How Payment Works At Pelican Music
Making Payment Easy
We know life can be a little busy even at the best of times, so we try to make payment as simple as possible. Once you've set up a payment method with us, we’ll take care of the rest!
So how does it work?
We collect payments using our payment provider Stripe. When you sign up your child for lessons with us, we will send you a link to add your payment method to your account in Stripe. The link will give you the option of registering a payment card with us - this can be a debit card or a credit card, or, if you prefer, setting up a Direct Debit.
If you choose to register a payment card with us, during the invoicing period, we will charge your registered card and the funds will be collected immediately. At the same time, we will send you a payment confirmation. When you sign up with us for lessons, we will send you a list of our billing dates for the year - these are the dates that your card will be charged.
If you choose to pay by Direct Debit, you will need to register your bank account number and bank sort code via the Stripe link that we send you. Payments made by Direct Debit are fully protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee, making it the UK's safest payment method. When we invoice you, your payment is requested from your bank account and you will receive notification of the charge. Funds will then leave your account in 3-5 working days after we invoice you.
Once you have registered your payment method, your part is done! When a payment becomes due, whether for regular instrument lessons, a club, a music grading, or an ensemble fee, you can sit back and relax in the full knowledge that everything has been taken care of.
It is essential that you register a payment method in Stripe before lessons commence. We will not teach your child until we have the ability to collect your payment.
During the Pelican sign up process you will select your payment preference which will inform us how often to charge your account. Options are termly / half termly / monthly.
Have A Question?
No problem! We've put together some answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding payment down below. Feel free to have a look and if you can't find what you are looking for you can always drop us an email: admin@pelican-music.co.uk
Payment FAQs
Do you accept card payments?
We can take payment using a debit or credit card, however as per above, we require your card details to be registered on our system to enable us to automatically charge you according to your preferred payment frequency. Your card details are encrypted and recorded in a secure manner.
Do you accept payment by cash or cheque?
Unfortunately, we do not. All payments must be made electronically using our payment provider Stripe. Accepting payments this way saves time as you only need to set up payment once. From that point on, payments are automatic so never forgotten, lost or delayed. Accepting payment in this way also saves us admin time so we can focus on providing you with a great service.
Can I pay a fixed monthly amount by standing order?
We do not accept standing orders because we need to be able to charge you the right amount each month according to how many lessons will be taught that month. This varies from month to month as explained further down this page.
Can I pay using childcare vouchers?
At this time we are not able to accept childcare vouchers as payment.
Do you offer any discounts?
We are passionate about giving all children access to high quality, individual music tuition regardless of their financial circumstances. Many of our schools work closely with us to operate a subsidised programme for pupil premium children. Please ask your school whether they have such a programme with us.
We do not offer discounts because we work hard to keep all our prices as low as possible for everyone whilst covering all our costs.
What happens if I want to withdraw my child from Pelican Music?
In the event you wish to withdraw your child from lessons, we ask that you provide us with 5 teaching weeks notice. Please notify us by completing our cancellation form (https://pelican-music.co.uk/cancel) and do not cancel your direct debit until we have collected your final payment.
We will continue to teach your child throughout the notice period unless you request otherwise. Even if you opt to cease lessons before the end of the notice period we will still need to invoice you.
The 5 teaching week notice period enables us to fulfil our obligation to our teachers who are paid on a freelance basis.
Clubs and ensembles are a termly commitment and as such please only withdraw your child at the end of the term.
If I miss a class or a class is cancelled will I get a refund/credit?
In the event that a class is cancelled, the teacher may arrange a make-up class - subject to their availability. If they are unable to teach a make-up class, you will receive a credit on your next invoice account for the cancelled class.
We work closely with your child’s school to ensure that no lessons are missed due to school trips or activities. Sometimes this means that your child may be taught on a different day to accommodate a school event. If an alternative day cannot be arranged then you will receive a credit on your account.
If you know that your child will be absent due to illness or otherwise, please give us at least 24 hours notice and we will cancel the lesson on the teacher’s register and you will not be charged. If we have not received 24 hours notice then you will be charged.
We are unable to offer refunds or credits when we have not received 24 hours notice, regardless of the reason.
If you have signed up for your child to participate in one of our after school clubs, this is a termly commitment and we are unable to refund any sessions not attended by your child. If we need to cancel a club session due to teacher illness, you will receive a credit for the missed session.
I cancelled a lesson that I have already paid for - when will I receive my refund?
As long as you have given us at least 24 hours notice we will not charge your account for a missed lesson and you will receive a credit. The credit will go onto your account and be deducted from your payment the next time you are invoiced. The invoice will show the date of the lesson that the credit relates to.
We do not issue physical refunds unless you have finished lessons completely, having given 5 teaching weeks notice, and have a balance remaining on your account.
I chose to pay you monthly - why do I pay a different amount each month?
