How to Use Pay Now Links

This article explains how homeowners can use Pay Now links to make quick payments from emails, statements, and other communications without logging into Vantaca Home.

Important: 

• Vantaca Pay must be enabled for the association to use Pay Now Links. 

• Pay Now links also automatically invalidate when homeowners enroll in recurring payments through the Pay Now flow.

• Homeowners whose most recent payment was made by check through an eligible bank lockbox receive a specialized version of the Upcoming Payment Due email with a 1 Click Check Payer option. See the Check to Digital section for details.



Contents

• What are Pay Now Links?
• How Pay Now Links Work
• Making a Payment with a Pay Now Link
• Enroll in Recurring Payments
• Check to Digital
• Payment Limits
• Expired Links
   

What are Pay Now Links?

Pay Now links are one-click payment links that management companies can include in emails, monthly statements, collection notices, and other communications. These links allow homeowners to make payments directly from the link without logging into the Vantaca Home portal.

Note: You can also use a Pay Now component in the Email Designer which will can use the same link. For details, see the "Email Templates" article.

Pay Now links provide:

• Quick access to payment options.
• Pre-filled account information.
• Saved payment methods (if previous payments were made).
• Secure payment processing.
• No login required.
   

How Pay Now Links Work

Management companies can automatically generate and maintain a unique Pay Now link for homeowner accounts. For information about setting up Pay Now Links, see the "Pay Now Link Management" article. 

This link:

• Remains active for 40 days.
• Automatically refreshes before it expires.
• Becomes invalid after used for a payment.
• Immediately generates a new link when invalidated.
• Redirects to Vantaca Home guest payment if expired.

Management companies can include these links in communications where payment is needed, such as:

• Monthly billing statements.
• Payment due reminders.
• Collection notices.
• Assessment change notifications.
• Special assessment notifications.

Note: Pay Now links are different from Express Pay text message links. Express Pay continues to work through text message payment reminders as before. Pay Now links are used in emails and action item communications.
 

Making a Payment with a Pay Now Link

When a homeowner receives an email or communication with a Pay Now link, making a payment is simple.

To pay using a Pay Now link:

1. Open the email or communication and click the Pay Now link. 
   The payment page opens with account information pre-filled.
   Note: To protect your privacy, the property address shown on the page is partially masked. You will see your house number, state, and zip code, while the street name and city are hidden. A tooltip on the page explains this masking. If the visible portion of the address looks incorrect, contact your management company.
2. Review the payment amount.
   The full balance due is selected by default.
3. To pay a different amount, tap Other Amount, enter the amount, and click Next.
4. Select a payment method:
   • Credit Card or Wallet: Choose a saved card or add a new card. 
   • Bank Account: Choose a saved bank account or add a new account.  
     Note: If selecting to pay with a new card or bank account, enter the card or bank account information, optionally enable Save payment method for future use, and continue.
   • Apple Pay or Google Pay: Available if configured on your device.
5. Review the payment details and processing fee.
6. Tap Confirm & Pay.
7. Tap Confirm & Pay again to complete your payment. 
   A payment confirmation displays. If homeowners are eligible, it includes a section where they can enroll in recurring payments. Continue to the next section to set up recurring payments.
8. Take a screenshot for your records.

Enroll in Recurring Payments

After completing a one-time payment via a Pay Now link, eligible homeowners receive their payment confirmation with a section that allows them to enroll in recurring payments with prepopulated settings.

To enroll in recurring payments:

1. Click Edit next to Payment Amount and select one of the following options:
   • Pay Full Balance: Pays your full balance owed on each payment date, keeping your account current.
   • Pay Full Balance with Max Amount: Enter your maximum amount. Pays your full balance up to a maximum limit you set. Use this option to stay current while protecting against unexpectedly large charges like special assessments.
2. Click Save.
3. Click Edit beside Payment Method to select a different saved payment method or add a new one.
4. Review your payment details and click Schedule Payment.

Check to Digital

Homeowners whose most recent payment was made by check through an eligible bank lockbox receive a specialized version of the Upcoming Payment Due email. This email lets them switch to digital payments in a single click, without entering any bank account information.

With the homeowner's authorization, Vantaca uses the bank information from their most recent check image to pre-populate the payment screen. From there, homeowners can choose how to pay:

• Enroll in AutoPay: Set up automatic monthly payments on the due date, using the bank account from the check.
• Make a one-time digital payment: Pay the current balance once, using the same bank account, without enrolling in recurring.
• Choose a different payment method: Exit to the standard Pay Now flow and pay with a credit card or a different bank account.

Note: This flow is available only to homeowners whose most recent payment was processed through an eligible bank lockbox. Homeowners who haven't paid by check, or whose check wasn't through an eligible lockbox, see the standard Pay Now flow.

How It Works

• The homeowner receives the Upcoming Payment Due email, sent 10 days before the next charge is due to post.
• The homeowner clicks the link in the email. The 1 Click Check Payer screen opens with their bank details pre-filled.
• The screen shows:
  • A confirmation banner with the bank account masked to the last four digits (for example, "Using the same bank details from your recent check ending in 6789").
  • A Why go digital? benefits list.
  • An AutoPay Setup summary with the Total Amount Due (as of the current date), Frequency, Processing Fee, and Payment Method.
  • An AutoPay Details block confirming the frequency (Monthly, on the due date) and amount (Pay Full Balance). If there is no balance, no charge is attempted.
• The homeowner checks the Terms & Conditions box to authorize the management company to process payments from the bank account.
• The homeowner clicks one of the following:
  • Enroll in AutoPay to start recurring payments.
  • Make a One-Time Payment to submit a single payment with the same bank details.
  • Choose a Different Payment Method to exit to the standard Pay Now flow.
• A confirmation screen displays with the enrollment or payment details. The homeowner can take a screenshot for their records.

Note: Homeowners never have to type their routing or account numbers. Vantaca reads them from the check image, and the data is processed using the same secure system that handles the original check.

Payment Limits

Pay Now links include a maximum payment limit to prevent excessive payments:

• Payments can be made even with a $0 balance (e.g. for upcoming charges).
• Payments are limited to 3x the combined upcoming charges.
• If an attempt is made to pay more than the allowed amount, an error message displays.

This limit protects against accidental overpayments that could create accounting issues while allowing flexibility for advance payments.



Expired Links

Pay Now links expire after:

• 40 days from creation.
• Being used for a payment.

If an expired link is clicked:

• The system redirects to the Vantaca Home guest payment page where payments can be made using the guest payment flow.
• If guest payments are not configured, users are redirected to the Login screen.
• The user may need to enter account information manually.

Management companies will include an updated Pay Now link in the next communication.


Troubleshooting

Q: Can I pay an upcoming charge with a $0 balance?

A: If your account has a $0 balance, but you see upcoming charges that you want to pay now, you can submit a payment up to three times the combined amount of your upcoming charges. If you attempt to pay more than this maximum allowed amount, you will see an error message.