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.

When this payment method is used, customers complete checkout and receive confirmation immediately. Course access behaviour depends on the account-level access setting for manual payments.

This article explains:

where Manual Payment Handling is configured
how the access control setting works
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. Payment is collected externally by the course provider.

Key principles:

Customers complete checkout without paying inside Cademy.
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 tracking only.
Course access before payment depends on the access toggle in account settings.

Access behaviour:

If “Allow course access before manual payment is marked paid” is enabled:

Customers receive immediate access after checkout, even if payment status is Awaiting Payment.

If “Allow course access before manual payment is marked paid” is disabled:

Customers receive confirmation immediately, but course access is restricted until the payment status is marked Paid.

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 and its access behaviour are configured at the account level.

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

To configure Manual Payment Handling and access rules:

Go to Settings.
Select Payments.
Open Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing.
Enable or disable the payment method for checkout.
Use the toggle “Allow course access before manual payment is marked paid” to control access behaviour.
Set the checkout label.
Add the notice shown at checkout.
Click Save.

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

Access toggle behaviour:

If enabled:

Customers can access course content immediately after checkout, even if payment status is not Paid.

If disabled:

Customers cannot access course content until the payment status is marked Paid.

This setting applies account-wide and is not configured per course.

For backward compatibility, if the access setting has not been configured previously, access is allowed before payment by default.

Course-Level Settings

Manual Payment Handling can be enabled or disabled per course.

Path: Courses → select a course → Settings → Payments

To enable Manual Payment Handling on a specific course:

Go to Courses.
Select the relevant course.
Open Settings.
Select Payments.
In the Payment Methods section, enable Manual Payment Handling if required.
Click Save.

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 or Invoice.
Customers see only the payment methods enabled for that specific course.

The access restriction toggle is not set at course level. It follows the account-level configuration

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
a confirmation email is sent immediately

What Happens After Checkout

After completing checkout with Manual Payment Handling:

the customer receives a booking or order confirmation email immediately
no payment request emails are sent
no “payment required” emails are sent
no invoice emails are sent

Course access depends on the access toggle.

If access before payment is allowed:

the customer sees the Booking Confirmed or Order Confirmed page
course access links such as View & Manage Booking or Access Course are available immediately
course content can be accessed immediately

If access before payment is not allowed and payment status is not Paid:

the customer sees confirmation
course access links such as View & Manage Booking or Access Course are available immediately
when the customer attempts to access course content, an unpaid notice is shown
the notice explains that course access is blocked until payment is marked Paid
the notice uses the standard awaiting-payment visual style
the notice does not include View Invoice buttons
the notice does not include Pay Now buttons

When the payment status is changed to Paid:

the unpaid notice is removed
full course access becomes available automatically

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)

Confirmation emails are always sent immediately after checkout, regardless of access configuration.

Access behaviour depends on the access toggle.

If access before payment is allowed:

customers already have full access even when status shows Awaiting Payment

If access before payment is not allowed:

customers cannot access course content until the payment status is changed to Paid

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

no email is sent to the customer
access is restored automatically if it was previously restricted

Payment status updates remain for internal tracking only and do not trigger additional communication for Manual Payment Handling.

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,
access behaviour follows the account-level manual payment access setting
changing the payment status later does not trigger emails.

If access before payment is not allowed, the learner cannot access course content until payment status is marked Paid.

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.
Clarify whether access is provided immediately or only after payment is marked Paid.

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. Confirmation emails are sent immediately. Course access depends on the account-level access setting.

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.

The access restriction toggle is configured only at account level.

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?

It depends on the account-level setting.

If “Allow course access before manual payment is marked paid” is enabled:

customers receive full access immediately after checkout, even if the booking shows Awaiting Payment in the admin area

If the setting is disabled:

customers receive confirmation immediately
course content access is blocked until payment status is marked Paid

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

Payment status is used for internal tracking, and its meaning depends on both the payment method and the access configuration.

For Manual Payment Handling:

If access before payment is allowed:

Awaiting Payment does not restrict access

If access before payment is not allowed:

Awaiting Payment means course access is restricted until payment status is marked Paid

For Invoice payments:

Awaiting Payment restricts access according to invoice rules, and invoice actions may be available

Important clarification:

The same status label ("Awaiting Payment") is used across payment methods, but behaviour depends on the payment method and configuration.

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

No.

For bookings created using Manual Payment Handling / External Invoicing, changing the payment status from Awaiting Payment to Paid does not send any email.

Access is restored automatically if it was previously restricted.

For bookings created using Invoice payments, email behaviour follows invoice rules.

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.