We charge you at the start of the month for the lessons scheduled during the month to come. Your invoices will therefore fluctuate according to how many teaching weeks there are during a month. For example: November is a long month with no school holidays therefore your child is likely to have 4 or 5 lessons, whereas December is a short month because of the Christmas holidays so your child is likely to have 2 or 3 lessons.
We keep accurate records of all the lessons taught and if any lessons are charged but not subsequently taught, we will credit your next invoice for the lesson missed.
We will never charge you for a lesson not received unless your child was absent from the lesson without 24 hours notice.
I would like to pay termly - how much will you charge me?
If you choose to pay termly, we will invoice you at the start of the term for all lessons scheduled for that term - typically 12 or 13. The same principle applies where you have chosen to pay half termly.
If you sign up for lessons part way through a term and select to pay termly, we will charge you on our next billing date for the lessons scheduled until the end of term (or half term).
What happens if I switch to a longer lesson during the year?
If you change your arrangement during the course of the year, we will update your account accordingly. This could be adding another instrument, or changing your lesson duration. At our next billing date we will charge you for the adjusted amount to get your account up to date.
What date will the payment be taken from my bank account?
We run billing at the start of each month. The exact dates do vary a little according to when the working days fall. When you register for lessons you will be sent our list of billing dates for the year. If you pay by card, your card will be charged on the same day; if you pay by Direct Debit your account will be charged in 3-5 working days.
Can I decide what date every month I am charged?
We’re very sorry but our system does not have the facility to offer multiple payment dates every month. We run billing once every month according to our schedule of billing dates that will be sent to you when you register for lessons.
Paying by payment card
Will you charge my card without my authorisation?
When you register your child for lessons with us, it is an essential requirement of our terms and conditions that you register a payment method with us to enable us to collect payment in the most efficient manner. In registering your payment card you are authorising us to collect payment for the services that we have contracted to provide.
I have a question about the amount I have been charged - what should I do?
When we collect payment you are immediately sent the details of the lessons the charge was for. Please look at this first to see if it answers your question.
Should you still have a question, please get in touch - either via email to our finance department - accounts@pelican-music.co.uk, or by calling us - 0208 0503091.
What happens if I want to make a one-off payment for an item such as a grading exam or an extra lesson?
After registering your card, we will be able to charge you for one-off payments such as an exam grading, or a term’s club fees, without you having to do anything. You will always receive a breakdown of the payment collected. Most charges will be invoiced in accordance with your usual billing frequency - the exception to this is exam fees which we need to charge when we book the exams with ABRSM.
What happens if there isn’t enough money in my account to pay my invoice?
If there are insufficient funds to clear your invoice then the payment will fail. You will receive a notification that this has happened as will we. We will retry the payment, however if it continues to fail your account will be in arrears and you run the risk of having lessons suspended until your account is settled. Where possible please refer to our schedule of billing dates and try to ensure that you have funds in your account at that time.
I have received a new payment card, can you still take my payment?
Our payment provider Stripe works with many banks to enable cards that have expired to be updated to the replacement card without the need to re-register the card details. If this is available for your card provider the switch will happen in the background and you will not need to do anything. Where this has taken place your payment will be collected as usual.
This is however not available for all card providers. If this applies to you - your payment will fail and we would ask you to please get in touch to update your card details in Stripe and to settle your account.
paying by direct debit
Will you take payments out of my account without my authorisation?
When you sign up to pay by Direct Debit, you are authorising Pelican Music to collect payment for services. The Direct Debit Guarantee protects customers against unauthorised payments. Customers can get a full and immediate refund from their bank for any payment they believe was taken in error on a 'no questions asked' basis.
What happens if I want to make a one-off payment for an item such as a grading exam or an extra lesson?
After setting up your Direct Debit, we can charge you for one-off payments such as an exam grading, or a term’s club fees, without you having to do anything. We will always issue you with an invoice so you will know in advance of the funds being collected what the charge is for.
What happens if there isn’t enough money in my account to pay my invoice?
If there are insufficient funds to clear your invoice then the payment will fail. You will receive a notification that this has happened as will we. We will request the payment again, however if it fails once more than your account will be in arrears and you run the risk of having lessons suspended until your account is settled. Where possible please refer to our schedule of billing dates and try to ensure that you have funds in your account at that time.
I have changed my bank account, can you still take my payment?
If you change your bank account please notify us as soon as possible. We will cancel your direct debit mandate and send you a new Stripe link to complete with the new account details. Please do not give us your account details as we are unable to move the mandate ourselves.
Where can I find more information on the Direct Debit Guarantee?
You can find out more about the Direct Debit Guarantee here.
What happens after I set up my Stripe mandate?
Once you have setup your Stripe mandate you will be notified by email that you have pre-authorised Stripe to collect payments from you on behalf of Pelican Music.
Is Stripe secure?
Yes. Stripe uses encryption to protect your data, they use the best-in-class security tools and practices to maintain a high level of security so you can rest assured that your information is secure.
I've never heard of Stripe before. Is it regulated?
Yes. Stripe is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.