Setting Up a One-Time Registration Fee

Last updated: June 18, 2026

Noto gives you three ways to collect a one-time registration fee, depending on how you want to capture the payment and when you want it to happen. You can bill it after the fact with a manual invoice, build it into a registration form that collects payment at submission, or add it as a line item to bill together with the first invoice. This article walks through each option and the trade-offs.

Option 1: Bill it with a manual invoice

This is the most flexible but manual path. A staff member creates an invoice for the registration amount and sends it to the client

Use this when you want to charge the fee separately from class enrollment.

Option 2: Collect it on a form

You can build a registration form that collects the fee at the moment the client submits it. This is the closest thing to a true "pay to register" flow.

Steps:

  1. Go to Forms and duplicate the Contact Us template or create one from scratch.

  2. Rename the form to reflect its purpose (for example, "New Student Registration").

  3. Add a payment field and set the amount to your registration fee.

  4. Configure the "save payment for future use" toggle if you also want to keep the payment method on file for later billing.

  5. Publish and share the form link.

The form accepts both credit card and ACH. When a family submits it, Noto creates a client record and captures the payment in the same step.

A few notes on this path:

  • If you want a registration form that does not charge at submission but still collect the client's payment method to save it on file, set the payment amount to 0.0 .

  • Note: Your payment processor onboarding must be complete before the form can collect live payments.

Option 3: Add as one-time charge

During enrollment, you can add a one-time charge that will appear as a separate line item on the student's first invoice. This allows you to include fees such as registration or materials fees directly within the enrollment process, ensuring clear billing and easy tracking.

  1. Navigate to the Member page who is registering.

  2. Click on "+ Enroll Member".

  3. Select a service and click 'Next'.

  4. Scroll to the bottom and click "Adjust billing and pay rate" to open the charge entry field.

  5. Navigate to the "Add one-time line item" field. Enter the description and amount for the one-time fee.

  6. Save the charge to include it on the student's first invoice.

Things to keep in mind

  • Per-transaction processing fees. Stripe charges roughly $0.30 per transaction. For very small registration fees (around $10), the fee can eat a meaningful percentage of the charge. Some schools choose to fold the amount into tuition rather than run it as its own transaction.

  • Variable fees aren't automated. If your registration fee differs by student type (for example, new vs. returning), Noto does not currently pick the right amount automatically. A staff member needs to determine the rate and apply it manually.

  • Bundling into the first tuition payment is not currently supported as a built-in option.

  • Form submissions create a client record. Once a family submits a registration form, they exist in Noto and can be invoiced, enrolled, or contacted from there.