Recurring Payments provides a built-in way to automate scheduled billing for a client's outstanding balance using Shepherd Pay. Practices can set up payment plans that charge a saved payment method on a repeating schedule.
Before you start
Recurring Payments requires Shepherd Pay.
Clients must approve the plan (in-person signature or email eSignature) before it can run.
A plan's total amount cannot exceed the client's outstanding balance at the time the plan is created.
What You Need to Know
Recurring charges continue even if the client's balance reaches zero.
If a client's outstanding balance is paid off before the plan ends, future scheduled charges will still run. Any overpayment is applied as a credit to the client's account. Cancel the plan manually if it is no longer needed.
Missing the approval deadline automatically voids the plan.
Client approval must be received on or before the plan's start date. If the client does not approve in time, the plan is automatically voided. You will need to create a new plan with a new start date and resend approval.
Cancelling a plan stops all future reminder emails.
When a plan is cancelled, any pending reminder notifications are automatically removed. Plans on hold are also excluded from reminder processing. Previously sent notifications are retained for audit and historical purposes.
If a payment attempt fails, the schedule does not advance.
Future charges follow the original cadence regardless of failed attempts. A failed payment does not shift or skip upcoming billing dates.
Enable Recurring Payments
Recurring Payments is available once Shepherd Pay is enabled.
Go to Admin > Clinic Settings > Financial Settings > Shepherd Pay
In the Shepherd Pay section, turn on Enable Recurring Payments.
If you are enabling Shepherd Pay for the first time, Enable Recurring Payments turns on automatically.
If Shepherd Pay is already enabled, you may need to turn on Recurring Payments manually (existing accounts may start with it off).
Select Save.
What you'll see after enabling
Once recurring plans exist, the number of active plans displays next to the Enable Recurring Payments toggle.
'Enable Recurring Payments' and 'Enable Shepherd Pay' cannot be turned off while active plans exist. To disable Recurring Payments, you must pause or cancel all active plans first.
Managing User Permissions
Recurring Payments includes separate permissions for viewing versus creating or updating plans.
In Admin > Users/Roles:
Recurring Payment Dashboard (View) — Shows or hides the dashboard in Financial.
Recurring Payment (Create) — Allows users to create new plans.
Recurring Payment (Update, Cancel) — Allows users to edit, reschedule, or cancel plans.
Admins and practice owners receive these permissions by default.
Create a Recurring Payment Plan
Recurring payment plans can be created in two ways.
Option 1: From the client profile
Open the Client Profile.
Go to Financial > Recurring Payments.
Select + Add Recurring Plan.
Option 2: From the Take Payment screen
Select Take Payment.
Confirm Use Shepherd Pay is toggled on.
Under Payment Method, toggle on Set Up a Recurring Payment.
Plan Settings
Complete the following fields.
Plan details
Plan Name — Visible to clients in emails and documents.
Payment Frequency — Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly.
Plan Duration — Choose either
Number of Occurrences, or
Date Range.
If using Date Range, the start date must be in the future and the first payment date cannot be the current date.
Payment amount
Total Amount — The full amount due across the entire plan. Cannot be $0 and cannot exceed the client's outstanding balance.
Recurring Amount — Automatically calculated based on the total amount and schedule. This is the amount charged each billing cycle.
Select a payment method
Choose an existing saved payment method, or select + Add New Card.
To add a new card:
Select + Add New Card.
Enter the required card details.
Select Use Card.
Client approval
Choose one:
Request client signature immediately
Clicking the button itself will prompt a signature pop-up
Send for eSignature via email
Clicking the downward arrow will show the option to email the client for their signature
Client approval must be received on or before the scheduled start date. If approval is not received by the start date, the plan is automatically voided.
If you opt to 'Send for eSignature' from the Payment screen - once sent, it will appear as though the Recurring Plan was not created. Rest assured, the plan is saved and viewable under Financial > Recurring Plans or Client Profile > Financial > Recurring Payments and is awaiting client signature for activation.
If you navigate away and try to Take Payment again you will see 'Recurring Plan Awaiting Signature'
View, Edit or Cancel Recurring Payment Plans
If you have the Update, Cancel permission, you can edit or cancel a plan. Plan name and payment method can be updated. When a plan is updated, the client receives an email summarizing what changed.
If a client is paying off their remaining balance before the plan's end date, cancel the plan first, then submit payment for the remaining balance. This marks the plan as paid in full — there's currently no way to edit the end date to reflect early completion.
