Get Paid Before They Go Webinar (September 2026)

Get Paid Before They Go Webinar (September 2026)

Everything from our live session on tidying your Payable catalogue and getting paid before your leavers go — the recording, email templates for leavers at primary, intermediate and high school, and answers to the questions asked on the day.

Watch the recording


Email templates for outstanding leaver payments

Payment requests for leavers are sent from the Payable status page. Select the outstanding items for your leavers, then send the request from there. Kindo pre-fills the subject and message with a default, but it's fully editable — replace it with one of the templates below, and you can adjust the wording to suit your community and how you approach requesting payment.

In the payment request window, you'll see dynamic tags such as STUDENT_FIRST_NAME or SCHOOL_NAME. These are placeholders that automatically insert the right detail for each recipient, rather than you typing it in yourself.

The templates below show these tags in bold so you can see how the finished message will read. They aren't meant to be copied in as plain text — copy the surrounding wording, but where you see a bold tag, click Insert dynamic tag in the payment request window to add the real one in its place.

Primary School

Subject line:
ACTION REQUIRED for STUDENT_FIRST_NAME at SCHOOL_NAME

Body:

Kia ora CAREGIVER_FIRST_NAME,

One or more school items for STUDENT_FIRST_NAME are available for payment through Kindo. Your support helps us offer the experiences and opportunities that make a real difference for our students. We're writing as a gentle reminder about outstanding amounts (including donations) we outlined in our letter at the start of the year.

STUDENT_FIRST_NAME is moving on to intermediate at the end of this year, and we'd really appreciate it if you could settle any outstanding payments before they leave us. It helps us close out the year cleanly and keep supporting the tamariki who are staying on.

To be clear: donations are entirely voluntary. There's no obligation, and it will never affect your child's place at our school, or the care and attention they receive from our kaiako and staff. We know every family's situation is different, and we're grateful for whatever level of support is possible, no matter how big or small.

Why your contribution matters

Government funding covers the essentials, but it doesn't stretch to everything we'd like to offer our tamariki. Voluntary donations help us go further, providing:

  • Smaller class sizes through additional staffing above and beyond what the government supplies
  • Camps, trips, EOTC, events, and special educational visitors
  • Extra teacher aide support across our classes to meet the needs of all our students
  • Classroom learning resources to excite and ignite learning
  • Learning opportunities that make our school what it is
Notes
Adjust this list to reflect what your school's donations actually fund.

Every contribution, whether it's the full amount, a partial payment, or a small donation, makes a genuine difference to every child at our school. It means we can continue to offer these opportunities and support children's learning for future generations.

Extra-curricular activities such as sports, sports tournaments, music, cultural groups and clubs aren't funded by the government and rely on parental contributions. Where possible, the school has been able to subsidise some of these costs, and we'd love to keep offering that support for future students.

Flexible payment options are available

You can pay in full, make a partial payment, or spread the cost to suit your budget. Simply select the box next to the donation request in your Kindo account and enter an amount that works for you. Find out more about Part payments.

If now isn't the right time, you might like to set up an automatic payment into your Kindo Wallet, or use Autopay to spread the cost across the year:

Claiming a tax credit

You can claim a tax credit of 33.33 cents for every dollar you donate. Learn more about donation receipts.

If that's not possible right now, please get in touch — we're always happy to discuss options.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your continued partnership in your child's education. We're fortunate to have such a supportive community around our school.

Ngā mihi,
SCHOOL_NAME

Intermediate School

Subject line:
ACTION REQUIRED for STUDENT_FIRST_NAME at SCHOOL_NAME

Body:

Kia ora CAREGIVER_FIRST_NAME,

As your child prepares to move on to high school at the end of this year, we'd really appreciate it if you could settle any outstanding donation or payments before they leave us. It helps us wrap up their time here properly and keep supporting the students staying on next year.

I'm writing as a gentle reminder about the voluntary school donation we outlined in our letter at the start of the year. Our records show we are yet to receive a donation from your family, and I wanted to reach out to see if you're in a position to contribute.

To be clear: this donation is entirely voluntary. There's no obligation, and it will never affect your child's place at our school, or the support and attention they receive from our staff. We understand every family's circumstances are different, and we're grateful for whatever support is possible.

Why your contribution matters

Government funding covers the basics, but it doesn't stretch to everything we want to offer our students as they move through these important years. Voluntary donations allow us to provide:

  • Smaller class sizes and additional staffing
  • Specialist teachers and subject resources (technology, arts, science)
  • Up to date devices, software and IT equipment
  • Camps, EOTC and transition programmes that prepare students for high school
  • Sports, cultural and co-curricular opportunities

Notes
Adjust this list to reflect what your school's donations actually fund.

Every contribution, whether it's the full amount, a partial payment, or a payment plan, makes a genuine difference to every student at our school.

Flexible payment options are available

You can pay in full, make a partial payment, or spread the cost to suit your budget. Simply select the box next to the donation request in your Kindo account and enter an amount that works for you. Find out more about Part payments.

