🔒 To set up in-app payments, you’ll need the Manage in-app payments permission
In-app payments let parents pay their invoices directly through Famly. This guide walks you through the full setup process, from checking your requirements to launching payments for parents.
Before You Start Setting Up In-app Payments
Check Your Package
In-app payments are available on the Foundation, Premium, and Professional packages.
💡 If you’re not sure which package you’re on, check your Subscription in your Account settings, or get in touch with us at support@famly.co and we’ll confirm it for you
Make Sure You Have the Right Permissions
To set up in-app payments, you’ll need the Manage in-app payments permission.
You can check your permissions in:
Settings → Staff & permissions → Compare roles
If you run a council-based setting, there’s a separate guide for you:
Verifying with Stripe for council-based settings
Important Things to Know
Where are in-app payments available?
We can’t currently support businesses based in British Crown Dependencies, such as Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man, or British Overseas Territories, such as the British Virgin Islands.
Who should complete the in-app payments setup?
We recommend that a Company Owner, Director, or someone authorised on Companies House completes the setup. This usually makes verification quicker and smoother.
Set Up In-App Payments Step by Step
Step 1: Get Started
To begin setup:
Go to your Settings
Select Finances → Invoicing and payments
Find the In-app payments section
Click Set up
If you don’t see in-app payments in your settings, let support@famly.co know; they'll be able to help
Step 2: Enter Your Company Details
You’ll need to provide some information about your business:
Legal business name, this must match your Companies House registration exactly
Business address, your registered address
Company Registration Number (CRN)
Business phone number
Business website
💡 Double-check that all details match your Companies House listing exactly, especially spelling and registration numbers. It can help to keep your Companies House page open while you complete this step.
After submitting your business details, you’ll be asked to add your bank account details. This should be the account you want to receive payouts into.
Step 3: Verify Your Identity
Stripe, our payment provider, requires identity verification for security and regulatory reasons. You can add your verification details to the Stripe account settings section.
The Person Responsible for the Account
This should be someone authorised to sign contracts for your business. You’ll need to provide:
Full name
Date of birth
Residential address
Email address
Additional Owners
If there are other owners who hold 25% or more of the business, they’ll need to be added here. If the person responsible for the account already owns 25% or more, don’t list them again as an additional owner.
Upload Photo ID
You’ll need to upload a clear photo of a valid ID, such as:
Passport
Driving licence
National ID card
Make sure the photo:
Shows all four corners of the ID
Is in full colour
Has no glare or shadows
Is easy to read
Shows a valid, unexpired ID
💜 Your personal information is used only for verification and is securely stored by Stripe
Step 4: Wait for Verification
Once everything is submitted:
You’ll see a confirmation in Famly
Stripe reviews your information, usually within 1 to 3 business days
You’ll receive one of the following outcomes:
Approved, meaning you're ready to configure your settings
More information needed, check your email for details
Rejected, this is rare and usually due to mismatched information
Common reasons verification is delayed:
Blurry or unclear ID photos
Typos in the business name or CRN
Address not matching Companies House
Missing information for additional owners
If more information is requested:
Check your email
Go to Settings → Finances → In-app payments
Click Complete verification
Add the missing details and resubmit
Step 5: Choose Your Payment Methods
Once verified, choose which payment methods parents can use in the In-app payments section under Payment methods.
Available payment method options:
BACS Direct Debit (UK)
Debit cards
Credit cards
Tax-Free Childcare
SEPA Direct Debit (Ireland only)
You must enable at least one payment method. Many nurseries enable all options to give parents more flexibility.
Payment method | Money arrives | Fees (UK)* |
BACS Direct Debit | 4–5 business days | £0.50 |
Debit or credit card | 1–2 business days | 1.5% + £0.20 |
Non-UK or Amex cards | 1–2 business days | 3.5% + £0.20 |
Tax-Free Childcare | 0–1 business day under £2k, 4–5 days over £2k | Free |
SEPA (Ireland) | 8–10 business days | €0.60 |
*Excluding VAT
For a deeper comparison, see Understanding payment methods and how they work.
