The frequently asked questions below are grouped into the following sections to help you quickly find what you need:
Setup and Migration
Q: Do we need to use Quote Wizard to use Stripe, or can we still use Stripe with legacy quoting?
A: Stripe works with both legacy quoting and Quote Wizard in BriteCore, so you can begin processing payments through Stripe regardless of which quoting experience you use. You do not need to be on Quote Wizard to use Stripe.
Q: What is the process for setting up Stripe with BriteCore?
A: Here’s a step-by-step overview of the Stripe onboarding process with BriteCore:
- Sign the Payment Processing Agreement to initiate setup.
- Receive a Stripe setup link from BriteCore.
- Complete the Stripe onboarding form, including full Social Security Number (SSN) for identity verification.
- BriteCore configures your Stripe account and connects it to your production site.
- BriteCore sets up convenience fee settings according to your preferences.
- Optional: BriteCore removes any saved payment methods not currently used for auto-pay.
Optional: If needed, Stripe and BriteCore can also support a payment token migration process to preserve auto-pay setups.
This streamlined approach ensures a smooth transition to Stripe while maintaining compliance and payment continuity.
Q: Can I use Stripe and my legacy payment provider at the same time?
Yes. When Stripe is activated in BriteCore, all new payments and newly added payment methods will be processed through Stripe—allowing you to begin charging convenience fees on those methods immediately.
Existing payment methods and auto-pay setups will continue to use your legacy provider until the payment tokens are migrated. This ensures a smooth, disruption-free transition.
During this period, both providers operate in parallel without conflict, giving you flexibility to complete the migration at your own pace. Convenience fee disclosures apply only to Stripe-based payments, providing clear and consistent messaging to insureds, agents, and admins about when a fee will be charged.
Q: Do I need to wait for payment tokens to be transferred to Stripe before going live?
A: No—there’s no need to wait. In fact, we recommend beginning to process payments through Stripe before the token migration is complete.
Here’s how it works:
- All new payments and new payment methods will process through Stripe immediately.
- Existing saved payment methods will continue to process through your legacy provider until the token migration is complete.
- As an optional best practice, we recommend deleting saved payment methods not used for auto-pay (BriteCore can do this for you). This ensures that when customers make payments (e.g., by phone), they must provide new payment information—which will be saved to Stripe. More information about this recommended step is available in the "How does the “Delete Existing Payment Methods” process work, and why would we use it?" question.
- Once the token migration is complete, all remaining auto-pay and sweep payment methods will transfer to Stripe seamlessly.
Starting early also gives you time to notify customers currently using a card for auto-pay that a convenience fee will apply going forward. This gives them the opportunity to switch to a different payment method—such as ACH—if they prefer to avoid the fee.
Customers will not experience any disruption during the transition.
Q: How does the “Delete Existing Payment Methods” process work, and why would we use it?
A: As part of the Stripe implementation, BriteCore offers an optional cleanup step to inactivate saved payment methods not currently used for auto-pay. While these methods remain valid for one-time payments, many carriers choose to remove them in order to:
- Ensure more one-time payments are processed through Stripe, rather than the legacy provider
- Simplify future token migration from the legacy system
This process is non-destructive and fully reversible. Payment methods are not permanently deleted—they are simply marked as inactive, which removes them from the interface while preserving them in the system.
The cleanup can be run in a single step or split into two phases, depending on preference:
- Combined (one phase): Inactivate both insured payment methods and sweep payment methods in one go
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Two phases:
- Phase 1: Inactivate insured payment methods not used for auto-pay
- Phase 2: After notifying agencies, inactivate sweep payment methods (used in agency billing)
The system evaluates payment methods based on the following criteria:
- The method is active
- The method is not used for auto-pay
- The method is not tied to an uncharged initial payment
- (Optionally) The method is a sweep payment method
This optional step helps transition more payments to Stripe, simplifies the token migration process, and can be reversed if necessary.
Q: Do I need to re-enter saved payment information?
A: No. Stripe supports payment token (vault) migration, ensuring a seamless transition without requiring customers to re-enter their saved payment methods.
However, any payment methods that were deleted during setup—such as those not used for auto-pay and tied to the legacy provider—will need to be re-entered if customers want to use them again.
If customers use the Policyholder Portal, they can update their payment methods directly. If not, agents or admins can re-enter them as needed. All other active payment methods, including those used for auto-pay or sweep payments, will be automatically migrated during the token transfer.
