Payment Gates

Payment Gates let you pause a workflow at any step until a client has paid enough of an invoice to continue. Set the rule once in the workflow builder, and Glade automatically advances the case the moment the payment condition is met — no manual check-ins required.

Overview

A Payment Gate is a checkpoint you attach to a workflow step. When the workflow reaches that step, the gate appears as a card in the case timeline and blocks any downstream work until the linked invoice meets your condition. As soon as payment is received and the threshold is satisfied, the gate clears and the workflow continues on its own.

Payment Gates are useful any time you want work to wait on payment, for example:

Don't begin matter work until the retainer is at least partially paid
Don't file the petition until the invoice is paid in full
Stagger work so that drafting starts after a $250 deposit but filing waits for 100%

Before Payment Gates, the only way to enforce these checkpoints was to split a case into two separate workflows (one for the retainer, one for the matter) or to track payment status manually. With Payment Gates, you can keep the case in a single workflow.

How It Works

Adding a Payment Gate to a workflow

Open your workflow in the workflow builder and select the step where you want payment to be enforced.
Add a Payment Gate from the step's attachment options. (Payment Gates are configured inline on the step — they aren't in the Building Blocks library because each gate is tied to a specific invoice.)
Pick the invoice the gate should monitor. The selector lists the invoices already attached to your workflow.
Choose a gate type:
- Minimum amount — the gate clears once a specific dollar amount has been collected (for example, $250).
- Percentage of invoice — the gate clears once a percentage of the invoice has been paid (for example, 50%, or 100% for paid in full).
Set the threshold — enter the dollar amount or percentage, then save.
(Optional) Add a display condition if the gate should only apply in certain situations — for example, only on individual cases versus joint cases. Glade will only show the gate when the condition is met; otherwise the step continues as if the gate weren't there.
Add another gate to the same step if you need multiple conditions, or place additional gates on later steps for a multi-checkpoint workflow.

What clients and your team see

When the workflow reaches a step with a Payment Gate, a Payment Required card appears in the case timeline:

A progress ring fills in as payments come in
A clear subtext explains the requirement (for example, "$250 minimum required before proceeding" or "50% of total invoice required before proceeding")
A View button takes the client straight to the invoice so they can pay

Your team sees the same card in the case view, with options to assign it to a teammate or skip it manually if needed.

Automatic advancement

You don't need to monitor the gate. The moment a payment posts and the invoice meets the configured threshold, Glade:

Marks the gate as completed
Releases the step
Continues the workflow to the next step automatically

If a partial payment doesn't meet the threshold, the gate stays open and continues to track progress. The next payment is re-evaluated automatically.

Key Details

Multiple gates per step: You can stack gates on a single step (for example, one gate for individual cases and one for joint cases, with different display conditions).
Multiple gates per workflow: You can place gates at several different steps to enforce checkpoints throughout the case (for example, $250 minimum early on, and 100% paid before filing).
Payment plans are supported: Percentage gates work naturally with payment plans — the gate tracks total amount paid against the invoice total.
One invoice per gate: Each gate references a single invoice. To gate on multiple invoices, add multiple gates to the step.
Skip available: Your team can manually skip a gate from the case view if circumstances require it.
Assignment: Each gate can be assigned to the appropriate party (for example, the client, the spouse on a joint case, etc.) so reminders and follow-ups go to the right person.

FAQ

Q: What happens if a client pays more than the gate requires?
A: The gate clears as soon as the threshold is met. Any additional payment is recorded normally on the invoice — it doesn't affect the gate.

Q: Can I change the gate amount after the workflow has started?
A: Gates are evaluated against the configured threshold at the time the step runs. To change the rule on an in-progress case, your team can skip the existing gate and configure a new one if needed.

Q: What if the invoice is voided or never paid?
A: The gate stays in place and the step does not advance. Your team can skip the gate manually from the case view to move the workflow forward.

Q: Do Payment Gates work with payment plans?
A: Yes. Percentage gates compare the total amount paid (across all installments) against the invoice total, so a 100% gate clears once the plan is fully paid down.

Q: Will my client get a separate task or message asking them to pay?
A: The Payment Gate card itself appears in the case timeline with a View button to the invoice. The invoice's normal follow-up reminders continue to work — there isn't a separate gate-specific task, so your client receives one consistent set of payment reminders.

Q: Can I see a gate's progress in real time?
A: Yes. The gate card's progress ring updates as payments come in, so you and the client can see exactly how much more is needed.