Dubsado Payments: A Complete Guide
Last Updated July 2026 | By Ema Katiraee, Certified Dubsado Specialist
TL;DR: Dubsado Payments is Dubsado's Stripe-powered payment processor. It works the same way for your clients but gives you extra features the legacy Stripe integration didn't, including surcharging (in most US states and Canada), refunds processed directly from Dubsado, higher ACH limits up to $20,000 per week in the US, and automatic transaction receipts.
Dubsado Payments is Dubsado's built-in payment processor, powered by Stripe. If you're already on it (most accounts have been migrated automatically by now) and want to understand what it actually does differently, or you're still curious what changed from the older Stripe setup, this post breaks it down.
This post covers how Dubsado's built-in payment processing works. If you're looking for how to create and send an invoice itself, check out my complete guide to Dubsado invoices.
What Is Dubsado Payments?
It's the Stripe payment processor at its core, just with a few differences from the legacy Stripe integration. You'll have a Stripe account labeled Dubsado Payments Stripe, and all your Dubsado transactions live inside that account. This is similar to how other software connects with Stripe, like Kajabi or Kit, where the platform generates its own dedicated account for your transactions.
When you receive a payment, you'll see a "Dubsado application fee" inside Stripe, which is what used to be labeled the Stripe processing fee. There's no change in the amount of fees collected, just a name change.
Where is Dubsado Payments Available?
Currently its available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.
How Dubsado Payments Compares to Square or PayPal
All three payment processors let clients pay via debit or credit card, but there are some key differences:
PayPal doesn't allow ACH payments and isn't compatible with autopay. If a client enters the wrong email address in PayPal, Dubsado can't help you recover the payment.
Square also doesn't allow ACH payments, and only supports autopay for debit or credit card payments.
Dubsado Payments is the only option that allows ACH payments, and the only one that supports autopay for both ACH and debit/credit card payments.
Square and PayPal will continue to be available as payment processing options inside Dubsado going forward.
What's Different From the Legacy Stripe Integration
Surcharging
You can add a surcharge to your invoices to help offset credit card processing fees, done in a compliant way that follows credit card company rules. Surcharging is available in most US states and Canada, but it's restricted in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Puerto Rico.
For US businesses where it's allowed, the surcharge is 3%. In Canada, it's capped at 2.4% by law. Check your state or province's current rules before turning it on.
⚠️ Important to know: Surcharging only applies to credit card payments, debit cards, ACH, and bank transfer payments can't have a surcharge applied. Surcharges also don't apply to payments made through Affirm or Klarna, even if the client ultimately uses a credit card through those platforms.
To enable surcharging in your Dubsado account:
Go to ‘Settings’ → then go to ‘Payments’
Click ‘Set up’ under the Surcharging option
Enter your business address
Read and agree to the terms and conditions
Then click ‘Enable surcharging’
Once enabled, clients will see the surcharge on their invoice when paying by credit card. They can switch payment methods (if ACH is enabled) to avoid the fee.
Note: If you refund a client on a transaction that included a surcharge, the surcharge gets refunded too.
Refunds processed directly from Dubsado
If a payment was received through Dubsado Payments, you can process the refund right from the Dubsado invoice, or from Stripe directly, either way, it syncs and shows up in both places. Keep in mind Stripe connects refunds to a specific transaction, not the entire invoice. If the original payment included a surcharge, that surcharge gets refunded too.
To issue a refund directly in Dubsado:
Go to the project invoice
In the payments section, click ‘Transactions’
Click on the three dots ‘…’ beside the payment you want to refund
Click ‘Refund’ for the popup to appear
Type in the refund amount. You can submit the full amount or a partial amount as a refund.
You can add a note to the client (optional) and a description that is only visible to you (optional)
You can check the box ‘Allow client to repay this amount’ if they will be asked to pay this amount again in the future
Click ‘Review’ to see the summary of the refund
Click ‘Submit’ to complete the refund
You will now see the refund listed at the bottom of the invoice.
