transfer instructions,
confirmation that an external invoice will be sent,
instructions to pay on arrival.

Clear notice text reduces confusion and support requests.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing?

Manual Payment Handling allows customers to complete checkout without paying inside Cademy.

Payment is handled separately by the course provider (for example by bank transfer, cash, or an external accounting system). Customers receive confirmation and access immediately.

Can Manual Payment Handling be the only payment method on a course?

Yes.

A course can use only Manual Payment Handling, or it can be combined with other payment methods such as card payments or Invoice.

This is controlled per course.

Where do course providers enable Manual Payment Handling?

Manual Payment Handling is enabled at two levels:

Account level:

Settings → Payments → Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing

Course level:
Courses → select a course → Settings → Payments → Payment Methods

The payment method must be enabled in both places to appear at checkout.

Why do customers not pay during checkout when using this method?

Because Manual Payment Handling is designed for payments handled outside Cademy.

No payment is collected at checkout. The booking is confirmed immediately.

Do customers receive a booking confirmation email?

Yes.

A booking or order confirmation email is sent immediately after checkout when Manual Payment Handling is used.

Do customers receive payment request or payment reminder emails?

No.

When Manual Payment Handling is used:

no payment request emails are sent
no “payment required” emails are sent
no invoice emails are sent

All payment communication is handled by the course provider outside Cademy.

Do customers get access before payment is made?

Yes.

Customers receive full access immediately after checkout, even if the booking shows “Awaiting Payment” in the admin area.

Why does the booking show “Awaiting Payment” in the admin area?

Because payment status is used for internal tracking, and its meaning depends on the payment method used.

For Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing:

“Awaiting Payment” does not restrict access
the booking is treated as confirmed
customers receive confirmation and full access immediately

For Invoice payments:

“Awaiting Payment” does restrict access
customers may see payment prompts and invoice actions
access and emails depend on payment being completed

Important clarification:

The same status label (“Awaiting Payment”) is used for different payment methods, but the behaviour is different.
With Manual Payment Handling, the status is informational only and does not affect the customer experience.

If the payment status is changed to Paid later, will customers receive another email?

It depends on how the booking was created.

For bookings created using Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing

No.

Changing the payment status from “Awaiting Payment” to “Paid” does not send any email.
The customer already received the booking confirmation email immediately after checkout.
No additional confirmation or payment-related emails are sent.

The payment status change is for internal tracking only.

For bookings created using Invoice payments

Yes.

When the payment status changes from “Awaiting Payment” to “Paid”, the customer does receive a confirmation email.
This is because Invoice payments follow a pay-then-confirm flow.

Important clarification

The same payment status labels are used across payment methods, but email behaviour depends on the payment method, not the status label.