Billing setup: activating your policy and paying for StretchDollar (sign-up guide)

This guide walks through Activate Your ICHRA Policy, the last step of sign-up: what you're paying for, why this step takes a card, and what comes next.

What this step does

You add a card to pay StretchDollar's monthly fee.
You click Activate, review your ICHRA Services Agreement, and confirm you agree.
Your policy is activated and you go to your Company Portal to finish setup.

You aren't charged today. The first charge happens when your plan becomes active, on the start date shown under the Activate button.

What you'll pay

The Estimated Monthly Cost on the right of the page has two parts:

Platform Access & Compliance Oversight: a flat monthly fee.
Employee Participation (PEPM): a fee for each employee enrolled in a plan.

For most businesses that's $100 a month plus $25 per enrolled employee. The page shows your exact prices.

The estimate assumes every eligible employee enrolls, so it's a ceiling. Your actual bill is based on who enrolls in a plan, including employees who take a marketplace subsidy with our help. You're billed on the 1st of each month. More detail: How much does StretchDollar cost?

This card only pays StretchDollar's fee

Employee reimbursements are never charged to this card. They're paid from your business checking account, which you connect in Bank Setup after sign-up. Approved reimbursements are withdrawn on the 25th of each month. For employees who live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, they go out on the 16th instead. See Bank Setup: connecting your company bank account.

So you'll have two separate payment connections:

Billing: your StretchDollar subscription, by card.
Bank Setup: your employees' reimbursements, from your business checking account only.

Can I pay by bank account instead of a card?

No. Monthly fees are paid by card; reimbursements move by bank transfer from the account you connect in Bank Setup. To change your card later, go to Billing and click Edit Billing Info. Full steps: How do I add a credit card or bank account for billing?

Use a business card, and connect your business checking account in Bank Setup. Don't use a personal account or a Health Savings Account (HSA).

After you activate

Two more things to do in your Company Portal before you can approve your employees' reimbursements:

Account Setup: verify your business with our payment partner, Dwolla. See Account Setup: verifying your business, step by step.
Bank Setup: connect your business checking account.

Common questions later on

"What is this charge on my statement?" On the 1st you'll see StretchDollar's monthly fee: the platform fee plus the per-employee fee for those enrolled. Reimbursement withdrawals are separate, come from the account in Bank Setup, and match what you approved.
"Where are my invoices?" Go to Billing, click Edit Billing Info, and look under Invoice History. See How can I manage my billing?
"I added my bank in Billing. Why aren't reimbursements working?" Billing only pays your subscription. Reimbursements need your bank connected in Bank Setup, even if it's the same account.
"My card was declined or a payment failed." Billing will show that the payment is past due. Click Edit Billing Info and update your payment method.

Still have a question about billing? Ask it in the help window and we'll help you sort it out.