To change the billing date or payment amount, cancel the existing plan and create a new one with the correct settings. Before canceling, check whether a payment is pending or scheduled soon to avoid an unintended charge.
Key events — including edits, cancellations, approval requests, approvals, and declines — are recorded in the activity log on the Recurring Plans dashboard.
Via Client Profile
Go to Client Profile > Financial > Recurring Payments to see active, scheduled, and completed plans.
To edit or cancel here, click the three dots in the Actions column and select 'Edit Recurring Plan'.
Via Recurring Plans dashboard
The Recurring Plans dashboard provides an overview of plans across the practice.
Navigate to: Financial > Recurring Plans
You can search by client first name, client last name, or recurring plan name.
The dashboard shows:
Active recurring payment plans (includes Active, Scheduled, and Past Due as of today)
Total payments collected in the last 30 days
Upcoming 7-day charges
Payments are processed in Eastern Time (ET). Dates may appear as the next day in your local time zone, but processing follows ET.
To edit or cancel from the Recurring Plans dashboard, click the Edit icon under Actions, in line with the selected plan.
When cancelling a plan:
A cancellation reason is required.
Once canceled, a plan cannot be restarted.
The client receives a cancellation confirmation email.
Any pending reminder notifications for the plan are automatically removed.
Client communications and receipts
Recurring Payments sends automated emails based on client actions and payment events, including:
Plan sent for approval (in-person or eSignature)
Approval confirmation (with PDF summary)
Decline confirmation (with PDF summary)
48-hour approval reminder (if no response)
Upcoming payment reminder (7 days before)
Payment receipt after a successful charge
Payment processing issue notice if a charge fails
Plan canceled confirmation
Plan details modified confirmation
Surcharge fee wording is included only if surcharge fees are enabled for the Shepherd Pay account.
To check whether a reminder was sent, open the client profile and select the activity log icon in the top right corner. Search for "Reminder Notification" or the client's email address to find related entries. Each entry shows the full message and the time it was sent.
Cancelled plans stop all future reminder emails. Pending notifications are automatically removed when a plan is cancelled, and plans on hold are also excluded from reminder processing. Previously sent notifications are retained for audit and historical purposes.
Troubleshooting
The Recurring Payments tab does not appear
Confirm Shepherd Pay is enabled. Then confirm Enable Recurring Payments is on in Admin > Clinic Settings > Financial Settings.
I cannot turn off Recurring Payments
Recurring Payments cannot be disabled while active plans exist. Pause or cancel all active plans first, then turn off the toggle.
The client says the approval link expired
The plan may have been voided because the start date passed before approval was received. Create a new plan with a new start date and resend approval.
Dates look off by one day
Processing follows Eastern Time (ET). If your device is in another time zone, upcoming charge dates may display differently, but processing still occurs based on ET.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Recurring Payments without a Wellness Plan?
Recurring Payments is not limited to Wellness Plans. Any clinic using Shepherd Pay with Recurring Payments enabled can use it to automatically charge clients on a schedule for any outstanding balance, including payment plans for large invoices or other charges.
What is the difference between Recurring Payments and a Wellness Plan?
Recurring Payments controls how a client pays over time. A Wellness Plan controls what services and benefits a patient receives. Enabling Recurring Payments does not create or configure a Wellness Plan, and setting up a Wellness Plan does not automatically create a recurring payment schedule. These two features are set up independently.
What happens if a client's balance is paid off before the plan ends?
Recurring charges continue on schedule even if the client's outstanding balance reaches zero. Any overpayment is applied as a credit to the client's account. If the plan is no longer needed, cancel it manually before the next scheduled charge date.
Can I change the billing date on an existing plan?
Billing date changes are not available through the edit function. To change the billing date, cancel the existing plan and create a new one with the correct schedule. Before canceling, confirm whether a payment is pending or scheduled soon to avoid an unintended charge.
What should I do if a plan was created with the wrong amount?
If no payment has been processed yet, cancel the plan and create a new one with the correct amount. If a payment has already been processed or is pending, contact support before making any changes.
The clinic shows the plan as canceled, but the client still sees a pending charge. What should I do?
If the clinic and client are seeing different plan statuses, contact support to review the account directly. Because this involves payment status and possible client charges, do not create a new plan or make additional changes until support has reviewed the account.