Payment methods for clients — the fee, the wait, and the risk
Card, a payment link, bank transfer, cash, or cheque: each trades a fee against a wait. It also trades a wait against a risk. Pick with your eyes open. Put the method on the invoice, so a client can act on it right away.
Every way of getting paid trades a fee against a wait, and a wait against a risk. Card and a payment link cost a known fee but land fast. Bank transfer costs you nothing upfront, but the waiting, and the chasing, are yours. Cash proves nothing arrived. A cheque waits longest, and can still bounce after it lands.
Most advice about getting paid covers the wording. It tells you what to put on an invoice and what to say when it is late. It rarely covers the plainer question underneath. How does the money move from the client’s account to yours? Every method trades a fee against a wait, and a wait against a risk. None of them is free of all three.
Five ways to get paid, and what each one trades
- Card, on the day. You pay a merchant fee that you know in advance. You take the card on a card machine or a tap-to-pay reader while you are still on site. The money lands fast. Nothing is left to chase when the client walks away.
- A payment link on the invoice. The card fee is the same. But the client picks the moment, and you do not stand there waiting. A payment link removes the “I’ll do the transfer later” step. It does not remove the fee underneath.
- Bank transfer. There is no fee to you. But the client must act, and your wait starts when they decide to. An unmarked transfer also gives no sign of which invoice it is for. Ask for a reference first.
- Cash. Nothing sits between the client and you. Nothing proves the money changed hands unless you write it down. A cash payment is real when it is in your hand. Write the receipt at the same time, not later.
- Cheque. This has the longest gap between “paid” and cleared funds. It is also the only method here that can be reversed after it first looks like it landed.
The two questions that decide it
Do not search for a single best method. There is none, because the same trade-off runs through all five. Ask two things for this job:
- How fast do you actually need the money? A card or a payment link answers that directly. A transfer or a cheque puts the timing in the client’s hands.
- What does your own time cost, once you count the chasing? A merchant fee is a known cost, paid once. An unmatched transfer, or a cheque you must bank and wait on, costs you admin time instead. That time is worth what your own hour is worth. The free payment method check runs both sides of the trade on your own numbers. It is not a guess.
Put the method on the invoice, not in your head
What to put on an invoice lists “how you accept payment” as one of seven fields. These fields get you paid without a chase. Say which methods you take, plainly, before the client has to ask. If you take a transfer, ask for the invoice number as the reference in the same line. Then you never match an unmarked payment by guesswork. The payment details scripts have exact wording for a new client, a transfer reference, and a payment link.
Can you charge extra for a card payment?
That is a card surcharge. It is an extra line added when a client pays by card. It covers the merchant fee, so you do not absorb it. Whether you may add one, and how you must show it, depends on where you work. It also depends on your card processor’s agreement. Some card networks ban a surcharge outright on their own cards, even where the general law allows one. Check both before you add the line. If you add it, say so on the quote. Do not show it for the first time on the invoice.
Suppose a client will not pay by any method at all: cash, card, transfer, or other. Then this is no longer a payment-methods question. See what to do when a client won’t pay for the escalation that applies.
Common questions
Should I take card payments?
Yes, if the card fee costs you less than the time you spend chasing a slower method. You know the fee before you charge it, and the money lands fast. The free payment method check compares the two on your own numbers.
Is a bank transfer safe?
The money is safe once it clears. But an unmarked transfer with no reference is hard to match to the right invoice. Ask the client to use the invoice number as the reference, every time. Matching is then no longer a guess.
Can I charge extra for a card payment?
That is a card surcharge. Whether you may add one depends on where you work and on your card processor’s agreement. Some card networks ban it outright, even where the general law allows it. Check both before you add a line for it.
Should I accept cash?
Yes, if it suits the job. There is no fee and nothing to wait for. Write a receipt at the time. Cash is the one method with nothing else to prove the money changed hands.
Want the amount due on a page your client can open?
Each BizBinder invoice has its own page for the client. It shows the amount paid, the amount still due, and the due date. The client does not need to ask you where an invoice stands.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide How to get paid faster, without the awkward follow-up The reminder cadence here stops most late invoices from becoming a collections problem.
- tool Late payment fee & interest calculator Enter an overdue balance, a rate, and the days late. You get the interest, the total now due, and a reminder line to copy and paste.
- tool Payment method check Enter your invoice amount, your card fee, your hourly rate, and how long a transfer takes. The tool compares card, bank transfer, and cash for this invoice. It shows the fee, your time, and when the money lands.