Services and consulting firms
Send a payment link instead of waiting for a bank transfer.
In services the problem is rarely the payment itself. It is the delay. The invoice is issued, sent, and then you wait, sometimes chasing it two or three times.
A payment link shortens that: the client clicks and pays by card, and you see the money arrive instead of reconciling statements.
What you get
Payment link
Send it by email or chat, with no integration.
Retainer fees
Automatic billing for monthly contracts.
Instalments
Split a large amount into parts.
Tied to the invoice
Every payment carries the invoice number.
Open Banking
On large amounts, a transfer with no card fee.
Several consultants
Reporting per person or per project.
In services the problem is rarely payment, it is the delay
The invoice is issued, it is sent, and then you wait. Sometimes you chase two or three times. Between the work being done and the money arriving, thirty, sixty, occasionally ninety days pass, and meanwhile you are paying salaries.
A bank transfer is slow not because the bank is slow but because it requires action from someone in no hurry. The client has to open their banking app, type an IBAN, check the amount and confirm. Each of those steps is a moment when the task slides to tomorrow.
A payment link removes that whole path. You send it with the invoice or straight into the chat. The client taps, pays by card in thirty seconds and gets a confirmation. The improvement in collection comes not from pressure but from a removed obstacle.
A subscription model instead of an invoice every month
A consultancy with steady clients issues the same invoices every month and chases the same people. That is work that brings in no revenue.
On a subscription model the client consents once, the card is stored as a token and the amount is collected on schedule. You still issue the invoice for the record, but you are not waiting on it.
For hourly or milestone work the mechanism is the same with a variable amount: it is calculated at the end of the period and collected under the same consent, with the client pre-notified of the exact figure a few days in advance.
The effect on cash flow is larger than the effect on revenue. The same annual number received predictably is worth more than the same number scattered across random dates.
Large amounts: when a card is the wrong instrument
On a five thousand euro project the card fee is already a serious number, and it makes sense to offer an Open Banking transfer as well. The client picks their bank, confirms, and the money arrives in seconds with no card fee.
The practice that works is a threshold: below a certain amount you show a card, above it you show both with a brief note on why. Some clients choose A2A themselves, because they too prefer not to reach for a card on a large sum.
For B2B clients this is especially apt, since a company payment starts from a bank account rather than a card anyway.
Deposits and milestones, without the awkward conversation
Asking for a deposit is awkward when it is a conversation. When it is a standard step in the process, it is not.
The model that works is simple: the proposal carries the amount and a link for the first payment. Accepting the proposal and paying the deposit are one action rather than two. A client who has paid is committed, and that reduces drop-off between quote and start.
On staged projects each stage has its own link, sent on completion. The client pays for something they have already seen, which makes the conversation easy on both sides.
What to set up so money does not come back
Services carry a higher dispute risk than goods, because there is no shipping document to prove delivery.
So three things are worth the effort. A clear scope in writing, accepted by the client, even by a single email. A recognisable company name on the statement, so the client is not left wondering what the charge is. And a record of consent on a subscription, including when and how it was given.
In a dispute those three are the evidence. With them most consultancy disputes are resolved in your favour; without them, few are.
What to fix in your invoicing process
Half of late payments are not reluctance but a missing step.
- A payment link on the invoice itself, not in a separate message
- A deposit built into the proposal rather than a separate conversation
- Subscription consent for your steady clients
- Pre-notification with the exact amount a few days before charging
- A threshold above which you also offer a bank transfer with no card fee
- A scope of work accepted in writing, even by a single email
Questions about this
How do I send a payment link?
From the panel, in seconds: enter an amount and a description and you get a link. Send it by email, in a message, or put it on the invoice. You can see when it was opened and when it was paid.
Can I take payment from clients abroad?
Yes, we accept cards issued worldwide and settle in euro to your company account.
Is a card sensible for invoices in the tens of thousands?
Usually not. At those amounts an Open Banking transfer makes more sense, because there is no percentage fee. Cards stay for smaller sums and for clients who insist on them.
How is VAT handled on a card payment?
The invoice is issued exactly as always; the payment is merely how the money arrived. The report shows the gross amount and the fees deducted separately, which makes posting straightforward.
What if a client disputes a payment for consultancy?
We submit the accepted scope of work, the correspondence and the consent record. For services the documented agreement is the main evidence, which is why it is better to exist from the start than to be hunted for in a dispute.
How quickly do I get the money after the client pays?
Settlement is within 48 business hours of the transaction. That is a substantial difference from an invoice on thirty-day terms, particularly when it decides whether salaries go out on time.
Can I issue a payment link that works for several clients?
Yes. There are two kinds: a personal link for a specific amount and client, and an open link where the client enters the amount, which suits deposits and top-up payments. Both are tracked in the panel and can be closed whenever you decide.
Related solutions
Ready to start accepting payments?
Send us an enquiry and you will get a concrete quote with calculated fees for your business, usually within one business day.