Q: My new Stripe account shows “Action Required” and asks for the account owner’s Social Security Number. Why is this happening, and how do I resolve it?
A: Stripe requires the full Social Security Number (SSN) for account verification before reaching $750,000 in total payouts, even if the last four digits were provided during setup. To complete this step:
- Log in to the Stripe dashboard.
- Select the Settings icon (⚙).
- Go to Business > Business Details.
- Scroll down to Management and Ownership.
- Select Edit next to the account owner’s name.
- Enter the full SSN or TIN in the field provided.
Once submitted, the Action Required alert will clear.
Q: Can I set different convenience fee amounts and disclosure messages with Stripe on BriteCore?
A: Yes. BriteCore allows you to configure separate convenience fee settings for card and ACH payments. You can define:
- Flat fees or percentage-based fees.
- Minimum and maximum fee amounts.
- Custom disclosure messages for each payment type.
These settings give you the flexibility to tailor the payment experience to your business needs while maintaining transparency for your customers.
Q: Can we charge a convenience fee that is greater than our payment processing cost?
A: Technically, yes—there is no system-imposed limit on what a carrier can charge as a convenience fee. However, from a legal and regulatory standpoint, most states prohibit charging more than your actual cost to process the payment or cap the amount of the convenience fee.
To stay compliant, we recommend using a convenience fee of 3.0928%, which effectively offsets a 3% application fee charged on the full payment amount. Here’s an example of how it works:
- Premium payment: $1,000.00
- Convenience fee (3.0928%): $30.93
- Total payment collected: $1,030.93
- Application fee (3% of total payment): $1,030.93 × 3% = $30.93
As shown in this example, this approach ensures the convenience fee collected matches the fee incurred, keeping you aligned with regulatory expectations.
Legal Disclaimer: This information is for reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult an attorney before implementing surcharge programs.
Q: How do I change the business name that appears on the Stripe payment screen?
A: The name shown in the Stripe-powered ACH payment screen (in the footer of the screen, there is the text "By submitting your payment to [COMPANY NAME] you agree to authorize payments pursuant to these terms.") is pulled directly from the Business Name setting in your Stripe account.
This name appears to payers during the checkout process and is especially important for brand recognition and clarity—particularly if operating under a DBA (Doing Business As) name.
To update this display name:
- Log in to your Stripe dashboard.
- Click on the Settings icon (⚙) in the top right to go to Settings.
- Under the Business Settings section, click Business details.
- Scroll to the Public details section.
- Locate the Business name field and update it to reflect the name you want to appear on the payment screen (e.g., your DBA).
- Click Save to apply the changes.
Making Payments
Q: The new payment screen requires an email address. Can this be disabled? Some payers may not have an email address.
A: The email address is a required field for all online payments. For payers who do not have an email address, a placeholder can be used in the format:
[phone-number]@no.email (e.g., 555-123-4567@no.email).
This format ensures the entry is unique and clearly indicates that the payer does not have a valid email address. Payments cannot be submitted without something in the email field, so this approach helps maintain compliance while accommodating payers without email access.
Q: How should payments be handled when the cardholder or bank account holder’s address differs from what is on file in BriteCore? For example, when a parent pays on behalf of a child. The current payment screen doesn’t allow changing the address.
A: An exact match to the insured or property address is not required to process a payment. The only address-related field that applies is the ZIP Code, and only for card payments.
In those cases, the ZIP Code from the cardholder’s billing address must be entered. This is used solely as a security measure (AVS – Address Verification System) to confirm that the person making the payment has access to billing details tied to the card. It is not the insured’s or property ZIP Code unless the cardholder lives at that address.
For agents processing third-party payments (e.g., a parent paying for a child’s policy), it’s important to ensure the correct ZIP Code for the payer’s billing address is entered. No other address fields are required, and the mismatch with the policyholder’s address will not interfere with processing.
Q: Can I take a paper check from an insured and process it electronically through BriteCore and Stripe?
A: No. Paper checks cannot be electronically processed through Stripe via BriteCore. Stripe requires the payer’s explicit authorization—either through a direct ACH agreement or bank account verification initiated by the payer.
From a legal and regulatory standpoint, converting a paper check into an electronic transaction without the payer’s digital consent does not meet NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association) rules and may violate federal and state banking regulations.
