Take card payments: pay link, card on file and Tap to Pay

Overview#

Card payments in TradesWork run through Stripe on your company's own Stripe account. There are three ways to take one. The customer can pay on the invoice's pay link (by card or bank). The office can charge a card the customer saved earlier, with their permission. Or the technician can take a contactless tap on their phone with Tap to Pay. Every card payment is recorded from what Stripe confirms, never assumed.

Before you start#

• Stripe must be connected and verified in Settings › Integrations › Payment Processing (see Connect Stripe, get paid out, and open your Stripe dashboard).

• Charging cards and taking taps needs payments.record (Owner, Admin, Accounting, Technicians on their own jobs).

• Tap to Pay also needs: Show Tap to Pay in the TradesWork Field app turned on, a supported phone, the store build of the Field app, signal, and your business address in Stripe.

Steps#

Let the customer pay on the link#

1. Send the invoice (Send invoice) or text the pay link from Messages.

2. The customer taps Pay $X, adds a tip if you ask for one, and pays on Stripe's secure page.

3. The payment appears on the invoice once Stripe confirms it.

Charge a card on file (office)#

1. On the job's invoice, open Charge card on file •••• 1234.

2. Pick the card (expiry and "default" are shown) and check the Amount (the hint shows the balance due).

3. Tick The customer authorized this charge.

4. Click Charge card and confirm "Charge this card now?".

5. You'll see "Charged $X to {card}." If the bank needs more time: "…is processing. The invoice updates when the bank confirms it."

Charge a card on file (Field app)#

1. On the invoice, tap Charge card on file {card}.

2. Confirm "Charge {amount} to {card} now? Only do this with the customer's OK."

Tap to Pay (Field app)#

1. On the invoice, tap Tap to Pay. The app shows "Getting this phone ready for Tap to Pay…".

2. If tips are on, the customer picks a tip or No tip · pay {amount}.

3. "Hold the card near the top of the phone." The customer taps their card or phone.

4. Keep the screen open while it says "Charging {amount}…" until "Paid {amount}".

5. Tap Share receipt if the customer wants it now. The receipt is also on their job link.

The Field app also has a Card button that opens the same secure payment page as the pay link on the technician's phone.

Settings that change this#

• Settings › Integrations › Payment Processing: Stripe connection, Show Tap to Pay in the TradesWork Field app, Tips and Offer "Pay by bank" on the pay page.

Tips#

• Card-on-file charges need the customer's OK each time. Tick the box only when you have it.

• Tips aren't offered on office card-on-file charges. Use the pay link or Tap to Pay for tips.

• Estimated fees shown in settings: card 2.9% + 30¢, Tap to Pay 2.7% + 30¢. Passing card fees on to customers (surcharging) isn't offered.

Troubleshooting#

• "The card was declined: …" → the bank declined it → ask for another card or send the pay link.

• "The customer's bank wants them to confirm this charge themselves. Nothing was charged." → 3D Secure → send the pay link so the customer confirms it.

• "We couldn't confirm the charge with the card processor. Check this invoice's payments in a minute before trying again." → don't charge again until you've checked.

• "Another card charge on this invoice is still processing." → wait for it to finish.

• "{card} has expired. Ask the customer for a new card." → send a card-on-file request.

• "Tap to Pay isn't connected." → Stripe isn't connected, or the phone app isn't the Tap to Pay build → use the pay link, cash or check.

• "Tap to Pay is turned off in company settings." → turn on Show Tap to Pay in the TradesWork Field app.

• "Tap to Pay needs your business address in Stripe." → add it in Stripe (Settings › Business details), then retry.

• "Tap to Pay needs signal: a tap can't be saved and sent later." → move to where there's signal.

FAQ#

Can I key in a card number in the office? No. Card numbers are only entered on Stripe's secure pages. Use a card-on-file request opened while the customer is on the phone.

Who pays the processing fees? Your company, on your own Stripe account.

Coming from ServiceTitan#

• Same: pay-by-link, cards on file and mobile card payments.

• Different: processing runs on your own Stripe account (not a built-in merchant service). Tap to Pay uses the phone itself, no card reader.

• Where it lived: ServiceTitan Payments and the mobile Collect payment screen; the invoice card and Field app invoice in TradesWork.