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Payment Processing

Accept credit cards, record cash/check payments, process refunds, and manage payment methods with Stripe integration

Difficulty:Intermediate

Who this is for: Business owners and office staff handling payments and billing
Time to learn: 12 minutes
What you'll master: Accept online payments, process credit cards, record manual payments, handle refunds, connect Stripe

Why Payment Processing Matters

Fast, easy payment options get you paid quicker. Customers can pay immediately after service with:

  • Credit/debit cards (online)
  • ACH bank transfers
  • Cash or check (manual entry)
  • Customer portal (self-service)

Real example: Customer receives invoice via email at 2 PM, clicks "Pay Now" link, enters card details, pays $771.28. Money hits your account in 2 business days. No check writing, no mailing, no waiting 30 days.

Connecting Stripe (One-Time Setup)

What is Stripe? Payment processor that handles credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. Industry standard for online payments.

Step 1: Navigate to Payment Settings

  1. Go to Settings → Payments → Stripe Connection
  2. Click Connect Stripe Account

Step 2: Create or Connect Stripe Account

Option A - New Stripe account:

  1. Click "Create new Stripe account"
  2. Enter business details:
    • Business name
    • Business type (LLC, Corporation, Sole Proprietor)
    • Tax ID (EIN or SSN)
    • Bank account for deposits
  3. Verify email address
  4. Complete identity verification (driver's license photo)

Option B - Existing Stripe account:

  1. Click "I already have Stripe"
  2. Log in to your Stripe account
  3. Authorize Crewdex to connect
  4. Select correct Stripe account (if you have multiple)
Stripe setup takes 10-15 minutes. Identity verification may take 1-2 business days.

Step 3: Configure Payment Settings

After connection:

  • Payment processing fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Stripe's standard rate)
  • Deposit schedule: Every 2 business days to your bank account
  • Payment methods enabled: Credit/debit cards, ACH bank transfers

Optional settings:

  • Save Customer Cards: Allow repeat customers to save cards for faster checkout
  • Automatic Receipts: Send email receipts immediately after payment
  • Payment Reminders: Auto-send reminders 3 days before due date

Accepting Online Payments

Customer Pays from Invoice Email

What customer sees:

  1. Opens invoice email
  2. Clicks Pay Now button
  3. Redirected to secure payment page:
    • Invoice details and amount
    • "Pay with Card" option
    • "Pay with Bank" option (ACH)
    • Saved payment methods (if returning customer)
  4. Enters card details or selects saved card
  5. Clicks Pay $771.28
  6. Sees confirmation: "Payment successful"

What happens in Crewdex:

  • Invoice status changes to "Paid"
  • Payment recorded with timestamp
  • Customer receives receipt email
  • You receive notification: "Invoice INV-2026-0045 paid by Sarah Johnson ($771.28)"
Customer pays at 3:15 PM on Tuesday. Money deposited to your bank account on Thursday morning.

Customer Pays via Portal

If customer has portal account:

  1. Customer logs in to portal
  2. Clicks Invoices tab
  3. Sees all unpaid invoices
  4. Clicks Pay next to invoice
  5. Selects payment method
  6. Confirms payment

Same result: Invoice marked paid, receipt sent, money deposited.

Recording Manual Payments

When to use: Customer pays with cash, check, money order, or Venmo/Zelle.

Recording Check Payment

Step-by-step:

  1. Navigate to Invoices
  2. Find invoice customer paid
  3. Click Record Payment
  4. Fill out form:
    • Payment Method: Check
    • Amount: $771.28 (full amount or partial)
    • Payment Date: Date you received check
    • Check Number: 1234
    • Notes: (optional) "Received in person"
  5. Click Save Payment

What happens:

  • Invoice marked "Paid"
  • Payment shows in customer history
  • Check number recorded for reference
  • Customer receives payment confirmation email (optional)
Record payment AFTER check clears your bank, not when you receive it. Protects against bounced checks.

Recording Cash Payment

Same process as check:

  1. Open invoice
  2. Click Record Payment
  3. Select Payment Method: Cash
  4. Enter amount and date
  5. Add note: "Received on-site after service"
  6. Save
Technician collects $771.28 cash on-site after AC repair. Office staff records payment same day when technician returns to office and deposits cash.

Recording Third-Party Payments

Customer pays via Venmo, Zelle, Cash App:

  1. Record payment as Other
  2. In Notes field, specify: "Paid via Venmo @customername"
  3. Attach screenshot (optional) via customer notes
These payments don't integrate automatically. You must manually record when you see the transfer in your bank account.

Understanding Payment Status

Payment Pending

What it means: Online payment initiated but not yet completed.

