Set Up Automatic Payment Plans for Delinquent Owners in Vantaca

In Vantaca, automatic payment plans for delinquent owners are set up by creating a delinquency policy (fees, interest, timing), then adding a payment plan arrangement to the owner’s account, and finally turning on autopay through the owner portal or by taking a stored payment method (if your permissions allow). If everything is already set up (bank/merchant, portal, permissions), it becomes: find the owner ledger, add the plan terms, require autopay, test with a small scheduled draft, and confirm the ledger posts correctly.

 

Before starting (so it doesn’t fail later)

 

• Merchant processing is active (ACH and/or card) and linked to the association.
• Owner portal is enabled and the owner has an email/login.
• Permissions: access to Owner Account/Ledger, Delinquency/Collections, and Payment Plans.
• Delinquency rules are defined: when late fees apply, interest rate, grace period, and posting order.

 

Set the delinquency policy (one-time per association)

 

• Go to the association settings area for Collections/Delinquency.
• Confirm late fee type (flat vs percent), interest (APR vs monthly), and timing (days past due).
• Set payment application order (recommended: fees/interest first, then assessments) so the plan doesn’t leave fees unpaid.
• Save, then run a quick check on one delinquent ledger to confirm fees calculate as expected.

 

Create the payment plan for a specific delinquent owner

 

• Open the owner’s Account/Ledger and confirm the current balance and what it includes (assessments, late fees, interest).
• Choose Add Payment Plan/Arrangement.
• Enter plan amount (total to repay), down payment (if any), installment amount, frequency (monthly/biweekly), and start date.
• Decide whether new monthly dues are included or must be paid separately. Most plans fail when new dues aren’t addressed.
• Add plan notes (board approval date, terms, what happens on default).
• Save and verify the system shows the schedule and remaining balance.

 

Turn it into “automatic” payments (autopay)

 

• If portal self-service is enabled: have the owner log in and set Autopay for the plan amount and schedule, using ACH (bank draft) when possible.
• If staff can assist: add/confirm a stored payment method on file (per your policy), then link it to the plan’s scheduled drafts.
• Set notifications so the owner gets receipt emails and failed payment alerts.

 

Common mistakes that cause plan failures

 

• Wrong start date (draft date falls on a weekend/holiday and fails).
• Plan ignores new dues, so the owner keeps going delinquent even while paying.
• Payment order leaves assessments unpaid, triggering more late fees.
• ACH verification not completed by the owner, so drafts never pull.
• Card autopay used for long plans; cards expire and fail more often than ACH.

 

Test, validate, and troubleshoot

 

• Run a scheduled payments view/report to confirm the draft is queued.
• After the first draft, confirm the ledger shows payment posted and balance reduced correctly.
• If a payment fails: check returned ACH code or card decline reason, update method, and re-run the draft per policy.

 

When to contact Vantaca support

 

• No payment plan option appears (permissions or module not enabled).
• Autopay drafts don’t generate even though a schedule exists.
• Fees/interest calculate incorrectly compared to your governing documents.
• Processor/merchant link issues (ACH not available, portal payment screen missing).