To process payments electronically, the insured must provide their bank account and routing number directly through a verified method, such as the Policyholder Portal or over the phone with proper authorization.
Q: Card payments now require the Card Security Code (CSC). This isn’t an issue for manual payments, but how will this affect existing auto-pay setups, since the CSC wasn’t collected before?
A: There is no impact to existing auto-pay accounts. All card payment methods captured through Stripe include the required CSC at the time they are saved. As a result, auto-pay transactions will continue to process normally, even though CSC entry is now required for new payments.
The CSC is a three- or four-digit number printed on a payment card (typically on the back for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, and on the front for American Express). It’s used as a fraud-prevention measure to confirm that the person making the payment physically possesses the card. This code is sometimes also referred to as the CVC (Card Verification Code) or CVV (Card Verification Value).
Refunds
Q: Can I issue a partial refund on a payment?
A: Yes, you can issue a partial refund in the Stripe dashboard by refunding an amount that is less than the original charge, as long as the payment has successfully completed.
How to issue a partial refund:
- Log in to the Stripe dashboard and navigate to the Payments page.
- Select the payment you want to refund. The payment must have a status of Succeeded.
- Click the Refund button in the top-right corner of the payment details page.
- In the refund dialog:
- Enter the refund amount (in the currency’s major units, for example 25.00 for $25 USD)
- Select a refund reason
- Optionally add an explanation
- Click Refund
- The payment will be labeled Partial refund, and the refund will appear in the payment’s timeline. You can issue additional partial refunds later, up to the remaining refundable amount.
Once processed, Stripe will return the specified amount to the customer using the original payment method.
Q: When a credit card payment is refunded, does the refund include the convenience fee?
A: The answer depends on the perspective:
- For the payer (insured): The entire amount paid, including the convenience fee, is refunded. This ensures the insured is fully reimbursed.
- For the carrier: The application (processing) fee is not refunded. Even if the full amount is returned to the payer, the carrier will still incur the original transaction cost.
In short, while the payer receives a full refund, the carrier does not recover credit card processing fees.
Q: Can a payment be voided before processing has completed?
Generally, no. In Stripe, a payment cannot be "voided" once it has been authorized. What you can do instead depends on whether the payment has already been captured.
For card payments with automatic capture, authorization and capture occur almost immediately after the customer submits the payment. Because there is effectively no delay between authorization and capture, there is no opportunity to cancel or void the transaction. Even if the funds have not yet settled into your bank account, the payment is considered final in Stripe. In this situation, the only way to reverse the transaction is to issue a refund. A helpful way to think about this is like placing an envelope in a mailbox: once it’s dropped in, you can’t retrieve it, even though delivery takes time.
For US Direct Debit (ACH) payments, the behavior can be confusing because the payment may remain in a “processing” or “pending” state for several days. Despite this intermediate status, Stripe typically does not allow these payments to be canceled once they are submitted. You must wait for the payment to either complete or fail. If it completes successfully and you need to reverse it, you would then issue a refund (assuming the payment method supports refunds).
Some payment methods, including ACH, may fail later automatically due to bank rejections or insufficient funds. However, this is handled by the banking system and not something you can force by voiding the payment in Stripe.
Reporting
Q: Month-end reconciliation is challenging. How can I see which transactions have cleared but haven’t yet been paid out?
A: The Stripe Payout Reconciliation Report is the best tool for this task. To access it:
- Go to the Stripe dashboard.
- Select Reports > Track Money Movement > Payout Reconciliation.
- Select the desired timeframe.
- Scroll down to the Ending Balance Reconciliation section.
- Download the report to view a detailed breakdown of:
- Transactions that have cleared but not yet been paid out.
- Their expected payout dates.
- The corresponding amounts.
This report provides a clear snapshot to support accurate and efficient month-end reconciliation.
Miscellaneous
Q: Can I charge fees back to payers?
A: Yes. Stripe-on-BriteCore supports flexible convenience fee configurations by payment method. You can define different fees for cards and ACH, using flat amounts, percentages, or combinations with minimums and maximums.
You can also configure custom disclosure messages for each payment method, ensuring clear communication to payers about any fees applied.
Q: We previously didn’t accept Discover or American Express cards due to higher processing costs. Now that the convenience fee is passed to the customer, can we allow these cards? If so, how do we enable them?