Why this happens:

  • ACH bank transfer (takes 3-5 business days)
  • Credit card pre-authorization (confirming funds available)
  • Payment processor reviewing transaction for fraud

What to do: Wait 1-2 business days. Most pending payments complete automatically.

Payment Failed

What it means: Payment attempt unsuccessful.

Common reasons:

  • Insufficient funds in customer's account
  • Declined credit card
  • Expired card
  • Bank blocked transaction (fraud prevention)

What to do:

  1. Customer receives failure notification email
  2. Contact customer to update payment method
  3. Customer retries payment with different card/account
  4. Invoice remains "Sent" status until paid

Payment Disputed (Chargeback)

What it means: Customer disputed charge with their credit card company.

Why this happens:

  • Customer doesn't recognize charge
  • Customer claims service not performed
  • Customer trying to avoid payment
  • Fraudulent transaction

What to do:

  1. You receive chargeback notification from Stripe
  2. Gather evidence:
    • Invoice showing service details
    • Photos of completed work
    • Customer signature (if collected)
    • Communication history
  3. Submit evidence to Stripe within 7 days
  4. Stripe/credit card company decides dispute (10-75 days)
Chargeback fees ($15) apply even if you win dispute. Provide detailed invoices and documentation to prevent disputes.

Processing Refunds

Full Refund

When to issue:

  • Service not performed correctly
  • Customer cancelled before service
  • Duplicate payment
  • Goodwill gesture

How to process:

  1. Navigate to Invoices
  2. Open paid invoice
  3. Click ⋯ (more actions)
  4. Select Issue Refund
  5. Confirm refund amount: $771.28 (full amount)
  6. Select reason: "Service quality issue" or "Customer request"
  7. Add notes: "AC unit still not cooling after service"
  8. Click Process Refund

What happens:

  • Money returned to customer's card in 5-10 business days
  • Invoice status changes to "Refunded"
  • Customer receives refund confirmation email
  • You receive notification
  • Stripe processing fee ($0.30) NOT refunded (you pay this)

Partial Refund

When to use:

  • Service partially completed
  • Customer complaint, offer goodwill discount
  • Overcharged on invoice

Process:

  1. Open paid invoice
  2. Click Issue Refund
  3. Enter partial amount: $100.00
  4. Add reason: "Goodwill adjustment - customer complaint"
  5. Process refund

Result:

  • Customer receives $100.00 back
  • Invoice shows: "Partially Refunded: $100.00"
  • Net payment: $671.28

Saved Payment Methods

Allowing Customers to Save Cards

Enable in Settings:

  1. Settings → Payments → Saved Payment Methods
  2. Toggle ON: "Allow customers to save payment methods"
  3. Save

How it works:

  • Customer pays first invoice, checks box: "Save card for future use"
  • Card details stored securely in Stripe (not in Crewdex)
  • Future invoices show: "Pay with card ending in 4242"
  • One-click payment for repeat customers

✅ Benefits:

  • Faster checkout (no re-entering card details)
  • Higher payment completion rate
  • Better cash flow
  • Customers less likely to forget payment

Managing Saved Cards

Customer side:

  1. Log in to customer portal
  2. Go to Payment Methods
  3. See all saved cards
  4. Can add new cards
  5. Can delete old cards
  6. Can set default payment method

Your side:

  • Cannot see full card numbers (PCI compliance)
  • Can see last 4 digits and card type
  • Can delete payment methods if customer requests
  • Cannot charge cards without customer consent

Payment Reports and Analytics

Daily Deposit Report

To see today's deposits:

  1. Navigate to Payments → Deposits
  2. Filter by Date: Today

Shows:

  • Total deposited: $2,314.56
  • Number of transactions: 3
  • Breakdown by payment method:
    • Credit card: $1,543.28 (2 transactions)
    • ACH: $771.28 (1 transaction)
  • Processing fees: $46.75
  • Net deposit: $2,267.81

Monthly Revenue Report

To see month's payments:

  1. Navigate to Reports → Revenue
  2. Select Date Range: This Month

Displays:

  • Total revenue: $45,230.00
  • Online payments: $38,500.00 (85%)
  • Manual payments: $6,730.00 (15%)
  • Average invoice: $772.00
  • Payment processing fees: $1,147.50
  • Net revenue: $44,082.50

Outstanding Balance Report

To see unpaid invoices:

  1. Navigate to Invoices → Outstanding
  2. View aging report:
    • Current (0-15 days): $3,200.00
    • 16-30 days: $1,500.00
    • 31-60 days: $800.00
    • 61+ days: $250.00

Total outstanding: $5,750.00

Common Payment Scenarios

Deposit Before Service

Customer wants to pay 50% upfront:

Method 1: Create deposit invoice

  1. Create manual invoice (not from job)
  2. Add line item: "Deposit - AC Installation" ($1,500.00)
  3. Send invoice
  4. Customer pays deposit
  5. After job complete, create final invoice for remaining balance ($1,500.00)

