A payment isn't showing up

An invoice still shows a balance, or the couple says there is no way to pay on the page you sent them. Start with which rail the money was supposed to come down.

The one rule behind most of this

A payment rail appears to a couple only when it is both connected and switched on. Two separate places, two separate steps.

1. Connect the processor under Settings > Integrations (Stripe (Payments) or Square (Payments)).
2. Switch the rail on under Settings > Client payment methods > Payment rails.

Doing one without the other is the single most common reason a couple sees nothing. The rail's row on the Client payment methods page tells you which half is missing: "Connect Stripe in Integrations first, or this rail won't appear on the client's payment menu."

Manual rails work the same way, with details instead of a connection. A Venmo rail with no handle, a Zelle rail with no email or phone, a check rail missing the payee or the address, a wire rail with no instructions: each one is switched on but hidden, and each row says exactly what it wants.

"The couple sees no payment options"

The page reads "Your filmmaker hasn't set up any payment methods yet."

1. Open Settings > Client payment methods.
2. Look at every rail you meant to offer. Read the warning under each one and fill in what it asks for.
3. For Stripe and Square, check the chip on the row: Connected or Needs setup.
4. On the Integrations page, check the Stripe tile is not sitting on Setup incomplete.

The check this page runs is the same one the couple's payment page runs, so what you see here is what they see.

"I sent it" does not move money

When a couple pays you by Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, check or wire, nothing goes through Hailo. They send it themselves and press I sent it. That records a claim and tells you. It does not change the balance or the status, because nothing has been checked yet.

Their page then reads "You told you sent it. Marked as paid by Venmo on . They'll confirm once it lands, the balance below updates then. Nothing else to do."

You get a Payment marked sent notification in the bell and an email to your studio address with their note. On a booking, the status pill on the lead's Booking tab reads Client marked paid, needs your confirm.

Record it when it lands

Open the invoice. The rail shows " says they've paid" with the amount, the rail, the date and their note.

Choice	What it does
It's there	Records the full balance by that rail and marks the invoice paid
A different amount came in	Type the amount, pick the method, click Add it
Nothing yet	Clears the claim without touching the money

If nobody pressed I sent it, use Got paid? on the invoice instead: "Cash, a check, Venmo, Zelle, a bank transfer, anything that arrived outside Hailo. Card payments add themselves."

See Manual payments.

A card payment that has not landed yet

Card payments record themselves. You never type one in. But there is a gap of a few seconds between the couple finishing checkout and the processor telling Hailo.

During that gap their page shows "Payment approved. We're confirming it with , this page updates automatically, no need to pay again." and then refreshes to paid.

If the invoice still shows a balance after that:

1. Wait a few seconds and reload the invoice.
2. Look for the payment in your own Stripe or Square dashboard. If the money is there and Hailo does not have it, write in with the invoice number.
3. If the couple says checkout never opened, they saw "Checkout couldn't start just now. Give it another try below, or use a different method." Ask them to try again.

Stripe still says Setup incomplete

Charges do not turn on until Stripe is satisfied. The tile reads "Almost there. Stripe needs a couple more details before charges turn on" and names the bank account and the identity check.

1. Click Resume Stripe setup →. Stripe's form opens where you left off.
2. Fill in what it asks for and come back. Hailo shows "Stripe still needs a couple more details before charges turn on. Finish the form and we'll sync automatically." until Stripe is done.
3. If you filled everything in and the tile has not changed, open Open Stripe dashboard ↗ and look for anything outstanding, such as a document. If Stripe shows nothing, your account is under review and the tile flips on its own.

See Connect Stripe.

Square is in sandbox mode

If the Square tile carries the note "(Sandbox mode, test cards only.)", Square is running in test mode on Hailo's side. Real cards are declined and nothing is charged.

If the tile says Setup required instead, Square is not switched on for Hailo yet and there is nothing to do on your side. See Connect Square.

The receipts line is missing on the invoice

Under the payment methods, the couple's invoice reads "Secure payment" and, only when you have a connected mailbox, "· receipt emailed to you". After they pay, "A receipt was emailed to you. Thank you!" appears on the same condition.

With no mailbox connected, neither line shows and no receipt goes out. Hailo does not promise a receipt it cannot send. Connect Gmail or another mailbox under Settings > Integrations, and see Email not sending.

Refunds

• Card payments: issue the refund in Stripe or Square. Hailo records it within a few seconds and adjusts the balance on its own. If you try to record one by hand, Hailo refuses: "Refund card payments in Stripe or Square. Hailo records those for you within a few seconds, and adding one here would count it twice. This form is for cash, check, bank transfer and the app rails."
• Manual rails: send the money, then open the invoice, unfold Give money back, type the amount, pick how you sent it and click Record it.

A refund is its own line, added back to the balance, so the original charge stays on the ledger. A fully refunded invoice becomes void and drops out of what couples owe.

Message	What it means
"Refund amount must be positive."	Type an amount above zero
"That's more than the $X currently collected on this invoice, lower it."	You cannot refund more than has been paid, net of earlier refunds
"That's more than the $X balance remaining. Lower it, or edit/void the invoice first."	You are recording a payment larger than what is owed. Raise the price first if the couple overpaid on purpose

If it didn't work

• A payment was recorded twice. Remove the one entered by mistake with the × on its row in the form view. Do that only for typos; for money you gave back, record a refund instead.
• The bell never rings for payments. Check Settings > Notifications. Payment received and Payment marked sent each need their Bell switch on, and Email needs the bell on first.
• The couple paid the wrong invoice. Record the amount on the invoice they actually paid, then adjust the other.

Still not adding up? See Contact support and include the invoice number and which rail was used.