# Payment sync for academy invoices

> Halqora reads paid status from PayPal, Stripe and Mercury invoices and matches incoming Wise transfers, with unclear payments queued for review.

URL: https://halqora.com/features/billing/payment-sync
Last updated: 2026-10-21

Read invoice payment status from PayPal, Stripe and Mercury. Match incoming Wise transfers to open invoices and review unclear payments before assigning them.

### Payments counted once

Webhooks and daily sync use the same payment ledger, so repeated reports of a payment do not increase the recorded balance.

### Incoming transfers matched

Wise transfers match by invoice reference, or by exact amount, currency and payer name when a single open invoice fits.

### Unclear payments await review

Assign a transfer from the unmatched queue in one click, or dismiss it when it does not belong to an invoice.

Payment reconciliation software connects incoming tuition payments to the invoices families owe. Halqora reads paid status from PayPal, Stripe and Mercury invoices, matches incoming Wise (wise.com) transfers by invoice reference or exact amount, currency and payer name, and queues unclear matches for review.

Halqora is our product. We've tried to keep this comparison fair: competitor details come from their public pages, linked and dated below. Tell us if anything is out of date at support@halqora.com.

## What is payment sync for an academy?

> **Definition:** Payment sync reads payment information from a connected provider and records the receipt against the corresponding academy invoice.

Halqora is management software for online academies. Payment sync handles the collection side of tuition billing: which invoice received money, how much remains unpaid, and which receipts need your attention. Halqora does not move money through Wise (wise.com) or pay teachers.

Payment sync follows invoice preparation. With [automatic billing](https://halqora.com/features/billing), billing runs create draft invoices for your one-to-one classes. You review and send those drafts. Payment sync then brings payment information back into the invoice ledger; creating a draft does not send an invoice to a family.

## How it works

1. Connect your PayPal, Stripe or Mercury account. Halqora reads invoice paid status through each provider's invoice API, using Mercury's accounts receivable invoices API. Mercury sync supports USD invoices only.
2. Webhooks and a daily sync report payments to the same ledger. Each provider payment has a stable identifier, so repeated reports do not create duplicate payments.
3. For Wise (wise.com), Halqora reads incoming credits rather than provider invoices. The default lookback is the last 7 days. Halqora does not create an invoice inside that provider.
4. Halqora first looks for an invoice number in the transfer reference. The currency must match, and the payment cannot exceed the outstanding balance. A smaller payment can match if a single invoice fits.
5. Without a usable reference match, Halqora checks exact amount, currency and payer name. A single open invoice must fit; an amount match alone is insufficient.
6. Ambiguous transfers with plausible invoice candidates enter the unmatched queue. You assign a transfer in one click or dismiss it. Unrelated incoming money is ignored.
7. For affected UK and EEA accounts, personal tokens cannot read statements, according to [Wise's personal API token documentation](https://docs.wise.com/guides/developer/auth-and-security/personal-api-token.md) as of 21 October 2026. Halqora uses the activities feed instead; matching depends on the text returned.
8. The invoice balance is the invoice amount minus recorded payments. The daily routine syncs payments before overdue marking and email reminders. A provider failure does not block reminders, so a failed sync can leave payment information awaiting an update.

## How Wise transfers get matched to invoices

Wise (wise.com) matching works best when families copy the invoice number into the bank-transfer reference. Halqora recognizes zero-padded numbers and labeled references. A bare, unpadded number is not enough on its own.

**Example:** invoice number 12 can appear as 00012, #12, INV-12 or “invoice 12.” The reference identifies a candidate invoice; matching currency and an amount no greater than the remaining balance are still required. A smaller receipt records a part payment and leaves the remainder outstanding.

Without a usable reference, Halqora checks the amount to the cent and the currency. The payer name must contain matching name tokens from the student, parent or family account. If several invoices fit, Halqora leaves the decision to you. Matching is not guaranteed when payer details are incomplete.

Give families clear instructions about [invoice references on bank transfers](https://halqora.com/blog/invoice-references-bank-transfers). Keep each student's billing currency consistent: Halqora never converts invoices, and a transfer in another currency cannot settle the invoice automatically.

## What Halqora reads from each provider

| Provider | What Halqora reads | How matching works | Provider fee note (USD, as of 21 October 2026) | Country availability caveat (as of 21 October 2026) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PayPal | Invoice paid status and payments | Reads payments against the connected provider invoice | Check provider pricing | Check eligibility for your academy's country |
| Stripe | Invoice paid status and amount paid | Reads the connected provider invoice | Check provider pricing | Unavailable in Pakistan and Egypt |
| Mercury | Accounts receivable invoice paid status | Records the full invoice amount when paid; USD only | [Mercury says invoicing](https://support.mercury.com/hc/en-us/articles/29647747304084-Mercury-invoicing-overview) is unlimited and ACH, wire or Mercury payment are free | US-formed company required; [country restrictions apply](https://support.mercury.com/hc/en-us/articles/28771710754580-Prohibited-countries) |
| Wise (wise.com) | Incoming transfers | Reference first; otherwise exact amount, currency and payer name | [Wise says receiving ACH is free](https://wise.com/help/articles/2827506/how-do-i-receive-money-with-my-usd-account-details); USD wire or Swift receipt costs USD 6.11 | Balances unavailable in Pakistan and Egypt; statement access restrictions apply in the UK and EEA |

Receiving method matters when you give families bank details. The provider fee notes describe the listed receiving methods, rather than every charge your account might incur.

