How to charge credit cards

In this article, you'll learn how to charge a customer's credit card from a job or an invoice. You can do it from your desk or out in the field. The money goes into your own Stripe account and lands on the invoice by itself, so there's nothing to record by hand afterward.

Every card payment runs through Stripe. If you haven't connected it yet, every card button takes you to Settings › Payments so you can set it up first. See Connecting Stripe to take online payments.

Note: You don't need a card reader. You can charge a saved card, use Tap to Pay on your phone, or type the card number in.

Charging a card on the web

All the card options live in the Collect payment panel.

To open Collect payment:

  1. Open the job, then click Create Invoice (it says View Invoice if the job already has one) at the top right.
  2. Or open the invoice and click Collect payment. This button is greyed out once nothing is owed.

The panel shows the invoice number, the total and a Listening for payment… badge. When a payment goes through, the badge changes to PAID ✓ by itself.

Opening Collect payment from an invoice

Charge the card on file

If the customer saved a card before, you'll see a Card on file section with the card's brand and last four digits.

  1. In Collect payment, find Card on file.
  2. Click Charge card ending XXXX (the last four digits of their card).

The card is charged for what's owed, and the panel changes to PAID ✓.

Warning: Sometimes the customer's bank wants them to approve the charge themselves. When that happens the charge doesn't go through, and you'll see a message telling you to send them the invoice link instead. Click Send invoice in the same panel so they can pay it themselves.

To save a card for a customer in the first place, see How to add a card on file for clients.

Take it in person with Tap to Pay

  1. Under In person — Tap to Pay, click Ready for Tap to Pay.
  2. Follow the steps the panel shows. You collect the payment in the Stripe app on your phone for the amount shown.

The panel changes to PAID ✓ when the payment comes in. For the full walkthrough, see Using Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android.

Type the card in

Use this when the customer reads you their card number over the phone.

  1. Under Type the card, click Open card entry. Our secure card page opens in a new tab.
  2. Type in the card details.
  3. Click Charge $X (it shows the amount owed).

The page shows Payment approved — booking it…, then Paid once the payment lands on the invoice. Back in Collect payment, the badge changes to PAID ✓ too.

Tip: On a monthly rental, the card page also has a box that saves the card and charges it each month. Only leave it ticked if the customer has agreed to the monthly charge.

Charging a card on the phone app

To open Collect payment on the app:

  1. Open the job and tap the Finance tab.
  2. Tap Add payment. (On an invoice, tap Collect payment.)

At the top you'll see the amount due and the job total. Tap Edit if you need to change the amount. The card buttons always charge the full balance, though. Only cash, check and the other methods you record by hand take part payments.

The Collect payment screen on the phone app
The Collect payment screen on the phone app

Card on file

If the customer has a saved card, the first button reads Charge card ending XXXX. Tap it, and the screen shows Paid once the charge goes through. If their bank wants them to approve it, you'll get the same message as on the web. Tap Send payment link instead.

Tap to Pay

Tap Tap to Pay on iPhone (or Tap to Pay on Android). If you take tips, the customer picks one, signs, and then holds their card to your phone. See Using Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android for each step.

Type card manually

  1. Tap Type card manually. The card page opens inside the app.
  2. Tap Charge $X and enter the card.

The Collect payment screen says Listening for payment… while you do this. It updates itself when the payment goes through. If you leave the card page by mistake, tap Reopen card page.

Note: In the app, the card buttons only show for people whose role has the Charge Credit Cards permission. The Tech role has it by default. To change it, go to Settings › Roles & permissions on the web.

Related articles