A: Yes, these cards can now be accepted—and there’s no longer a financial downside to doing so. With Stripe-on-BriteCore, two things have changed:
- All card types—including American Express, Discover, Visa, and Mastercard (debit or credit)—now incur the same flat processing fee to the carrier. Stripe charges a uniform rate for all card transactions, so there is no longer a higher processing cost for Amex.
- Under the convenience fee model, this processing fee is passed directly to the payer, not absorbed by the carrier.
Because of these changes, accepting cards like Amex and Discover no longer results in higher costs for the carrier. All supported card types are automatically enabled, and no action is required—insureds will be able to use any major card, and the same convenience fee will apply.
Q: How does Stripe handle agency sweep payments, especially during the transition from another payment provider?
A: Stripe fully supports agency sweep payments. During the transition period, existing agency sweep payment methods will continue to process through your legacy provider. This ensures continuity while you migrate to Stripe.
Once Stripe is live in BriteCore, sweep payments will begin processing through Stripe only after agencies re-enter their payment methods or the payment tokens are successfully migrated. This phased approach helps avoid disruptions while giving agencies time to update their payment information.
Q: Where can I check the status of Stripe services if I think something might be wrong?
A: Stripe provides real-time visibility into the status of its services. To check for any outages or performance issues, visit: https://www.stripestatus.com.
This site displays current operational status as well as historical incident reports across all major Stripe services.
Q: Our insureds and agencies are receiving emails with the subject line “Confirmation of Direct Debit Authorization.” Are these receipts?
A: No, these emails are not payment receipts. The “Confirmation of Direct Debit Authorization” email is a pre-authorization notice sent when a payer adds a new bank account for ACH payments through Stripe. It confirms that the payer has authorized future withdrawals from that account.
This email is required for compliance with NACHA (the governing body for ACH transactions) and helps ensure transparency around bank account authorizations.
Receipt generation has not changed. Receipts are produced by BriteCore separately after a successful payment is processed.
Q: How will I be alerted if an ACH payment is returned (e.g., for insufficient funds or a closed account)?
A: There are three ways to monitor and be alerted when an ACH payment fails:
- Administrative Alerts in BriteCore
When an ACH payment fails—typically 4 to 5 days after initiation—Stripe notifies BriteCore, which then updates the payment status in the policy’s Accounts Receivable > Account History section.
If the status changes to Declined, BriteCore automatically triggers an Administrative Alert email to the addresses configured under:
Settings > Administrative Alerts > Non-Sufficient Funds Occurring
Once an alert is received, administrators should open the policy and take appropriate follow-up action.
Note: Card payment failures behave differently. They are usually instantaneous, and the payment is never recorded as successful. As a result, these typically do not trigger administrative alerts, because the system blocks them before posting the payment.
- Non-Pay Balance Report
The Non-Pay Balance Report identifies policies that have entered Cancellation Pending, Non-Payment of Premium status on a given date.
While it doesn’t list failed payments directly, it highlights policies that missed a payment, which often correlates with failed ACH transactions.
This report is useful as a secondary reconciliation tool and can be scheduled or run manually.
- Stripe Dashboard Notifications
Stripe allows each user to configure real-time alerts for failed payments:
- Go to the Stripe dashboard
- Click the Settings icon (⚙)
- Navigate to Communication Preferences
- Enable Failed Payments and choose SMS or Mobile Push (email is not currently supported)
Note: These notifications are configured per user, not globally. Any team member who wants to receive these alerts must have a Stripe login and enable notifications individually.
Q: Why am I seeing the error “This PaymentIntent requires a mandate, but no existing mandate was found”?
A: This error occurs when Stripe attempts to process a payment that requires a mandate, but no valid mandate record exists for the payment method in Stripe. A mandate is a record of the permission that your customer gives you to debit their payment method (typically US Direct Debit bank accounts used for ACH).
In BriteCore, the UI is designed so that the mandate is automatically and explicitly granted when a customer either makes a payment or adds a new payment method. However, in some cases — such as during data migrations, API updates, or imported payment methods — Stripe may not have a valid mandate record linked to that payment method. When this happens, payments using that method will fail with this error.
How to resolve it:
The simplest fix is to delete the affected payment method and add it again (or have the customer do so).
- When the payment method is re-added through the BriteCore interface, Stripe automatically captures a new, valid mandate as part of the process.
- Once the payment method has been re-added, future payments should succeed without further action.