A payment update link lets a parent add or update their own credit/debit card or bank account through a secure page. It's the recommended way to collect payment details:
You never have to handle card or bank numbers yourself
Bank accounts added through the link don't need a verification wait
The family can switch their membership autopay to the new payment method in the same step
Ways to send a payment update link
From the student's profile:
Go to Accounts → Profiles and open the student's profile
Click Payment Info
Click Share payment update link. Or click Payment Update URL to copy the link and send it yourself, for example by text.
To one or more students at once, from the Profiles list:
Go to Accounts → Profiles
Check the box next to each student
Click Actions → Request payment info
A link is emailed to each selected student. Use this to collect payment details from many families at once, for example when moving members to ACH.
From a membership:
Open the student's Membership tab
On the membership, click Actions → Copy payment update link
Send the link to the parent, for example by text or email
When NextKick sends the link automatically
After a failed payment: the parent gets an email, an SMS text and a push notification with the link, after every failed charge
Before a card expires: the parent gets a reminder email with the link
Keep each link private
Each payment update link is tied to one student's account. It shouldn't be forwarded or shared with anyone else.
Why the link is better than updating payment info yourself
How the payment method is updated | Used for autopay? |
Parent uses the payment update link | ✅ Yes, if they choose to use it for their memberships |
Admin adds it in Payment Info | ✅ If you choose to. When you add the card or set it as the default, NextKick lists the memberships it would pay for. Click Apply to Memberships. |
Parent adds it in the student app | ✅ If they choose to. The app lists the memberships it would pay for and asks whether to use it. |
To use a card you added for all of a student's memberships, open their Payment Info, click ⋮ next to the card, click Set Default, and then Apply to Memberships. Memberships paid by cash, check or store credit don't change. To change just one membership, click Actions → Change payment method on the membership.
Common questions
Can families add a bank account with the link?
Yes, once your school has set up bank transfers and ACH is on under Student payment method registration. The link only shows the methods turned on there. See How to Accept Bank Account (ACH) Payments and How to Choose Which Payment Methods Students Can Register.
After a parent uses the link, do I need to update their membership?
Usually not. After adding a card or bank account through the link, the family is asked whether to use it for their memberships. If they say yes, autopay switches to it, and the next retry of a failed card payment charges it. To collect a failed payment right away, open the overdue invoice and click Pay Now.
Can I send the link to many families at once?
Yes. In Accounts → Profiles, check the students, then click Actions → Request payment info.
A parent updated their card, but autopay is still charging the old one. Why?
They may have chosen not to use the new card for autopay when they added it. On the membership, click Actions → Change payment method and select the new card. Or open their Payment Info, click ⋮ next to the new card, click Set Default, and then Apply to Memberships.