Before you begin, it helps to understand how DojoExpert organizes your school:
- dojo
- groups or classes
- members (students)
- subscription packages
DOJO: Your school can have multiple dojos, or locations. You must have at least one. The default location is called “head dojo”, but you can rename it.
GROUPS: Groups represent your classes. Each dojo can have one or more groups. To manage subscription payments, create at least one group in each dojo and enroll members in it.
MEMBERS: Assign each member to a dojo when adding them to the database, then enroll them in one or more groups. For example, John Smith can attend both KARATE and KUNG FU groups. A member can belong to only one dojo (location), so the hierarchy is DOJO – GROUPS – MEMBERS.
SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES: Assign subscription packages to members within a group. Packages are linked to members, rather than directly to dojos or groups. For example, create “monthly fee”, “weekly fee”, and “annual fee” packages, then assign them to members in any dojo or group.
About subscription packages
Define the subscription models used by your school. Each package has these settings:
- title – your own name of the package (ex. “Karate Monthly fee”, “2 weeks fee $10” etc.)
- charge period – We support the following periods: weekly, monthly, annual and per class (we explain them later)
- billing type – invoices can be generated at the beginning of the charge period (prepaid), or after the period expires (postpaid).
- fee – the fee amount
- auto generate invoices – enable the service to generate invoices when they are due
- attendance limits – optionally limit how many classes a student can attend per week or in total, and display these limits at check-in. Weekly limits and extra fees require attendance tracking so the system can calculate the amount due.
The subscription packages page includes tips explaining each setting:
Some schools charge multiple fees per member, such as an annual fee plus monthly fees for different martial arts. In that case, create a separate group for the annual fee, enroll all relevant members, and assign the annual subscription package. Use this group only for annual invoicing. Keep monthly packages in the regular class groups. This is one reason a member may belong to several groups.
If you charge monthly fees in advance and fees for exceeding weekly attendance limits afterward, create two groups for each package: one for the monthly fee and one for the extra attendance charges. In the second group, set the base fee to zero and define only the extra fee to avoid charging the monthly fee twice. At the start of each month, generate invoices for the previous month's extra attendance and the current month's monthly fee.
How to generate invoices
Follow these steps:
1. Create groups
2. Create subscription packages (go to “Invoices” and choose “Subscription packages” on the left). Follow the on-screen tips when adding packages.
3. Enroll students in groups on the “groups” or “member details” page. Select a subscription package and set the “start date”: the date from which subscription fees should be calculated for that group.
4. You are now ready to generate invoices. Go to “invoices” and click the “generate invoices” button.
The “Invoices” page lets you generate subscription invoices for members with assigned packages and record payments against outstanding balances. To generate invoices automatically, enable this in the subscription package and turn on the automatic generation service in “settings”.
In settings:
The service runs once a day, so invoices may take up to 24 hours to appear.
You can generate invoices automatically or create custom invoices manually for individual members. For automatic generation, set the following fields:
– Period: select “from last invoice” or manually select the from-to dates.
– Package – select “all” or a specific package
– Invoice Date – use today’s date or a future date to generate invoices in advance, such as next month’s subscription fees
– Member – select “all” or a specific member
With “from last invoice” selected, the system uses the last invoice date for each member and package to calculate the items to generate. If there is no previous invoice, it uses the group enrollment “start date”. One invoice is created per member, with one or more items based on the package's charge period. For example, a fee charged every 2 weeks produces 2 items if you have not generated invoices for 30 days. To avoid generating past charges, select a specific date range instead. Charges are generated only for periods after the group enrollment start date.
After generating invoices, you can preview and edit them manually. Here is an example:
This example includes a weekly fee and an extra attendance charge. When using weekly limits, set the group “start date” or invoice “from date” to a Monday so the system can calculate extra charges correctly.
“Per class” subscriptions
Use a “per class” subscription package to charge only for classes a member attends. This requires a postpaid package and attendance tracking in DojoExpert. The system uses attendance records to calculate the invoice amount. Members who attended no classes in the selected period are not billed. The invoice description shows the number of classes attended.
Adding payments
Once invoices are generated you can add payments to close them – mark them as paid.
You have two options:
1) Link subscription invoices to financial records so payment changes are reflected automatically in Finance, or
2) Manage them separately and choose which payments to record in Finance.
Option 1 is the default. To use option 2, go to “settings” and clear “link subscription with finance”.
Use “add a payment” to mark an invoice as paid. Select “register this as revenue” to record it in Finance. After you select a member, the second dropdown lists their unpaid invoices. Select an invoice to fill the “amount” field with its outstanding balance.
Sending invoices via email
Email invoices by selecting them manually or by using the “OnInvoiceCreated” automated email trigger.
Selecting invoices and emailing them:
Go to “invoices”, select the invoices to send (or select all), and choose “send email” from the bulk actions below the table:
Click “go” to open the email screen with a default message containing {invoicelink}. Customize the text and formatting as needed, but keep this code: it is replaced with the invoice link when the email is sent.
Students receive a direct link to the invoice, rather than an attachment. The link opens the invoice in their browser, with the same layout you see when clicking “print invoice” in DojoExpert:
If you have enabled PayPal payment processing in your DojoExpert account, the invoice includes a “Pay with PayPal” link so that your students can pay the invoice with PayPal. More about PayPal integration.
Using auto-email to send invoices automatically:
To send invoices automatically when they are created, use the auto emailing feature with the “OnInvoiceCreated” trigger. Include {lastinvoicelink} in your email template to insert a direct link to the newly created invoice.
Happy invoicing! 😉
Monthly standing orders (direct debit)
Many schools use monthly standing orders for subscription payments. To track students who cancel recurring payments and still owe fees, you can configure DojoExpert to generate invoices only for those students. You can then remind them by email or through the attendance tracking app. Contact us for setup instructions.
System flexibility
This process supports a wide range of subscription models. Earlier versions supported only monthly fees; the current options let you adapt billing to your school's needs.
If you have any further questions or need help to set the system up, please contact us!