BookLive’s payment plan feature lets you split a client’s total fee into two payments: an upfront deposit and a final balance due before (or after) the performance. This is the standard way to secure bookings while giving clients a manageable payment schedule. This guide walks you through configuring your default deposit settings and applying a payment plan to any individual gig.
Before You Begin #
- You’ll need a BookLive account with at least one act set up.
- The gig you want to set up a payment plan for should already exist on your calendar. If not, add the gig first.
- To accept payments online, BookLive Pay must be enabled on your act. Navigate to your act’s Finances tab to connect your Stripe account if you haven’t already.
Step 1: Configure Your Default Deposit Settings #
BookLive lets you set default deposit preferences that automatically apply whenever you create a new gig. Setting these once saves you from manually entering deposit amounts every time.
- Log in at https://booklive.com/login.
- From your dashboard, navigate to your act and open the Settings tab.
- Scroll to the Payment Defaults section.
- Choose your deposit type:
- Percentage — Enter a percentage of the total (e.g., 25% is the default).
- Fixed Amount — Enter a specific dollar amount to collect as a deposit regardless of the total.
- Set the Balance Due Date — the number of days before the performance when the remaining balance is automatically due. The default is 7 days.
- Click Save to apply your defaults.
These defaults will pre-fill whenever you create a new invoice, though you can always override them on a per-gig basis.
Step 2: Set Up a Payment Plan on a Specific Gig #
To configure or update the payment plan for an individual gig:
- Open the performance from your calendar or gig list.
- Click the Invoice tab inside the performance.
- In the Payment Plan section, you’ll see two fields:
- Deposit Amount — Enter the dollar amount of the deposit. This can be different from your default if needed.
- Balance Due Date — Pick the date you want the remaining balance to be due.
- Verify the Total shown on the invoice matches the agreed performance fee.
- Under Accepted Payment Methods, check or uncheck Credit Card, Check, and Cash as appropriate for this client.
- Click Save to lock in the payment plan.
Step 3: Send the Invoice to Your Client #
Once the payment plan is configured, send it to the client so they can pay their deposit:
- Still in the Invoice tab, click the Send Invoice button.
- Optionally check CC Me if you want a copy sent to your own email address.
- Click Send. Your client will receive an email with a link to their payment page.
The client’s payment page clearly shows the deposit amount due now and the balance amount due later. They can choose to pay the deposit only, or pay the full balance in one payment if they prefer.
Step 4: Track Payment Status #
You can monitor where a client is in their payment plan at any time:
- Open the performance and click the Invoice tab.
- The payment status panel shows:
- Whether the deposit has been paid (and when)
- The balance due date and remaining amount
- Whether the balance has been paid
BookLive will automatically send a deposit reminder email to the client if they haven’t paid within a set window, so you don’t have to manually chase them down.
Tips & Notes #
- Deposit vs. total payment: If you leave the deposit amount at $0, the invoice will require the full amount upfront with no payment plan split.
- Changing the plan after sending: You can update the deposit amount or balance due date on an invoice even after sending it. Just save the changes — the client’s payment link will reflect the update.
- Online vs. offline payments: If a client pays by check or cash, you can manually mark the deposit or balance as paid in the invoice tab so your records stay accurate.
- Corporate clients: Many corporate clients require a formal invoice for their accounting team. Use the Send Invoice button to email them the documentation they need alongside their payment link.