Method 2: Payment plan

  1. Create full invoice ($3,000.00)
  2. Record partial payment ($1,500.00)
  3. After job, record final payment ($1,500.00)

Payment Plan for Large Jobs

$5,000 job, customer needs 3-month plan:

  1. Create 3 separate invoices:
    • Invoice 1: $1,666.67 (due Jan 30)
    • Invoice 2: $1,666.67 (due Feb 28)
    • Invoice 3: $1,666.66 (due Mar 30)
  2. Link invoices to same job in notes
  3. Customer receives payment reminders for each

Alternative: Use Stripe payment plans (requires Stripe Billing setup).

Refund After Multiple Payments

Customer made 2 partial payments, now wants refund:

Example:

  • Invoice total: $1,000.00
  • Payment 1: $600.00 (check)
  • Payment 2: $400.00 (credit card)

To refund:

  1. Online payments (card): Refund through Crewdex ($400.00 goes back to card)
  2. Manual payments (check): Issue check from your company ($600.00)

Result: Invoice marked "Refunded", both payments noted in history.

Mobile Payment Processing

Accept Payment On-Site

Best for: Same-day payment collection after service completion.

Using customer portal:

  1. Customer has phone/tablet
  2. You email invoice on-site
  3. Customer opens email on their device
  4. Clicks Pay Now, enters card
  5. Pays while you're still there

Benefits:

  • Immediate payment (no waiting)
  • Customer convenience
  • Better cash flow
  • Reduces unpaid invoices

Mobile Card Readers

Currently: Crewdex doesn't support physical card readers (Square, Stripe Terminal).

Workaround:

  1. Collect payment with separate card reader
  2. Manually record payment in Crewdex when back at office
  3. Note transaction ID in payment notes

ℹ️ Note: Physical card reader integration planned for future update.

Security and Compliance

PCI Compliance

What it is: Payment Card Industry standards for handling credit card data.

How Crewdex handles it:

  • Never stores full card numbers
  • All card data processed through Stripe
  • Encryption for all payment data
  • No card data in Crewdex database

Your responsibility:

  • Keep Crewdex login secure (strong password)
  • Don't email card numbers to customers
  • Train staff not to write down card details

Fraud Prevention

Red flags to watch:

  • First-time customer, large job, wants to pay immediately
  • Customer wants to overpay then receive refund
  • Shipping/billing address mismatches
  • Multiple cards tried quickly

Protection measures:

  • Stripe automatically screens transactions
  • High-risk payments flagged for review
  • You can manually review flagged payments before completing
  • Require customer ID for large on-site payments

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Not Recording Manual Payments

Problem: Customer pays with check, you forget to mark invoice paid in system.

Why it's bad: Invoice shows overdue, you send payment reminder, customer confused and annoyed.

Solution: Record payment same day you receive it. Make it part of daily routine.

❌ Refunding Before Money Clears

Problem: Customer pays with ACH, you refund immediately, original payment hasn't cleared.

Why it's bad: ACH fails, refund goes through, you're out double the money.

Solution: Wait 5 business days for ACH payments to fully clear before issuing refund.

❌ Not Keeping Refund Documentation

Problem: Issue refund, don't document reason, customer disputes later.

Why it's bad: No proof why refund issued, looks like accounting error, difficult tax situation.

Solution: Always add detailed notes when refunding: reason, date, who approved, related communication.

A: Credit card payments: 2 business days. ACH payments: 3-5 business days. Deposits are automatic.

Q: What are Stripe's fees?
A: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction. No monthly fees, no setup fees. Only pay when you get paid.

Q: Can I accept American Express?
A: Yes. All major cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover. Same fees for all.

Q: What if customer's payment fails?
A: They receive email notification. Invoice stays "Sent" status. They can retry with different payment method.

Q: Can I charge late fees?
A: Yes. Configure in Settings → Invoicing → Late Fees. Example: "1.5% per month on balances 30+ days overdue."

Q: Do I need a merchant account?
A: No. Stripe handles everything. No separate merchant account needed.

Q: Can I accept international payments?
A: Depends on your Stripe account setup. Most US accounts accept international cards, but currency stays USD.

What's Next?

Now that you can process payments:

  1. Customer Portal Setup - Let customers view invoices and pay online
  2. Creating and Managing Invoices - Learn more about invoice management
  3. How to Issue a Refund - Process refunds via credit notes
  4. Job Lifecycle Workflow - See how payments fit into complete business flow

Need more help? Search using ⌘/ (Mac) or Ctrl+/ (Windows).

Related Guides

Creating and Managing Invoices

Payment History and Refunds

Customer Portal Setup

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