The guarantor is the person responsible for a client's bill. For most clients that's the client themselves. For a child it's usually a parent; for an adult it might be a spouse. Telling FrontDesk who it is sends the bills to the right person and lets their card pay.
Add a guarantor
- Open the client and go to the Billing tab.
- On the Guarantor card, press Add guarantor (or Edit when there is one).
- Optionally pick Their client record (to confirm who they are): search your clients by name or phone. Picking one fills in their details.
- Fill in Name, Relationship to client (Self, Spouse, Parent, Guardian or Other), Phone, Email and the address.
- Press Save.
Without a guarantor the card says "The client is their own guarantor. Superbills and statements are addressed to them."
Add one when you create the client
In the create-client form:
- For a minor, a Parent or guardian section is always there: name, relationship, phone and email. The hint explains that the parent's email stays here, and the client's own email is what signs them in to the Client Portal.
- For an adult, press Add guarantor to open a Guarantor section (and Remove to close it).
- Add another parent or guardian (for an adult, Add another guarantor) adds up to five more people.
The first person becomes the guarantor and is also saved as the client's primary and emergency contact. The others are saved under Also responsible and as emergency contacts.
Link the guarantor to their client record
A guarantor linked to their own client record is someone FrontDesk knows exists: their details come from their record, and their card can pay this client's visits.
- Linked, the card says "Linked to [name]'s client record" and "Invoices, statements, card requests and receipts go to [name]".
- Not linked, it says "Not linked to a client record, so it isn't confirmed who this is." and lists likely matches, with why (same phone, same email, same name, same household, has portal access, listed as a parent) and a Likely tag on strong ones. Press Link on the right one.
- No match: "No client here matches. Add [name] as a client, then link them with Edit."
On the guarantor's own record, the Guarantor card lists who they pay for ("Pays for Jamie").
Link many at once: an owner or admin can go to Settings → Billing → AutoPay clients and press Match guarantors. It previews the Sure matches (a matching phone or email plus a matching name or family tie) and lists the rest To check by hand. Press Link N guarantors to link the sure ones.
What goes to the guarantor
When someone else pays, these go to the guarantor's email and phone instead of the client's:
- invoices (email and text), including daily invoices sent automatically,
- the past-due invoice email,
- monthly statements,
- requests to add a card for autopay,
- notices that an automatic payment didn't go through,
- payment plan reminders,
- payment receipts (portal payments, automatic charges, and receipts your team sends).
The address comes from the guarantor's linked record first, then what you typed on the Guarantor card, then the client's own. Each address follows its owner's settings (a linked guarantor who hasn't allowed email gets no email), and a client marked do not contact gets nothing sent to anyone.
Not to the guarantor: appointment reminders and visit messages go to the client. A minor's parents can get reminder copies through Send reminder copies to guardians and contacts; see Every automatic message your clients get. Superbills name the guarantor as the person payments go to.
Pay with the guarantor's card
When the guarantor is linked and has a card on file on their own record, the Guarantor card shows "[Name] has a Visa •••• 4242 on file." with Pay with their card.
- Press Pay with their card.
- Read the confirmation: their card will pay this client's visits with autopay, the same as their own card. Only do this when the guarantor agreed.
- Press Use their card.
The card then reads "Visits are paid with [name]'s Visa •••• 4242", and the client's billing profile shows "the guarantor's card". If the guarantor replaces or removes the card, it changes here too. It isn't offered when the client has a card of their own ("This client pays with their own card."), and without a card on the guarantor's record it says to add one there first. See Card on file and autopay.
Also responsible
Under the guarantor, Also responsible lists others responsible for the client, such as the other parent. Press Add another (e.g. the other parent), optionally link Their client record (optional), fill in the name, relationship, phone and email, and Save. Each row has Edit and Remove. Up to five people.
They're on the record so your team can reach them. Bills, statements and superbills stay addressed to the guarantor.
Remove a guarantor
Open the Guarantor card, press Edit, then Remove guarantor. The client becomes their own guarantor again and their billing messages go to them. If the client was paying with the guarantor's card, autopay with that card stops.
When a minor comes of age, the Coming of Age decision can do this for you with The client pays their own bills (remove the guarantor); see Coming of age.
Good to know
- A linked guarantor must be another client at the same location. Two clients can't be each other's guarantor: "That client is billed to this one. Unlink them first."
- Clearing the guarantor's name also removes the link to their record.
- The same guarantor fields are in the client form.