Use Cases: When to Use Each Payment Plan Change

This article maps real patient situations to the right action in Flywire. Use it as a "what do I click when a patient says…" reference. For the exact steps, see Step-by-Step: How to Perform Each Payment Plan Change.

Affordability and schedule changes

"My monthly payment is too high — can you lower it?"

Use: Modify Payment Plan. Increase the Number of Installments to spread the balance over more months, which lowers the Monthly Installment Amount. Flywire recalculates the schedule automatically.

"I want to pay it off faster / raise my monthly payment."

Use: Modify Payment Plan. Lower the Number of Installments or raise the Monthly Installment Amount.

"Can you move my payment to a different day of the month?"

Use: Modify Payment Plan. Change the First Installment Due Date. (Note: this can't be changed if there's a pending rollup offer on the plan.)

"I get paid on the 15th — can my first payment wait until then?"

Use: Modify Payment Plan. Set the First Installment Due Date to align with their pay date.

Temporary hardship

"I lost my job — I need a break for a couple months."

Use: Pause Payment Plan. Choose the appropriate reason. While paused, no payments are due and no statements are mailed. When they're ready, use Resume Payment Plan, which adds the missed payments to the end of the plan.

"I applied for financial assistance and I'm waiting to hear back."

Use: Pause Payment Plan, with the reason Requested: Financial Assistance Application (or Under Review: Financial Assistance Application once it's being reviewed). This protects the patient from payments while the application is pending.

"I missed last month and can't catch up — can you waive it?"

Use: Modify Payment Plan → Forgive Missed Installments (requires permission). This clears the missed payments so they aren't carried as past-due. Alternatively, modifying the term can re-spread the balance.

"I'm ready to start paying again after my pause."

Use: Resume Payment Plan. Confirm the new due date with the patient — the previously missed payments are added to the end of the plan.

Closing or approving

"My financial assistance was approved — I don't owe this anymore."

Use: Cancel Payment Plan, reason Financial Assistance Approved. This closes the plan, cancels future payments, and turns off autopay.

"This plan was set up by mistake / it's a duplicate."

Use: Cancel Payment Plan, reason Other. If the patient meant to combine balances instead, consider Combine Plans.

Paying

"I want to make this month's payment now over the phone."

Use: Pay Next Installment.

"I want to pay the whole thing off today."

Use: Pay Full Balance. Let the patient know it can take about 30 minutes for the plan to show as closed.

"Stop the automatic payment that's scheduled — I'll pay manually."

Use: Manage Scheduled Payments to cancel the upcoming scheduled payment, or Cancel Auto Pay to stop autopay going forward.

Payment method and autopay

"I got a new credit card — update my plan."

Use: Change The Way You Pay to swap the card/bank account on file.

"Can you set it up so I don't have to remember to pay each month?"

Use: Turn On Autopay.

"Cancel the autopay — I want to pay on my own schedule."

Use: Cancel Auto Pay (note: this needs a stricter permission than turning autopay on).

Adding or removing balances

"I have a new bill — can you add it to my current plan?"

Use: Modify Payment Plan and add the new bill so it rolls into the existing schedule, instead of creating a second plan.

"Take this one charge off my financed plan."

Use: Remove Bills (financed/PayZen plans only). The plan must keep at least one bill.

"I have two separate plans — can you merge them?"

Use: Combine Plans (provider plans, same organization).

Discounts

"Is there a discount if I pay it all off now?"

Use: Alter Pay In Full Discount (if your organization offers this on active plans) to set or adjust the discount, then quote the patient the discounted payoff amount.

Financed (PayZen) plan situations

"Change the terms on my financed plan."

Not available in Flywire. Term changes on financed (PayZen) plans must go through PayZen support. You can still Pause/Resume, Cancel, change the payment method, and Remove Bills on financed plans.

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