Accept online payments

Tidyflow uses Stripe to collect online payments. Once connected, your emailed invoices include a secure payment page, contacts with billing access can pay from the client portal, and clients can accept proposals with a card on file. Payments are recorded in Tidyflow automatically, and payouts go straight to your bank account from Stripe.

Online payments are included on every Tidyflow plan. Connecting Stripe requires the account owner or a user with billing permission.

Turn on online payments

1. Go to Settings and open Billing
2. In the Online Payments section, click Enable Online Payments
3. Complete the Stripe onboarding form

You do not need an existing Stripe account. Tidyflow creates a Stripe account for your firm as part of setup, and Stripe’s onboarding form collects your business details, identity verification, and the bank account your payouts should go to. If you already use Stripe, sign in with your existing Stripe login during onboarding and the new account is added alongside your other accounts.

When you finish, you return to Tidyflow. The Online Payments section shows Connected once your account is fully active, with a Stripe Dashboard link for opening the account whenever you need to manage it.

Verification and account status

Stripe verifies new accounts before enabling payments. The Online Payments section in Settings under Billing shows where you stand:

• Pending verification means Stripe is reviewing your information. This can take a few minutes to a couple of days. No action is needed.
• Action needed means Stripe requires more information before you can accept payments. Click Complete Setup to finish the outstanding items, or open View on Stripe to resolve them in your Stripe Dashboard.
• Connected means your account is active and clients can pay online.

Tidyflow emails the account owner when the account becomes active, and again if Stripe later asks for more information.

Payment options for your clients

Which payment methods your clients see at checkout is managed in your Stripe account, not in Tidyflow. Sign in to your Stripe Dashboard (or use the Stripe Dashboard link in Settings under Billing) and go to Settings, then Payment methods, to turn methods on or off.

• Card payments are enabled from the start and confirm instantly.
• Bank debit (ACH) is available for US firms and can be turned on in the same Stripe payment method settings. Bank payments cost less in fees but take a few business days to clear. While a bank payment is settling, the invoice shows as processing and the client cannot accidentally pay it a second time.

Invoices are charged in the invoice’s currency.

Fees and pricing

Tidyflow does not add any fee or markup on payments. You pay Stripe’s standard processing fees only, which Stripe deducts before paying out to your bank account.

Stripe’s standard rates for US accounts are:

• Card payments: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful charge, with a surcharge for international cards and currency conversion
• Bank debit (ACH): 0.8% per payment, capped at $5

The cap makes bank debit much cheaper on larger invoices: a $2,000 invoice costs $5 by bank debit versus about $58 by card. Rates are set by Stripe, vary by country, and can change; check Stripe’s pricing page for your current rates.

Payout timing is controlled by Stripe and shown in your Stripe Dashboard.

How clients pay

Once Stripe is connected, every invoice you email includes a link to a secure payment page showing the invoice details and a PDF copy. Your client clicks Pay and completes payment on Stripe’s checkout page. No Tidyflow login is needed.

Contacts with billing access can also see outstanding invoices in the client portal and pay them with Pay now.

Online payments are recorded in Tidyflow automatically, and the invoice status updates to Partially Paid or Paid. Payments made outside Tidyflow can still be recorded manually; see Create and send an invoice.

Saved payment methods and auto-charge

When a client pays an invoice online or accepts a proposal, their card or bank account is saved for future use. The saved payment method appears on the client’s Billing tab, including expiry warnings for cards.

You can charge a saved payment method without waiting for the client:

• When emailing an invoice, turn on Charge saved card to charge the client’s payment method on file immediately.
• On a recurring invoice, turn on Charge automatically so each generated invoice charges the saved payment method instead of waiting for payment.
• Proposals can capture a card during acceptance so recurring billing charges automatically from the start; see How proposal invoicing works.

If a client has no saved payment method yet, invoices are sent normally until they pay online for the first time.

Turn off online payments

In Settings under Billing, click Disconnect in the Online Payments section. Your clients can no longer pay invoices online, and auto-charge stops working. Disconnecting removes the Stripe account Tidyflow set up for you; if you enable online payments again later, a new account is created and your clients are asked for their payment details again the next time they pay.