Planning Fees

Planning fees let you collect payment for your professional expertise — before you start planning, after a consultation, or at any point in the client relationship. A client receives a branded payment page, pays via credit card or ACH, and gets an automatic receipt. You get paid directly through Stripe.

What Are Planning Fees For?

Planning fees are designed for professional service charges that aren't tied to a supplier booking:

• Initial consultation fees
• Trip planning and research fees
• Destination expertise fees
• Itinerary design fees
• Ongoing advisory retainers
• Change or cancellation service fees

Planning fees are NOT for:

• Trip deposits paid to suppliers
• Supplier booking payments
• Travel package costs
• Any amount that needs to flow through to a vendor

For those, use Invoices instead.

Setting Up Stripe

Before you can send planning fees, you need to connect a Stripe account.

1. Go to Settings → Payments
2. Review and accept the Stripe terms of service
3. Click Connect Stripe Account and follow the Stripe onboarding
4. Once connected, your status will show as Active

JourneyFuse does not charge any platform fee on planning fee payments — you keep 100% of what you collect, minus Stripe's standard processing fees.

Tip: Stripe payouts typically arrive in your bank account within 2 business days, depending on your payout schedule.

Sending a Planning Fee

You can send a planning fee from three places:

From a Trip

1. Open the trip → go to the Invoices tab
2. Click New Planning Fee
3. Enter the amount, a description, and an optional due date
4. Click Send — your client receives an email with a payment link

From a Client Profile

1. Open any client → look for the Planning Fees section
2. Click New Planning Fee
3. Fill in the details and send

Standalone

1. Go to Invoices → Planning Fees tab
2. Click New Planning Fee
3. Select the client, fill in the details, and send

What Your Client Sees

When you send a planning fee, your client receives an email from JourneyFuse with your name and agency branding. The email shows:

• The fee amount
• Your description of the service
• The due date (if you set one)
• A Pay Now button

Clicking Pay Now opens a secure Stripe-hosted payment page. Clients can pay with:

• Any major credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
• ACH bank transfer (US clients only)

After payment, Stripe sends the client a receipt automatically. You'll receive an email notification confirming the payment.

Attaching a Fee to a Proposal

You can require a planning fee as part of proposal acceptance — the client pays before (or at the same time as) accepting your proposal.

1. Open a proposal → go to Proposal Settings
2. Enable Require Planning Fee
3. Set the amount and description
4. Save — the proposal acceptance flow will now include a payment step

When a client accepts the proposal, they're taken to the payment page before their acceptance is confirmed. Once paid, the proposal status updates automatically.

Payment Reminders

If a client hasn't paid by the due date, JourneyFuse can send automatic reminders on your behalf. To configure this:

1. Go to Settings → Workspace Settings
2. Find the Payment Reminders section
3. Set how many days before and after the due date reminders go out

Reminders are sent as branded emails with the original Pay Now link. Clients don't need to create an account — the link works until they pay or the fee is voided.

Planning Fee Statuses

Status	Meaning
Pending	Sent but not yet paid
Paid	Payment received
Overdue	Past due date, unpaid
Void	Cancelled — client cannot pay

FAQ

What fees does Stripe charge?

Stripe's standard rates apply: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction, or 0.8% (capped at $5.00) for ACH bank transfers. These are deducted from your payout — JourneyFuse does not add any additional platform fees.

Can I refund a planning fee?

Yes. Go to your Stripe Dashboard and issue a refund from there. JourneyFuse will reflect the updated status once Stripe processes it.

Can I void a planning fee before the client pays?

Yes. Open the planning fee and click Void. The payment link will be deactivated and the client will not be able to pay. You can add a note when voiding to keep a record of why.

Can I disconnect Stripe?

Yes, from Settings → Payments → Disconnect Stripe. Any unpaid planning fees will be automatically voided when you disconnect. Paid fees and their records are preserved.

Does JourneyFuse charge any platform fees on planning fees?

No. JourneyFuse charges $0 on planning fee transactions. You only pay Stripe's standard processing fees.

Can I send a planning fee in a currency other than USD?

Yes. JourneyFuse supports any currency that Stripe supports. When creating a planning fee, select the currency from the dropdown. Note that the client's payment method must support the selected currency.

What if my client doesn't see the email?

Ask them to check their spam folder. You can also copy the payment link directly — open the planning fee and click Copy Link, then share it with your client via any channel (text, WhatsApp, etc.).