Most of the money in Billing starts with a session. This page follows a booking from the first charge through the fees that can follow, and explains the one rule that governs them: a fee replaces what the customer already paid, it does not stack on top.
| Situation | What is charged |
|---|---|
| Paid package | The package price, plus any add-ons selected, minus a coupon, plus sales tax where it applies. Charged immediately to the card entered. |
| Free package | Nothing. A card is still required to reserve the appointment, so that a no-show or late change can be charged under your policy. The booking page says so. |
| Organization pays | Nothing from the family. The session is invoiced to the organization later. See Billing Organizations for Sessions. |
| Booked by staff | Staff can charge the card on file, enter a card, waive the booking fee, or bill the organization, and see a live subtotal, tax, and total before confirming. |
The card becomes the subject's saved payment method. Families can update it from their profile; staff can update it on the subject's record.
| Fee | When | Set in |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation | The session is cancelled inside the window, or under a never-refund policy | Cancellation Policy on the studio, organization, or subject group |
| Reschedule | The session is moved inside the window | Same policy |
| No Show | The session is marked No Show | No Show Policy |
| Resit | A second session is booked for a subject already photographed | Resit Policy |
Policies are inherited: subject group, then organization, then studio default. The session detail shows which policy applied and what the customer was told at booking.
The customer's net cost for a cancelled or missed session should equal the fee, no more. Airstudio compares the fee to what was already paid on the booking:
A reschedule fee on a moved session is charged in addition, because the new session carries the original payment forward. Resit fees are always additional charges; they pay for a second sitting.
Add-ons follow the package. When a session is cancelled or its package changed inside the window, the add-ons on it are retained along with the fee; outside the window they are refunded with the package. Removing a single add-on from a session works the same way, and staff can waive the retained amount.
On the session, staff can Waive Booking Fee, Waive Reschedule / Cancellation Fee, Waive Reschedule Fee Once, and Waive No Show Fee. A waived fee is recorded on the session so the history shows why nothing was charged.
If a fee or a booking charge is declined, the session keeps a Declined payment row. From the Payments tab, click the row to review the amount and tax and Charge the card on file again. Declined charges can also be converted into an invoice to the customer, itemized against the matching system product (No Show Fee, Cancellation Fee, and so on), so the customer can pay from an email link.
Any session payment can be refunded in full or in part from the Payments tab or the session. Refunds Airstudio issues itself, for example when a fee is applied, are recorded as System; refunds staff issue carry their name. See Managing Invoices, Payments & Refunds.