If parents or donors are receiving errors when trying to make payments on your public SchoolSet pages, the most common cause is not having a default merchant account set.
Even if you have already added a merchant account, public pages require one account to be marked as the default for payments to process correctly.
Why This Happens
When a parent opens a public payment page, SchoolSet automatically looks for your default merchant account to route the payment.
If no account is set as the default, the system cannot determine where to send the transaction, resulting in an inability to add cards and payments.
How to Fix the Issue
Follow these steps to set the correct merchant account as your default:
1. Go to your Merchant Account Settings
Log in to your SchoolSet admin dashboard.
Navigate to Settings → Merchant Accounts.
2. Choose the correct merchant account
In your merchant account list, locate the account you want to use for public payments.
3. Set it as your default merchant account
Under the merchant account’s name, click: ➡️ Set as Default
Once you click this, a checkmark or success indicator will confirm that this account is now the default.
What Happens Next
Your public payment pages will automatically begin using the new default merchant account.
Parents and donors will no longer receive errors when submitting payments.
No further configuration is needed.
Important Note for Campaign‑Specific Pages
Campaign pages work differently:
Each campaign can have its own merchant account selected inside the campaign settings.
If a merchant account is specified for the campaign, that account will be used—not the default account.
The default merchant account is only used when:
The page is a general public page (not campaign-specific), or
The campaign does not have a merchant account selected.
Tip
If you have multiple merchant accounts, make sure the one you set as default is the one intended for your general public-facing transactions.
If you need help choosing the correct merchant account or verifying your setup, our support team is happy to assist!