What changes for you and your customer?

With an invoice payment link, the customer opens the invoice and pays through a secure card page. You don’t need a separate card reader for this type of payment. It is an online payment, even if the customer is standing beside you.

A customer who prefers using a card gets that choice. They can pay from the link without copying your bank details into their banking app. You may spend less time chasing or matching payments to invoices.

That is a possible benefit, not a guarantee. A card link won’t settle an argument about the work or guarantee that a payment will be approved. We do not have evidence that offering cards will increase your bookings or reduce your payment times.

What does it cost?

These examples use Stripe’s published standard UK online-card rate of 1.5% + 20p, checked on 6 October 2026. The fee is taken from the payment.

• £50 payment: £0.95 fee; £49.05 after the card fee.

• £150 payment: £2.45 fee; £147.55 after the card fee.

• £450 payment: £6.95 fee; £443.05 after the card fee.

• £1,000 payment: £15.20 fee; £984.80 after the card fee.

• £5,000 payment: £75.20 fee; £4,924.80 after the card fee.

Calculation: payment × 0.015 + £0.20. “After card fee” is not profit: your materials, labour, overheads and any taxes still need covering. Examples exclude other charges and any TradePilot subscription.

Premium UK and overseas cards can cost more. Currency conversion, optional services and your account’s pricing can also change the bill. Check your terms rather than assuming every card costs 1.5% + 20p. Stripe’s current UK pricing.

What that means on an actual job

A £150 repair

£2.45 card fee

The customer asks to pay by card before you leave. If that avoids a later reminder and suits them, you may consider £2.45 worthwhile. If they would have transferred the money immediately anyway, the fee buys convenience rather than an extra sale.

A £5,000 job with £4,000 of costs

£75.20 card fee

Suppose £1,000 remains after the costs you have counted. The card fee reduces that to £924.80, before anything else you still need to cover. It uses just over 7.5% of that £1,000; that is more than 1.5% of the money you have left.

On jobs with expensive materials or tight margins, calculate the fee when pricing the work. Don’t judge it only against the headline invoice value.

Twenty £450 payments in a month

£139 in card fees

That is £9,000 collected, less twenty fees of £6.95, leaving £8,861 before other costs. This assumes every payment uses the same standard UK rate.

Ask what you got for that £139: less chasing, customers who specifically wanted cards, or simply a different way to receive payments that were already arriving on time?

These are made-up examples, not typical earnings, savings or forecasts. The calculations use the rate above.

Things worth knowing before you switch it on

Customer payment and money in your bank are different

A successful card payment first reaches your Stripe balance. Stripe then sends it to your bank—a “payout”. Timing depends on your account and schedule; initial checks, weekends or other delays can matter. Check the expected date before relying on the money to buy materials. How Stripe payouts work.

A refund can still leave you out of pocket

Stripe generally does not return the original processing fee. On the £450 example, a full refund returns £450 to the customer, but the £6.95 processing cost remains. You also need enough available funds for the refund; a request can be pending or fail. A credit note alone does not return card money. Stripe’s refund guidance.

A customer can challenge a card payment

If they challenge it through their bank, it is called a dispute or chargeback. You may have to provide evidence, and the payment can be reversed. Additional fees may apply. Keep the agreed quote, changes, messages and evidence of completed work. A successful payment does not mean the money can never be disputed. How disputes work.

Don’t add a separate card charge to a consumer’s bill

UK rules generally prohibit surcharges for consumer debit and credit cards. Don’t assume you can add your processing fee because the customer chooses a card. Take payment costs into account when setting your normal prices. Commercial cards and other situations can have different rules. Government guidance on payment surcharges.

Bank transfer is still worth comparing

Check what your business bank charges to receive transfers; don’t assume it is always free. If customers already transfer promptly and you can easily match payments to invoices, cards may add cost without solving much of a problem.

For customers who actively want to use a card, having the option may help. Agree how they will pay before the job, especially for larger amounts.

There is some setup and admin

Stripe needs to check the business and may ask for identity or bank information. You will need to keep those details up to date and deal with refunds or payment queries. The customer needs a connection to complete an online payment; you need one to check its status.

Is it worth trying?

It may suit your business if…

• Customers regularly ask to pay by card.

• You spend time chasing invoices after small jobs.

• You can cover the fee within your pricing.

• You can wait for the bank payout without delaying the next job.

You may prefer bank transfer if…

• Customers already pay it promptly.

• Your invoices are large and margins are tight.

• You need to minimise transaction costs.

• You don’t want the extra refund and dispute administration.

If you decide to try card payments, review a month’s actual results. Write down the total fees, which customers used cards, time spent chasing, and any refunds or disputes. Compare that with how the same sort of work was paid before. Keep the option if the benefit to your business is worth the cost.

Prepared by TradePilot. Fee examples are illustrative and use public pricing, not a quote for your Stripe account. Sources checked 6 October 2026. Recheck current terms before deciding.