What is Stripe, and what does TradePilot do?

Stripe handles the card payment. TradePilot prepares the invoice and, in the test beta, matches a confirmed payment to the saved invoice when you reconnect. You never need to ask for or store a customer’s card number.

TradePilot card payments are still being tested. They cannot take real money yet. The steps below describe the beta and explain what Stripe may ask for when live setup becomes available. Don’t use the beta for a real customer’s invoice.

Before you start

For a live setup, have your email, phone, correct business name and address, and bank-account details ready. Stripe may also ask for photo ID, business registration information or a public website or business profile.

Only enter private details on Stripe’s secure page. Never send your password, ID documents or full bank details to TradePilot support. The questions vary by business, and completing the form does not guarantee immediate approval.

1. Open setup from TradePilot

In the beta, go to Settings → Payment details → Get paid by card and choose Set up card payments. Stripe opens to collect your details.

If you stopped halfway through, choose Continue setup. Don’t create another account just because you paused. If a link has expired, reopen setup from TradePilot to get a fresh one. Don’t forward setup links to anyone.

2. Describe the business you actually run

Use the details of the business that does the work and receives the money. Choose the business type that matches your legal setup. A sole trader and a limited company are different; “limited company” is not a badge of professionalism.

Describe your work in ordinary words. For example: “Domestic plumbing repairs and bathroom installations.” Avoid vague descriptions such as “services”.

If Stripe asks for a website, use your own business website or a suitable public business social profile. Don’t substitute TradePilot’s website. Stripe needs to understand what your business sells.

Stripe’s website and business-profile guidance

3. Check your bank and identity details

In a live account, this is where Stripe sends your money. Check the account holder, sort code and account number carefully. The account name must meet Stripe’s requirements for your business type.

If Stripe asks for ID or extra evidence, use the instructions on its secure page. If something does not match, correct the underlying details rather than guessing answers.

Stripe’s bank-name requirements

4. Make the payment recognisable

Check your trading name and the contact details customers will see. “Statement descriptor” means the short business name shown on a customer’s card statement. Use a name they will recognise from the job.

Read any optional offers and prices before accepting them. This setup should not require writing code or entering technical settings.

Stripe’s statement-name guidance

5. Return and check the result

Return to Card payments in TradePilot and choose Refresh. In this beta, “Card payments are on” means ready for test payments only.

• Details submitted: wait for Stripe’s checks.

• Complete your details: reopen setup and answer the outstanding request.

• Ready for test payments: check a fictional invoice with your test participant.

Don’t treat a completed form as confirmation that live payments are available.

From an invoice to a payment

In the beta, check a fictional invoice, open Card payments and find it under Ready to send. Choose Prepare payment link, then Open customer invoice to check the customer, work and amount.

Use Share payment link where available, or copy the link into a message. Send beta links only to your test participant. After the test payment, reconnect and refresh. A confirmed payment updates the matching saved invoice; a saving problem is flagged for retry.

“Paid” means the card payment was confirmed. A “payout” is money being sent from Stripe to your bank. They are separate events. Test money never arrives in your bank. In live use, check the payout date and account requirements in Stripe before relying on the money.

How Stripe payouts work

Common questions

Do I need a card reader?

Not for an invoice payment link. The customer pays online on their own device. This guide is about online payments, which have different prices and arrangements from some in-person card readers.

I already use Stripe. Can I connect that account?

The beta uses a separate connected test account. Connecting an existing live Stripe account has not been verified. Don’t create a duplicate live account as a workaround; ask TradePilot before proceeding.

What if the customer says they paid?

Reconnect and refresh, then check the payment in Stripe before asking them to pay again. Don’t mark an invoice paid just because the customer opened a payment page.

What if the invoice changes?

In the beta, withdraw an unpaid link and wait for confirmation before changing the payment arrangement. If payment arrived meanwhile, review it first. An issued invoice stays in your records; use a credit note and replacement where appropriate. A replacement invoice needs its own checked payment link.

What about a deposit or bank-transfer payment?

Record any payment before preparing the card link. A £450 invoice with £100 already recorded requests the remaining £350. The beta does not let a customer choose any part-payment amount. Close a card link and confirm its status before switching to cash or bank transfer.

Does a credit note refund a card?

No. It changes your records; it does not send money back. Refunds are handled in Stripe and can be pending or fail. Original processing fees generally are not returned. The beta flags reported refunds but does not complete all refund accounting or track every final outcome. Check the payment and ask your accountant how to record a partial refund.

Stripe’s refund guidance

What if I get stuck?

Use Stripe’s help for an identity or account-check question. For a TradePilot issue, share the message and invoice number with private details hidden. If a customer challenges a payment with their bank, check Stripe’s response deadline promptly. Don’t ignore it or send a separate refund without checking the dispute.

Before real customer payments

TradePilot’s card-payment feature needs further testing before release. Live pricing, existing-account connection, refund records and some multi-device cases are not final. The beta adds no TradePilot transaction fee; that is not a promise about future live pricing.

Check the current Stripe fees and your account terms before agreeing to live payments. See our card-payment costs and benefits guide to decide whether the option suits your work.

Setup guidance checked against Stripe-hosted onboarding on 6 October 2026. Exact questions and options vary. This is a guide to the process, not a guarantee of account approval.