According to [Mercury's prohibited-country guidance](https://support.mercury.com/hc/en-us/articles/28771710754580-Prohibited-countries), as of 21 October 2026, founders living in or businesses operating in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nigeria cannot open accounts. Check current eligibility before choosing a provider for [payments for international online academies](https://halqora.com/solutions).

## The unmatched queue: one click to assign

The unmatched queue gives you a review point when incoming money has a plausible invoice candidate but fails the automatic rules. Several matching invoices, an overpayment or incomplete payer information can require a decision. A payment's presence in the queue does not mean the invoice is paid.

Check the receipt against the family and invoice before assigning it. Assignment records the receipt with the same transfer identifier used by sync, preserving duplicate protection. Dismiss a transfer when the proposed connection is wrong. The practical guide to [payment reconciliation for academies](https://halqora.com/blog/payment-reconciliation-for-academies) explains the review process.

## What it doesn't do (yet)

> **What it doesn't do (yet):** Halqora does not have accounting integrations with Xero or QuickBooks. Halqora does not support GoCardless or regional gateways such as Razorpay or PayTabs. Halqora sends payment reminders by email and, where an academy has paired a number, on WhatsApp; it does not send SMS reminders. Halqora does not offer a public API.

Refunds are not handled automatically. Matching incoming receipts also does not create installment plans or convert currencies. If your academy needs those workflows, assess that requirement separately from payment sync.

## Alternatives and how others handle this

According to TutorCruncher's integrations page, as of 21 October 2026, client payments use Stripe and GoCardless, Wise (wise.com) is used for paying tutors, and reconciliation connects through Xero or QuickBooks. TutorCruncher is worth considering when GoCardless or connected bookkeeping is central to your workflow.

According to Teachworks' integrations page, as of 21 October 2026, Teachworks connects Stripe and syncs payments with QuickBooks Online. Teachworks may fit better when you already keep your books there and want payments reflected in that system.

According to Classcard's integrations page, as of 21 October 2026, Classcard connects gateways including PayTabs, Telr and MyFatoorah, plus Xero and Zoho Books. Classcard is worth considering when your families need those regional gateways.

According to [Stripe's US Invoicing pricing page](https://stripe.com/us/invoicing/pricing), as of 21 October 2026, Stripe Invoicing itself automatically reconciles invoices paid by ACH credit or wire. Compare your receiving methods in [PayPal vs Stripe vs Wise for online academies](https://halqora.com/blog/paypal-vs-stripe-vs-wise-online-academies), then choose around the accounts your academy can actually use.

## Sources

- [Wise personal API token documentation](https://docs.wise.com/guides/developer/auth-and-security/personal-api-token.md), checked 21 October 2026
- [Mercury invoicing overview](https://support.mercury.com/hc/en-us/articles/29647747304084-Mercury-invoicing-overview), checked 21 October 2026
- [Wise USD receiving guidance](https://wise.com/help/articles/2827506/how-do-i-receive-money-with-my-usd-account-details), checked 21 October 2026
- [Mercury prohibited-country guidance](https://support.mercury.com/hc/en-us/articles/28771710754580-Prohibited-countries), checked 21 October 2026
- TutorCruncher integrations, checked 21 October 2026
- Teachworks integrations, checked 21 October 2026
- Classcard integrations, checked 21 October 2026
- [Stripe US Invoicing pricing](https://stripe.com/us/invoicing/pricing), checked 21 October 2026

## Questions

### How does Halqora know a Wise (wise.com) transfer belongs to an invoice?

Halqora first checks for an invoice number in the transfer reference, a matching currency and an amount no greater than the outstanding balance. A smaller payment can match when a single invoice fits. Without a usable reference, the exact amount, currency and payer name must identify a single open invoice. Ambiguous transfers with plausible candidates wait in the unmatched queue.

### Can webhooks and daily sync count a payment twice?

Halqora records each provider payment once in its payment ledger. A webhook and the daily sync can report the same payment without adding another payment entry. The invoice balance is the invoice amount minus recorded payments. The daily routine checks payments before marking invoices overdue and sending email reminders, although provider errors can delay payment updates.

### Why can't Halqora read my Wise (wise.com) statement in the UK?

According to Wise's personal API token documentation as of 21 October 2026, statement retrieval in the UK and EEA is subject to Strong Customer Authentication restrictions. Personal tokens cannot retrieve statements for affected accounts. Halqora falls back to the activities feed. Matching still uses the invoice reference or amount, currency and payer name, but depends on the text returned by that feed.

### Do I need Xero or QuickBooks to reconcile tuition payments?

Halqora matches supported incoming payments to invoices without an accounting add-on. Halqora also keeps receivables and aging reports for outstanding tuition. Halqora does not integrate with Xero or QuickBooks, so keeping your books in either system remains separate work. Matching tuition receipts inside Halqora does not replace the broader accounting work your academy needs.