What's Autopay and How Does is Work?

What Is Autopay?

Autopay is a hands-free way to settle invoices in Wholesail without logging in each time a new invoice arrives. Once you’ve enabled autopay, Wholesail automatically checks for open invoices on a schedule you choose - daily, weekly, or whenever invoices come due - and charges your saved bank account or credit card. This helps ensure:

• No Missed Deadlines: Autopay processes each invoice before it becomes overdue.
• Less Manual Work: You don’t have to remember to log in and pay every time.
• Peace of Mind: You can set optional payment limits (aka max amounts) or partial-pay settings to control how much autopay can charge.

Under the hood, Wholesail references your existing payment method, compares open invoices to your autopay settings, and initiates payments as needed. Below, we’ll walk through the how autopay work seamlessly, so you know exactly what’s happening with your invoices.

How Does Autopay Work?

Autopay in Wholesail automatically pays your open invoices on a schedule you choose. Once you’ve set up an autopay plan, Wholesail checks for unpaid invoices at the frequency you selected (daily, weekly, on the invoice due date, etc.) and initiates payments from your saved bank account or credit card—no manual work needed.

Autopay at a Glance

1. You Pick the Frequency

   • Options might include daily, weekly, every 2 weeks, twice a month, or on the invoice due date.
   • Each time autopay runs, it looks for any unpaid invoices linked to your account.

2. Invoices Are Paid

   • Wholesail gathers all open invoices for that vendor.
   • If you’ve enabled a payment limit, Wholesail ensures you don’t exceed it.
   • Depending on your partial pay setting, autopay may pay part of a large invoice or skip it entirely if it exceeds the limit.

3. You’re Informed

   • Wholesail sends an email receipt each time autopay processes a payment, listing which invoices were paid and how much was charged.
   • If your plan ever encounters an error (like a decline), you’ll get a notification so you can take action.

4. You Stay in Control

   • You can edit an existing autopay plan (if your vendor allows editing) or cancel it altogether at any time.
   • You remain free to switch payment methods, adjust your max limit, or pick a new frequency to fit your needs.

How Autopay Handles Invoices

Depending on the schedule you chose, Wholesail checks for any open invoices:

• Daily: Autopay runs once a day, paying all open invoices it finds. Great for COD or if you want invoices cleared as soon as they appear.
• Weekly: A single weekday autopay triggers to settle any outstanding invoices. 
• Every 2 Weeks / Twice a Month: Ideal if you prefer a consistent schedule that’s less frequent than weekly but more often than monthly. This can help you manage your cash flow without having to pay invoices every single week.
• On the Invoice Due Date: Maximizes your payment terms. Autopay pays invoices exactly on their due date.

Order of Payment

• Oldest First: For daily, weekly, and most frequency-based plans, autopay typically pays invoices from oldest to newest until all are cleared or you hit your limit.
• On Due Date Plans: Autopay simply processes invoices on the day they come due.

Payment Limits & Partial Pay

If you set a maximum amount autopay can charge each run:

• Only pay whole invoices ON: Autopay pays what it can for the last invoice, up to your max. The remainder stays unpaid until you handle it manually or in the next autopay cycle.
• Only pay whole invoices OFF: Autopay will skip any invoice that would exceed the max, so you’ll need to handle that invoice separately.

If you have no max limit, autopay pays all open invoices in full.

Notifications & Reminders

• Payment Confirmation Emails: Each time autopay processes a payment, you’ll receive a receipt.
• Declines / Errors: If something goes wrong (e.g., a card decline, insufficient ACH funds), Wholesail notifies you so you can resolve the issue.
• Editing/Canceling: Should you update or stop autopay, you’ll receive a confirmation.

Staying in Control

• Edit Your Plan: If your vendor enables autopay editing, you can change the frequency, payment method, or payment limit in Autopay.
• End Your Plan: Cancel autopay whenever you like. Any unpaid invoices remain open, but Wholesail stops automatically paying new ones.
• Manage Multiple Vendors: Each vendor typically has its own autopay plan, so you can configure them individually.

Common Questions

Q: What if I set daily autopay and have a large invoice posted?
A: Wholesail pays it the next day (or even the same day if posted before autopay checks) unless it exceeds your max limit. If it’s beyond your max and partial pay is off, autopay skips that invoice.

Q: Do I get to review invoices before they’re paid?
A: With daily autopay or “invoice is due” autopay, you don’t see them first unless your vendor issues invoices far in advance. If you prefer extra review time, weekly or bi-weekly autopay might be better.

Q: Can I temporarily pause autopay?
A: Most setups require you to either edit your plan’s start date/end date or simply cancel and recreate autopay later. If you’re unsure, edit or cancel autopay to avoid accidental charges.

Q: How does autopay handle partial payments?
A: If Only pay whole invoices is enabled, autopay applies the maximum possible amount to your last invoice without exceeding the limit. The leftover invoice balance remains unpaid until you or autopay addresses it again.

Want to Learn More?

• Setting Up & Using Autopay in Wholesail: Step-by-step instructions for creating or configuring autopay.
• Updating or Ending Your Autopay Plan: How to adjust your plan’s settings or cancel autopay entirely.
• Set a Payment Limit for Autopay: Details about using a max amount and partial-pay settings.
• Choose Your Autopay Strategy: Weekly, Immediate, or Due Date: Learn which autopay frequency fits you.

For additional questions or assistance, contact Wholesail Support at [e-mail].