A customer’s installment request in PayRequest is a proposal for the business to review. It does not automatically create a payment plan or authorize collections. After the business creates the plan, it starts as Pending Mandate; the customer must authorize the SEPA payment mandate before installments can begin.
This workflow is for a business handling an existing collection case. It separates a request, an agreed schedule, authorization and actual payment so your team does not mistake one for another.
Check whether the customer can request installments
The PayRequest payment-plan documentation describes a per-case setting: open the collection case, go to Case Settings and enable Allow installment requests. The customer then sees Request Installments on that case in the Customer Portal. This is not a general promise that every unpaid invoice has an installment button.
The customer can choose 2, 3, 6 or 12 monthly installments, inspect the amount and submit a request. PayRequest records the requested terms in internal case notes and adds an activity entry. The business receives a notification and decides what to do next; submission does not create the plan automatically.
Use a four-state handoff sheet
Keep this original worksheet alongside the case. It is an operator checklist, not an additional PayRequest settings screen.
| Checkpoint | Evidence to record | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Request received | Case ID, requested months, date and review owner | Acceptance or collection authorization |
| Plan created | Verified balance, agreed months, installment amount | Active mandate or received money |
| Mandate authorized | Current plan status and next payment date | Every installment will succeed |
| Installments paid | Recorded receipts and remaining case balance | Closure if a residual balance remains |
Assign one reviewer. If two colleagues independently turn the same request into a plan, a notification alone cannot tell them which decision is authoritative. Check the case’s existing Payment Plan section before creating anything.
Work through a balance example before approval
Suppose the verified outstanding case total is €600 and the agreed term is six months. The planning calculation is €600 ÷ 6 = €100 monthly. The documentation says the plan amount is based on the total outstanding case amount; review the displayed breakdown rather than assuming it contains only the original invoice principal.
If the customer has paid €120 separately, verify and record that receipt before approving terms. A remaining €480 over six months would be €80 monthly. These are illustrative calculations, not a tested account result. Do not claim a transfer has arrived merely because the customer sent a screenshot or promised to pay.
Create the plan, then verify authorization
From the collection case’s Payment Plan section, choose the agreed number of installments and create the plan. PayRequest documents a monthly subscription linked to the case, initially Pending Mandate. The customer receives instructions to authorize SEPA payments.
Confirm the resulting status and the actual next payment date. In the Customer Portal, customers can view the case and plan progress. A message such as “Your request was received; we will confirm the reviewed terms and authorization step” is accurate before activation. “Your monthly payments are already running” is not.
Handle changes and closeout without assumptions
The documented workflow does not directly edit the number of installments on an existing plan: cancel the current plan and create a new one with revised terms. Cancelling the plan keeps the collection case open. Before replacing it, review payments already received and the remaining balance, and explain the change to the customer.
Completion normally closes the case when the plan covers the full outstanding amount. The documentation flags possible residual balances from rounding; inspect the actual balance rather than marking a case settled from an installment count alone. If a payment fails, review the current subscription and case status without promising a universal retry timetable.
For the broader setup, see the self-service client portal guide. This article focuses on the later installment-request decision.
Use PayRequest Customer Portal for the customer-facing request and progress workflow, with Debt Collection for merchant review. Start with one case and document who owns the request, authorization and final balance check.
Editorial note: AI assisted with this article and cover. Published documentation was checked on 5 October 2026. The worksheet and amounts are original illustrative examples, not customer results or a live-account test.
