- For families
Paying at checkout
This page explains the payment parts of checkout: who pays for each spot, how to pay by card, and how promo codes, scholarship awards and account credit come off. The rest of checkout, from choosing who's coming to signing the terms, is in Registering and checking out.
Who pays for each spot?
This step appears only when something is due. When more than one option is available, each person gets their own card with this note above them: "Every spot costs the same. This only decides who sends the money — you now, or your scholarship program later."
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| I'll pay today | You pay now: "Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay or Google Pay". |
| My scholarship pays | A scholarship or education savings program pays the organization. See below. |
| Use a visit from my pack | Shows when you already hold a pack of visits for this class. It pays for one date, with nothing to pay now. The card shows the visits left and when the pack ends, for example "4 visits left · ends Dec 11". |
You can choose differently for each person. For example, one child's spot can go on your card while a scholarship program pays for another.
My scholarship pays. This appears when the organization accepts scholarship programs for the class. Pick your program under Which scholarship or program?. Your spot is held as soon as you book, and nothing goes on your card for that spot. There's no booking fee on it either. Depending on the program, you then either reserve the funds in the program's portal or submit an invoice the organization sends you. The whole process is in Paying with Step Up or an ESA.
Packs are explained in Sections, single dates, packs and other ways to join.
Paying by card
Under Card for the part you're paying today you enter or choose a card. The box above it says "You stay on this page. Your card goes straight to Stripe and never touches Famlo, and your payment goes directly to" the organization.
- Under Pay with, choose one of your saved cards.
- Or choose Another card, Apple Pay or Google Pay ("Enter it here — you stay on this page.") and enter the card in the form that opens. If your device and the organization support them, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link appear in the same form.
- Select Continue to questions, or the next step.
An expired saved card shows "Expired — update it in your account" and can't be chosen. If you have no saved cards, the card form opens right away, with a link: "Save a card to your account to check out in one click here and at every organization." Saved cards live in Account settings › Payment methods, and one saved card works at every organization on Famlo. See How do I update my payment method?.
Some organizations also offer Klarna or Affirm. Bank transfers (ACH) aren't offered.
If no part of the order goes on your card, for example when a scholarship covers everything, the card section doesn't appear.
Your card statement. The card box shows "On your statement:" followed by the name the charge will carry. It is the organization's name, shortened if it's long, not Famlo's. Under the pay button, checkout also says the organization "is the merchant of record": your payment goes directly to the organization.
Promo codes
Organizations make their own promo codes, and a code works only at the organization that made it.
- In the order summary, select Have a promo code? (1).
- Type the code in Promo code (2). Capital or small letters both work.
- Select Apply (3).
You can apply a code at any point, before you've agreed to the terms or answered the organization's questions. Applying only updates the summary. Nothing is booked, and nothing is agreed to. When the code works, you see the code and what it takes off, for example "SPRING25 applied — 25% off", and a Promo line in the summary. Promo codes aren't offered when you pay an invoice or payment request.
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| "That promo code isn't valid for this organizer." | The code doesn't exist at this organization. Check the spelling. |
| "This promo code is no longer active." | The organization turned the code off. |
| "This promo code isn't available yet." | The code has a start date that hasn't come. |
| "This promo code has expired." | The code's end date has passed. |
| "This promo code has reached its redemption limit." | The code has been used as many times as the organization allowed. |
| "This code requires a minimum order of $X." | Your order is below the code's minimum. |
| "You've already used this promo code." | The code is one use per account, and you used it before, on a booking or a membership. |
| "A promo code can't be used on ongoing monthly payments." | You chose to pay monthly with no end date. |
| "That promo code can no longer be used. Please try again." | The code stopped working between applying it and paying, for example when it reached its limit. |
Scholarship awards from the organization
If the organization has given you a scholarship award, checkout uses it for you. A green line with the fund's name and "scholarship" comes off the price, and a box reads Use my scholarship on this class, ticked already. Next to it you see how much is available and how much is applied, for example "($100.00 available, all of it applied)", and the date to use it by.
To keep the award for another class, untick the box. The note then reads "saved for later". If the award covers the whole order, you see "No card needed. Your seat is reserved the moment you confirm." See Scholarships from an organization.
Account credit
Account credit has no box to tick. If you have credit that can be used at this organization, checkout takes it off before your card is charged. Credit an organization gave you, for example when it moved or canceled a date, is used only at that organization. Credit from Famlo itself can be used anywhere. The summary shows it under Who pays it as "Paid with your credit at" the organization, or "Paid with your Famlo credit". See When a booked date moves or is cancelled.
What comes off first
A promo code comes off first, then the organization's scholarship award, then credit from that organization. The card pays the rest.
The booking fee is worked out on what's charged to your card, after any promo code, scholarship award or credit. Spots paid by a scholarship program or with a pack visit carry no booking fee. How the fee is worked out is in What families pay.
Who pays it, and the pay button
When an order is split between payers, the summary adds a Who pays it box with a colored bar and one row per payer:
| Row | Who pays |
|---|---|
| Due today | Your card, now. |
| Due by scholarship | Your scholarship program, later. |
| "Paid with your credit at" the organization, or "Paid with your Famlo credit" | Your account credit. |
If you chose to pay over time, a Paying over time box shows Due today and the payments Later. See Paying for a class over time.
The button at the bottom names what your card is charged now, not always the whole order:
| The button reads | When |
|---|---|
| Pay $X.XX today | Something goes on your card now. |
| Confirm registration | Nothing goes on your card. For a shop item it reads Confirm order, and for an invoice or payment request Confirm payment. |
| Confirm — nothing due today | You're paying over time and the first payment isn't due today. |
| Complete free RSVP | The order is free. "Nothing is charged." |
Troubleshooting
My saved card is grayed out. It has expired. Choose Another card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or add the new card in Account settings › Payment methods and remove the old one.
The page says "Confirming with your bank". Your bank wants to check the payment: "Your bank needs to verify this payment. Follow the prompt — don't close this page." Approve it in the window or app your bank shows.
Checkout says "Famlo can't collect this payment." The organization can't take payments on Famlo yet, so there's no card form or pay button. Select the link "Ask [organization] about a spot" to contact them.
I see "[child]'s [ticket] can't be paid for that way." The organization accepts only certain payers for that option, and the message names them. Choose one of those under Who pays for each spot?.
I don't recognize a charge on my statement. It carries the organization's name, the one shown after "On your statement:" at checkout. Check Payments & invoices, then message the organization.