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Collect Pledge Payments

Goal: Move money against a pledge — by check, online payment, or staff-recorded — so balance, donor record, and accounting all stay in sync.

Pledge payments are not auto-charged​

Worth saying first: Ayuna does not auto-charge pledge installments. Each payment is initiated either by the donor (paying online via a pledge payment link) or by staff (recording a check or processing a card on the donor's behalf). If you want the schedule to be hands-off, pair the pledge with a Recurring Donation.

Three ways payments come in​

1. Donor self-pays online​

The donor uses their pledge payment page (/my-pledges/:pledgeId when logged in, or a public link for guests). They:

  • See the next installment due and the amount
  • Pay with a saved card, new card, or ACH
  • Receive an immediate receipt

Behind the scenes, this creates a Donation record, marks the installment paid, and updates pledge balance and donor stats.

2. Staff records a payment received​

When a check arrives in the mail or a donor calls in:

  • Open the pledge detail
  • Click Record Payment on the next installment
  • Capture amount, date, payment method, payment notes
  • Save

The payment becomes a Donation record and the installment moves to paid. If the amount is less than the installment's due amount, status moves to partial.

3. Staff processes a card on behalf of the donor​

Useful when a donor calls in to pay by phone:

  • Open the pledge
  • Process Pledge Payment with their card details
  • The transaction goes through Finix; on success, the same downstream effects as the other paths happen

Card-on-file from a previous gift can also be reused for this — pick from the donor's saved instruments instead of re-entering.

What happens when an installment is paid​

For each successful payment:

  • A Donation row is created with pledge_id and pledge_installment_number set
  • The pledge_payment row is updated (paid_date, status, donation_id)
  • The pledge's amount_paid and balance_remaining recalculate
  • A receipt is generated and emailed (per donor's preferences)
  • The donor's lifetime giving, donation count, and giving level update
  • The journal entry posts: debit Cash, credit Pledge Receivable

Partial payments​

A donor can pay less than the full installment amount. The installment stays in partial status until topped up. Common reasons:

  • Donor splits an installment over a few smaller payments for cash-flow reasons
  • Mid-installment refund or adjustment
  • A combined check covers multiple installments unevenly

Reminders​

Ayuna doesn't send automatic dunning notices for past-due pledge payments. For affiliates with active pledges:

  • Run the pledge stats report monthly to surface pending and overdue installments
  • Send a templated reminder email or call the donor
  • Update the pledge notes with what was discussed

Pledge completion​

When the final installment is paid and balance reaches zero, the pledge moves to Completed. Send a thank-you specific to fulfillment of the pledge — this is a different moment than thanking for any individual payment.

When a payment is wrong​

  • Wrong amount — Edit Donation on the donation record; pledge balance recalculates
  • Wrong installment selected — Edit Donation to point at the correct installment number
  • Refund needed — see Refund a Donation; the pledge installment status returns to its prior state