Autopay and Wallet

Autopay is a convenient feature that automatically uses your preferred payment method to pay invoices when they are due. It is required to have Autopay enabled on your account to post hearings for coverage. The Wallet, on the other hand, is a secure place to store your payment information, eliminating the need to enter it every time you pay an invoice electronically. With Autopay activated, your invoices are automatically processed using the default payment method in your Wallet. To set up Autopay, follow the two steps below.

From your Docketly dashboard, click the green "Financial" button on the left-hand menu to open the full list of options.

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From the expanded menu, click the "Wallet" button. You may then choose to add a credit card, bank account, or both.

Once you've added your payment method(s), you may return to this page to edit, delete, or update the default at any time.

Note: Adding a bank account may take several business days due to the verification process. We recommend adding a bank to your wallet at least 3-5 business days ahead of an invoice's due date.

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After adding payment methods to your wallet, you can enable Autopay at the bottom of the Wallet page by toggling ON the setting.

Note: If you've added a payment method to your wallet, but have not enabled Autopay, you will not be able to post a hearing to your account until Autopay has been enabled.

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Your Wallet displays the payment methods added by all active users on your client account — not just the ones you added yourself. This gives everyone on the account visibility into the payment methods on file, so you can confirm a clean, complete set of payment methods for the account.

In both the bank account and credit card sections, each payment method shows the following account-level details:

• User: the name and email of the user who added the payment method.

• Last 4 digits of the card or bank account.

• Expiration date (credit cards).

• Default: whether that method is set as a default payment method.

• Autopay: whether Autopay is enabled.

Note: Only active users are shown. Payment methods belonging to disabled users are not displayed.

You can only delete or change the default for payment methods that you added yourself. The Delete and Set Default options appear only on your own payment methods — you can see, but not modify, the methods added by other users on your account.

Because Autopay is required on your account, you need to keep at least one valid default payment method available in your Wallet at all times. A default counts as valid when it is set as the default, is current (a card that has not expired, or a verified bank account), belongs to an active user, and has Autopay enabled.

If your own default payment card is going to expire within the next 30 days, Docketly shows a banner across your pages letting you know — while the card still works, so you have time to update it before anything is actually disrupted. The banner names the expiration month and year and links straight to your Wallet.

Note: This warning is personal to you, not account-wide. It reflects only your own default card. If a colleague on your account has their own card expiring soon, you won't see a warning for theirs, and they won't see one for yours — each autopay user is responsible for keeping their own default current. This is different from the account-level "default expires or becomes unusable" block described below, which applies once a valid default can no longer be found anywhere on the account.

So that an invoice can always be collected, Docketly will stop you from deleting the payment method that serves as your account's default whenever your account has either of the following:

• an outstanding (unpaid) invoice balance, or

• an upcoming hearing — any hearing with a future date that has not been canceled.

If you try to remove that method while one of these applies, Docketly shows a "Default Payment Required" message and returns you to the Wallet so you can add or select another payment method first. Docketly will not automatically choose a replacement for you, and it will not cancel any hearings — you stay in control of which method becomes the new default.

This requirement is checked at the account (firm) level. If another active user on your account already has a usable default on file, you are free to remove your own — the requirement only needs to be met once for the whole account. As always, you can view but not change or delete another user's payment methods.

If your account has no unpaid balance and no upcoming hearings, there is nothing to collect, so you can remove your default at any time.

A default can also stop working on its own — for example, the card on file expires, a bank account can no longer be verified, or the user who set up Autopay is disabled. If Docketly cannot find a usable default anywhere on your account, it will let you know and help you get back on track:

• Email notification: the users on your account who post hearings receive an email letting them know the default payment method needs attention, with a link to update your Wallet.

• On-screen banner: a banner appears across your Docketly pages, including the Wallet page, until the issue is resolved.

• New work is paused: while no valid default is on file, you won't be able to create new hearings, create bundles, clone an existing hearing, or change the pricing on an upcoming hearing. This applies across every posting path, including individual postings, bulk uploads, and Clio or API/integration postings.

• Automatic restoration: as soon as an active user on the account has a valid, non-expired default card (or a verified default bank account) with Autopay enabled, the block clears automatically — usually within a minute or two. There's no need to contact support.

Note: To avoid any interruption, keep at least one active user with Autopay enabled and a current default payment method on file. Because verifying a bank account can take several business days, add or replace one well ahead of an invoice's due date.

While electronic payments through Autopay are fast and convenient, some clients prefer sending paper checks. You may choose to complete a manual payment at any time before the invoice due date. However, we require Autopay as a backup for overdue invoices.

• Processing: All electronic payments, including Autopay, are processed by Stripe.

• Receipts: When you use Autopay, you’ll receive an email with a detailed receipt. You can view your Stripe payments in the "Receipts" section.

• Charges: Your Autopay account is linked to the user who set it up. To view your Autopay (Stripe) activities, click on the "Charges" button in the "Financial" menu. You’ll be able to see the user, transaction type, and payment method added.