Require Bill Payers to Add a Payment Method
You can require parents to add a payment method before they can access Famly. This is a great way to make sure everyone's set up to pay, but it's worth thinking through to make sure it's right for your nursery.
To enable this setting and require that bill payers add a payment method before they're able to access Famly:
Go to your Settings and select Finance
In the In-app payments section, find the Payer restrictions settings
Toggle on Require bill payers to add a payment method
What Parents Will See
Bill payers (that are also invoice recipients) will be prompted to add a payment method before continuing to use Famly. Once added, they can access the app as normal. Staff members who are also parents at your setting won’t be blocked.
When This Works Well
This setting can be useful when:
You’re launching in-app payments
Late payments are a concern
You want everyone set up on the same system
You’ve clearly communicated the change
A word of caution: Some parents might find this frustrating, especially if it comes as a surprise. Make sure you've explained why adding a payment method is required and why it matters before you turn it on
Require Automatic Payments
You can also require parents to enable automatic payments. To enable this setting and require that bill payers pay automatically:
Go to your Settings and select Finance
In the In-app payments section, find the Payer restrictions settings
First, toggle on Require bill payers to add a payment method
Then, check the Require automatic payment box
What this means for parents
Parents will need to add a payment method and enable automatic payments. When they add a payment method, they will see a message explaining that automatic payments will be set up at the same time. Once this is enabled, any outstanding balance will be collected automatically on your scheduled payment date.
When to toggle on required automatic payments
This works best when:
Automatic payments are essential for cash flow
You want to avoid manual follow-ups entirely
But think carefully: Some parents may have genuine reasons for preferring manual payments. Only use this if you have a clear business need, and make sure you've communicated extensively with parents first
Optional In-app Payments Settings You May Want to Use
Allow parents to pay custom amounts
By default, parents can only pay their full balance, but you can allow partial or custom payments.
To enable this setting:
Go to Payer restrictions in your In-app payments settings
Toggle on on Allow bill payers to transfer custom amounts to their Famly balance
Set:
Minimum payment, at least £10
Maximum overpayment
Set to 0 to prevent overpayments
Set a higher amount to allow credit on accounts
This is useful when:
Parents ask about payment plans
You want to allow prepayment or credit
Parents need to pay in chunks while they're waiting for funding
Want more details? See our guide: Custom Payment Amounts & Partial Payments
Set Up Automatic Payment Schedules
If parents opt into automatic payments, you can choose when payments run.
Go to Automatic payments, click Add frequency, and select:
Weekly - Pick which day of the week
Monthly - Choose first working day, last working day, or a specific date
On invoice due date - Whenever an invoice becomes due
You can edit your existing payment schedules by clicking on the ••• in the relevant field.
💡 Remember, parents need to opt in individually. This setting just determines when automatic payments run for those who've chosen to use them
Need more details? Check out: Managing Automatic Payments
Customise Bank Statement Descriptions
You can customise what appears on bank statements.
For your payouts (this is what you see):
Go to Payment settings → Statement descriptors for payouts
Enable custom descriptions
Enter a short identifier, such as your nursery name or location
Quick heads up: Banks sometimes add their own text before your descriptor (like "FAMLY APS" or "Stripe Payments UK"), and they can even override it completely. It varies by bank, so don't worry if it doesn't always appear exactly as you set it
For parents’ statements:
Go to Statement descriptors for payers
Enter a name parents will recognise, such as “Sunny Days Nursery Fees”
Enable Tax-Free Childcare
To accept Tax-Free Childcare:
Head to the In-app payments section
In Payment methods, go to the Tax-Free Childcare section
Click on Set up Tax-Free Childcare
Enter:
Your Site postcode
And your Registration ID: Ofsted ID (England), Care Inspectorate ID (Scotland or Wales), or Registration Number (Northern Ireland)
‼️ It's really important that your Ofsted or Care Inspectorate ID needs to be entered exactly as it appears in official records. Even a small typo will stop all Tax-Free Childcare payments from working.
For full guidance, see Tax-Free Childcare setup and management