Accepting invoice payments via card
This article explains the benefits of allowing your customers to pay your invoices by card, and explains how the process works for you and for the customer.
In this article:
Why allow your customers to make invoice payments by card?
You can connect your Stripe account within ExpensePlus to allow your customers to make invoice payments to you by credit card, debit card or Google Pay. There are several benefits when you do this:
- It provides customers with a simple and convenient way to make payments.
- When an invoice is paid, within ExpensePlus the invoice status automatically updates, saving you time.
- Customers can download a receipt, removing the need for you to send an emailed receipt manually.
Note that even if you connect your Stripe account within ExpensePlus, customers still have the option to pay invoices by bank transfer (or by cash or cheque, if you allow this).
How to connect your Stripe account to your invoices
Within the Invoicing Settings screen, click the 'Connect' button to the right of an invoice profile to connect it to your Stripe account.
Follow the instructions in the pop-up to connect your Stripe account.
Note: If you don't yet have a Stripe account, you can click the link at the bottom of the pop-up to sign up for a Stripe account.
Once connected, you will see the Stripe account within the Invoicing Settings screen.
Note that if you have more than one invoice profile, you can connect multiple profiles to the same Stripe account.
How do customers pay invoices via card?
Once you have connected your invoice profiles to Stripe, payment links will automatically be included in the invoice emails you send, as well as in the invoices themselves.
When the customer clicks the payment link, they will automatically be taken to a payments page, where payment can be made in just a few clicks.
If an invoice has been part paid, when your customer clicks the payment link, the amount shown will automatically be updated to show the amount that is outstanding (not the full invoice amount).
Once the payment has been made successfully, the customer is taken to a confirmation screen, where they can download a copy of their invoice receipt.
Data processing and fees
Stripe is a third-party service, and data shared with Stripe is governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy. Payments made are subject to a 2.2% + 20p transaction fee for UK Cards*.
This is made up of two parts: a transaction fee charged by Stripe of 1.2% + 20p* (and which covers the card processing fees), and a 1% app fee that ExpensePlus receives.
Important Note: If you are a non-profit, to access Stripe's non-profit rates, you need to submit a support request to Stripe to register for their non-profit rates. Do this once you have signed up for a Stripe account by emailing nonprofit@stripe.com.
As part of the Stripe verification process, you will need to provide Stripe with:
- your registered charity name and number
- confirmation of the email address associated with your Stripe account
- confirmation of the account ID of the account you want the discount applied to.
You will also need to declare that 'greater than 80% of your [Stripe] income is tax-deductible donations'.
So if 20% or more of your income collected via Stripe is sales income (i.e. invoice income, ticket sales, etc.) then you won't qualify for the non-profit rates. Instead you will be charged the standard Stripe transaction fee, which is 0.3% higher (2.5% + 20p).
Note: Stripe charges a higher fee for any payments made using EU cards and non-EU cards.