Accepting Payments

Overview

Getting paid should be easy. BlueClerk integrates with Stripe and Square to accept credit card payments directly on your invoices. Customers can pay online with one click, and the money goes straight to your bank account. You only need to connect one credit card processor - BlueClerk automatically routes "Pay with Card" buttons to whichever service you've connected.

Payment Methods

Credit/Debit Cards (via Stripe or Square)

If you've connected Stripe or Square:

• Customers see a "Pay with Card" button on invoices
• They enter card details securely through your connected processor
• Payment processes instantly
• Invoice status updates to Paid automatically
• Customers never see which processor you're using - just "Pay with Card"

To connect a credit card processor:

1. Go to Settings > Payments
2. Choose one: Click "Connect Stripe" or "Connect Square"
3. Follow the setup to authorize your account
4. You're ready - all invoices will now show payment buttons

Important: You can only connect one credit card processor at a time. If you connect Square after having Stripe connected (or vice versa), BlueClerk will automatically route card payments to the newly connected service.

Venmo

If you've enabled Venmo in payment settings:

• Invoices show a Venmo QR code
• Customers scan and pay through the Venmo app
• You confirm receipt manually in BlueClerk

See Venmo Payments guide for setup instructions.

Cash, Check, Bank Transfer

You can manually record these payments:

1. Open the invoice
2. Click "Record Payment"
3. Enter amount and payment method
4. Add reference or notes (optional)
5. Save - invoice updates to Paid

Viewing Payment History

On the Invoice

1. Open any invoice
2. Scroll to "Payments" section
3. See all payments with dates, amounts, and methods

In Reports

1. Go to Finance > Reports
2. Run a payment report for any date range
3. Export to CSV if needed

Payment Notifications

For You

When a customer pays online:

• Email notification confirms payment received
• Dashboard updates with new payment
• Accounting sync happens automatically (if connected)

For Customers

After paying:

• Confirmation email with receipt
• Updated invoice showing paid status
• Payment record in their customer portal (if they have an account)

Stripe and Square Fees

Both payment processors charge processing fees:

• Stripe: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
• Square: ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Fees are deducted before funds reach your bank account. Your customer pays the invoice total - you receive that amount minus processing fees.

Tips

• Connect a processor early - Makes it easy for customers to pay immediately
• Only one processor needed - Choose Stripe or Square based on your preference
• Customers see "Pay with Card" - They don't know which processor you use
• Enable Venmo too - Gives customers more payment options
• Record offline payments promptly - Keeps your books accurate

Troubleshooting

Q: Can I connect both Stripe and Square? A: No, you can only connect one credit card processor at a time. If you switch from one to the other, BlueClerk automatically updates all invoices to use the newly connected service.

Q: What happens if a payment fails? A: The customer sees an error message and can try again. You're notified if multiple attempts fail. No partial charges occur.

Q: How long until I receive funds? A: Stripe and Square typically deposit funds within 1-2 business days, though initial payouts may take longer.

Q: Can customers pay partial amounts online? A: Not through Stripe or Square - online card payments must be for the full invoice amount. For partial payments, use manual payment recording or progress billing.