If now isn't the right time, you might like to set up an automatic payment into your Kindo Wallet, or use Autopay to spread the cost across the year:

Claiming a tax credit

You can claim a tax credit of 33.33 cents for every dollar you donate. Learn more about donation receipts.

If that's not possible right now, please get in touch — we're always happy to discuss options.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your continued partnership in your child's education. We're fortunate to have such a supportive community around our school.

Ngā mihi,
SCHOOL_NAME

High school

Subject line:
ACTION REQUIRED for STUDENT_FIRST_NAME at SCHOOL_NAME

Body:

Kia ora CAREGIVER_FIRST_NAME,

Your child is finishing up with us, we'd be grateful if you could settle any outstanding donation or payments before their last day. It helps us close out their time here properly and keep supporting the students continuing on.

Our records show we are yet to receive a donation from your family, and I wanted to reach out to see if you're in a position to contribute.

To be clear: this donation is entirely voluntary. There's no obligation, and it will never affect your child's standing at our school, or the support they receive from our staff and deans. We understand every family's circumstances are different, and we're grateful for whatever support is possible.

Why your contribution matters

Government funding covers core operational costs, but it doesn't stretch to the full range of subjects, resources and opportunities we believe every student deserves as they work towards NCEA and beyond. Voluntary donations allow us to provide:

  • Smaller class sizes through additional staffing
  • A broader range of subject and course options
  • Additional learning support and teacher aides
  • Up to date devices, software and course materials
  • Sports, arts and co-curricular programmes that enrich school life

Notes
Adjust this list to reflect what your school's donations actually fund.

Every contribution, whether it's the full amount, a partial payment, or a payment plan, makes a genuine difference to every student at our school.

Flexible payment options are available

You can pay in full, make a partial payment, or spread the cost to suit your budget. Simply select the box next to the donation request in your Kindo account and enter an amount that works for you. Find out more about Part payments.

If now isn't the right time, you might like to set up an automatic payment into your Kindo Wallet, or use Autopay to spread the cost across the year:

Claiming a tax credit

You can claim a tax credit of 33.33 cents for every dollar you donate. Learn more about donation receipts.

If that's not possible right now to pay for outstanding amounts, please contact your child's dean — we're always happy to talk through options.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your continued partnership in your child's education. We're fortunate to have such a supportive community around our school.

Ngā mihi,
SCHOOL_NAME


 

Questions and answers from the session

Payable catalogue and historic items

Can you change items to historic in bulk?
Filter your Payable Catalogue by year, select all the ones you want, and move them to Historic in one bulk action. For more information, see Moving a Payable from Current to Historic.
Can we still see historic payables so we can copy past year charges?
Moving something to historic is just a status change — nothing is deleted. You can still view historic payables in Payable Catalogue and use them as a template for next year's charges. For more information, see  Moving a Payable from Current to Historic.

Worth noting: if you have a 2026 payable in historic, it will not appear in the rollover process. For more information, see Payable Rollover Overview.

You can also duplicate both current and historic payables on the Payable catalogue page at any time.

If you mark a payable as historic, can you reverse that if done in error?
Yes — moving to historic is reversible at any time. Just move it back to current the same way you moved it across. For more information, see Moving a Payable from Current to Historic.

 Reporting

How does changing the payable name affect reporting?

If you rename a payable, this will change in your Order Status reporting. Any payments (orders) already placed will be listed in Order Status under the original name. Any payments made after you update the name will come through in Order Status under the new name.

If you rename a payable, you'll receive payments for '2026 Camp' and then receive payments for '2026 Camp (Due 1/9)'. Your financial performance summary reports will list the payment under the new name and will track payments for both the original name and the new name — '2026 Camp (Due 1/9)'.

Why are reports showing the historic description instead of just the current year (e.g. 2025 Raglan Camp vs 2026 Rotorua Camp under the same GL code)?
When several Kindo payable items are linked to the same GL code, our weekly reports automatically sub-total all weekly payments received for these items into a single amount. This suits most users.

Sometimes a school needs to sub-total to a greater degree of detail and know how much was received for individual activities within a single revenue code — for example, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 camp fees may all be coded to a single "Camp Fees" GL account, but the school may need to account for each year group's camp separately. For a suggested fix, see Non-Xero Integrated – Activity Sub-Totalling within a single GL code.

Alternatively, if you're using Xero, our free Xero Rapid Integration resolves this. For more information, see Xero Rapid Integration with Kindo – Overview.

Why doesn't a historic payment show in the payable reports?

On Payable Status, select the All button to ensure you can still see historic payables.

Our classic reports don't show historic payables — only current, non-historic payables. This is currently where Teacher View access sits, and one reason why we're revisiting this reporting structure.

Our new reports do include all payables: current and historic, paid, part-paid and retired. For more information, see Summary of different types of reports for Kindo Payables or reach out to your Customer Success Consultant for more information.


Payable maintenance and rules

If you disable all rules for historic items, will that change what parents see and can pay?

