FlexiLay is built on Stripe Connect: every deposit and instalment is charged straight into your own Stripe account. FlexiLay schedules and collects the payments but never holds your money.
The FlexiLay fee (see Settings & fees) is deducted once, with the deposit. Everything after that arrives in full. Payout timing to your bank is controlled by your Stripe account's payout schedule, exactly as with any other Stripe payment.
Failed cards are normal in instalment payments — FlexiLay handles them for you:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Payment fails | The instalment is marked overdue; the customer gets a friendly email with a one-tap link to pay or update their card |
| Retries | FlexiLay retries the charge automatically (up to 3 attempts), with a reminder email at each stage |
| Still unpaid | The customer receives a final 48-hour warning that the plan will be cancelled |
| Cancellation | The plan is cancelled and you're notified — since goods haven't shipped (lay-by), you're never out of pocket on unpaid stock |
You'll see overdue plans flagged in your dashboard the whole way through, and the customer can catch up any time from their portal.
Lay-by protects you: because goods are supplied only after the final payment, a cancelled plan means restocking — not chasing a customer for goods already shipped.