📌 IMPORTANT: Stripe deducts the refunded amount from your Stripe balance, or your bank account if there's no balance available, so make sure you have enough funds to cover it.
Higher ACH limits
Dubsado Payments offers ACH processing limits up to $20,000 per week in the US, higher than what the legacy Stripe integration allowed.
Instant payouts
You can access Stripe Instant Payouts through Dubsado Payments, though this comes with an additional fee on top of your regular processing fee. Payout speed itself isn't different, it's based on whatever Stripe currently offers in your location and your account's payout schedule.
Automatic transaction receipts
Clients receive instant transaction receipts whenever a payment comes through Dubsado Payments. If you still have Stripe receipts turned on separately, turn those off to avoid sending clients duplicates.
To turn off Stripe Receipts:
In Stripe, go to Settings (gear icon at top right).
Go to ‘Business’ and in the dropdown menu go from ‘Account details’ to ‘Customer emails’
Toggle off ‘Successful payments’ and ‘Refunds’.
In-Person Payments With Tap to Pay
You can accept contactless in-person payments directly from the Dubsado mobile app using Tap to Pay, on either iPhone or Android, no extra card reader needed. It works with physical debit and credit cards as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other digital wallets.
Tap to Pay is only available if you're connected to Dubsado Payments (Square users can't use it), and only the Dubsado brand owner can set it up, not Admin, Basic, or Accountant users. It's also limited to specific countries for iPhone and Android respectively, so check Dubsado's help center if you're outside the US to confirm availability.
Surcharging and gratuity both work with Tap to Pay, though the surcharge rate is slightly different for in-person transactions, capped at 2.7% in the US and 2.4% in Canada.
One limitation: clients can't enroll in autopay through a Tap to Pay payment, it's treated as a one-time transaction.
A Change Worth Knowing: Invoice Overrides
As of May 2024, manually overriding payment options per project is no longer available in Dubsado. Payment method settings are now global, applying across all clients and invoices, so you can't toggle payment methods on or off for individual projects anymore.
What Happened During Migration
Most accounts were automatically upgraded to Dubsado Payments with no action required, keeping the same login and no disruption to open invoices or autopay. A smaller number of accounts needed to re-onboard with a different Stripe email. If you ever need the full breakdown, Dubsado's help center has the complete migration details.
FAQ
Does Dubsado Payments cost extra?
No, Dubsado doesn't charge additional fees on top of standard processing. You'll pay the same competitive rates Stripe offers, based on your country.
Can I still use PayPal alongside Dubsado Payments?
Yes. You can pair Dubsado Payments with PayPal, though PayPal doesn't support ACH transfers or autopay through Dubsado.
What happened to my old Stripe account during migration?
Most accounts were duplicated into a new Dubsado Payments Stripe account, so you may have two Stripe accounts now. You can toggle between them using the same login, from the dropdown in the top left corner of your Stripe dashboard.
Is surcharging available everywhere?
No. In the US, it's not allowed in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, or Puerto Rico. In Canada, it's capped at 2.4% by law. Check your state or province's current rules before enabling it.
Does Dubsado Payments offer faster payouts than regular Stripe?
No. Payout speed depends on Stripe's standard schedule for your location and account settings, not on which processor you're using inside Dubsado.
How do I connect to Dubsado Payments?
You can follow Dubsado's step-by-step connection instructions in their help center.
Your client process should work without you pushing every step.
Take the free quiz to see what's working, what's missing, and what to do about it.
Want to work with me?
If you're ready for an expert to set up Dubsado for you, the next step is to book a free 20 minute discovery call, and let’s see if a Dubsado setup is right for you.
Ready to get started? 👉 Book your call
![Ema Katiraee](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/6065ef438c1f79359a0097e5/c3957c6e-434d-44b0-a15c-a360106706e0/Ema.webp?content-type=image%2Fwebp")