No — disabling a rule doesn't touch existing charges on caregiver accounts. It only stops that rule from automatically suggesting add/remove actions going forward. For more information, see Payable Maintenance – Disabling a rule.

You do have the option to hide part-paid and unpaid amounts from parents' accounts, but we'd discourage this — keep the default setting. For more information, see Disabling a rule and hiding current outstanding amounts.

Some removed students show "student has left" — how do we avoid this?
That tag follows your SMS roll data, so it reflects what's coming through from your student management system. It isn't something Kindo generates independently. For more information, see Can caregivers make a payment for a left student?.
If someone is no longer part of a group but should still be charged, which action do we take?
Ignore the "Remove" suggestion on the Payable Maintenance page if the charge still applies. You may need to check with the group organiser first — if the student should still be charged, leave the charge applied (or change the charged amount if only partial attendance applies) rather than removing it.
Do we need to disable a charge for a year level that's charged every year?

We'd encourage you to disable all rules once you're done with them for the year, purely for tidiness. When you roll the charge over for the new year, you can apply it fresh with a new rule against the new year group. For example: at the end of 2026, disable the rule for '2026 Year 6 Camp'. When you roll this charge over, it creates '2027 Year 6 Camp', which you then apply to your new Year 6 cohort.

If you don't disable the old rule, the Payable Maintenance page will keep prompting you to remove students from it as they move up year levels. Using the same example: '2026 Year 6 Camp' was applied to the 2026 Year 6 cohort. Once 2027 starts, those students have all moved to Year 7, so the page will keep flagging that the entire 2026 Year 6 cohort should be removed from '2026 Year 6 Camp' unless the rule is disabled.

 

Access and permissions

How do we set up Teacher View?
For more information, see Reporting – view only option. Teacher View access is on our development team's radar. It's a bigger piece of work rather than a quick fix, aimed at making the experience easier to use and set up for both teachers and administrators. If you're not currently using Teacher View, we'd encourage you to hold off setting it up for now and wait for the new process early next year.
Is there a licence fee to access Teacher View?
There's no additional fee to schools for Teacher View, Xero Rapid Integration, Ezlunch, Applied Forms, School Bridge Integration, and other features. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your Customer Success Consultant or our Customer Support team for more information.
Can we give view-only access on individual codes or sports, rather than a whole category?
Thanks for the suggestion — we've noted it as product feedback. At the moment, view-only access isn't filterable down to individual codes or sports groups, only Payable Category level. It's a good suggestion, and we've passed it on to our development team.
 

Payment requests and targeting

Can you send a payment request to just one contact in a two-parent household?

You can create a School Managed Account for one caregiver, while the other caregiver keeps a standard Kindo account. When you send a payment request, it will only go to the caregiver who isn't a School Managed Account.

School Managed Accounts should be used sparingly, and only when necessary. If a parent doesn't want to receive payment requests, you can encourage them to simply ignore the email — most households are comfortable with the non-Kindo parent deleting payment request emails without needing special management. If the parent continues to insist, you can create a School Managed Account for them, but note this will also prevent them from purchasing shop items such as tickets, uniforms, fundraising items, and permission forms. For more information, see Kindo parent account / School managed account.

Do left students receive payment requests?
Payment requests always go to caregiver/parent accounts, not students directly. For Hero and Kamar SMS, you can still send targeted payment requests to caregivers of students who've left, for any outstanding balance, since that debt stays on the account until you retire it. For more information, see Can caregivers make a payment for a left student?.
Can you set up different payment request templates in Kindo?
Each payment request can be personalised individually (subject and content). Use the templates above as a starting point, then adapt them to suit your school. Keep your versions in a Google Doc or Word doc so you can copy and paste from them each time you send a payment request.
If caregivers have a 50/50 auto-split, does the payment request go to both parents even if one has fully paid their share?
If an auto-split is in place and one parent doesn't owe anything for an item, that parent won't receive a payment request. The parent with an outstanding portion will still receive one. For more information, see Auto Split feature.
 

Pre-enrolled and new students

How do I exclude pre-enrols from rules until they actually start?

Kindo has the function to switch pre-enrols on or off for rules. Please check with our Customer Support team or your Customer Success contact on the best way to handle pre-enrolled students.

For Kamar schools, see Applying Payment Requests to Kamar Pre-Enrol Students.

Can a student starting in 2027 start paying into Kindo now?

Pre-enrol students can create their Kindo account at any time, and set up an automatic payment if they wish to start saving for future school costs.

Generally, charges follow your SMS roll sync, so a 2027 starter would typically need to be on the roll (or pre-enrolled, depending on your SMS setup) before payments can be applied. If you have the pre-enrolled feature switched on, you can charge a student starting in 2027. For more information, reach out to our Customer Support team.

An easy way to check which setup your school has is to refer to your Kindo Seed Roll page.


Still have questions?

Email: support@kindo.co.nz
Phone: 0508 4 KINDO (0508 454 636)
Hours: 7.30am – 4pm, Monday to Friday