How to Receive Payment in Dubsado

By Ema Katiraee, Certified Dubsado Specialist

TL;DR: Dubsado doesn't process payments on its own, so you'll need to connect a third-party processor (Stripe, Square, or PayPal) to accept client payments. This post covers how to connect each one, what fees to expect, how to apply payments manually, and how refunds work.

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I love getting emails letting me know that a client has paid their invoice.

I usually get two emails. One from Dubsado and one from my payment processor Stripe if my client pays with a credit card.

Dubsado itself does not process payments. You need to integrate a third-party payment processor with your account to accept payment.

Once you connect your payment processor to Dubsado, your invoices will show a ‘Pay Now’ button. This lets clients pay their invoice quickly and easily.

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What is a payment processor?

A payment processor is a system that handles credit or debit card transactions. It acts as a sort of mediator between them and the bank. It secures the approval for a transaction. It communicates with your client’s bank and transfers the funds into your account.

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What payment processor does Dubsado use?

Dubsado can integrate with three different payment processors: Stripe, Square and Paypal. 

Each Dusbado account can only connect to Stripe and Paypal OR Square and Paypal. You can’t use both Stripe and Square. 

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How do I integrate a payment processor with Dubsado?

1. To connect your payment processor to Dubsado, under Settings, go to ‘Payments’

2. Choose your country and currency.

3. Select the payment processor you want to use, and follow the steps to connect it to Dubsado.

Here's a walkthrough of the full process:

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Can I use Stripe with Dubsado?

Yes. Using Stripe (now called Dubsado payments) allows clients to pay via credit card or ACH (Automated Clearing House). ACH is an electronic bank-to-bank payment only available to users of certain US banks.

Stripe is my personal favorite to use. I’ve never had an issue with it and I haven’t heard too many people have issues around funds getting blocked either.

Stripe connects to many other platforms. If you have a site on a platform like Kartra or Kajabi, Stripe works as a payment processor so customers can pay via credit card on your site.

One benefit of Stripe is that it allows for clients to use autopay. This allows for automatic payment with a credit card or ACH on recurring invoices.

Stripe charges a fee for processing payments. Currently it is 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card charge. To review the details of Stripe’s processing fees go to their site.

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Can I use Square with Dubsado?

Yes. Like Stripe, Square allows clients to pay via credit card. It also allows for autopay on recurring invoices paid with a credit card.

Square charges a fee for processing payments. Currently it is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. To check the details of Square’s processing fees go to their site.

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Can I use PayPal with Dubsado?

Yes. PayPal allows clients to pay with a credit card or using their PayPal balance.

The downside to PayPal is that you cannot use autopay. 

PayPal charges a fee for processing payments. Currently for standard credit card payments the fee is 2.99% + fixed fee. To review the details of PayPal’s processing fees go to their site.

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How do I change my currency in Dubsado?

Once your country and currency are set, you can change the currency you invoice in Dubsado. Go to ‘Settings’ → ‘Payments’ → under ‘Country and currency’ click ‘Edit Settings’ and update your settings.

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What if I use other payment platforms or don’t want to use one?

You can still use Dubsado to invoice, but your clients will not have the option to pay directly.

If you accept payment via Zelle, Venmo, check, e-transfer, etc. you can apply those payments manually to Dubsado.

See my full guide on using Dubsado without a payment processor.

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How to customize your Dubsado invoices

Want to add payment instructions, like a Venmo handle or e-transfer email, directly on your invoices? That's covered in my complete guide to Dubsado invoices, along with everything else on setting up and customizing them.

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How do I manually apply payment in Dubsado?

1. Go to the project and then to the Invoicing tab.

2. Click on the invoice to open it up.

3. Under Payments, click on the Transactions tab, then click ‘+ Payment’.

4. Select the date the payment was sent.

5. Select the method of payment from the dropdown menu: Cash, Check, Credit, e-transfer, PayPal, Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, Other.

6. Add the amount paid.

7. Write a payment description (optional).

8. Click ‘Log Payment’.

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Does Dubsado send receipts?

If you are using Dubsado payments powered by Stripe, your clients will automatically receive a receipt for every payment / transaction.

For other payment processors, you can send a copy of the invoice to them as a proof of payment.

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Can I process refunds through Dubsado?

With Dubsado Payments

If you're using Dubsado Payments, you can process refunds directly from the invoice inside Dubsado. For the full step-by-step, see my guide on Dubsado Payments.

With Square, PayPal or Other Payment Types

For other payment processors (Square or PayPal), refunds need to be processed through those platforms and not through Dubsado.

Once the refund is processed you can apply the refund to your invoice inside of Dubsado. This also applies if you’ve provided a cash refund or other processor type:

1. Go to the project and then to the Invoicing tab, and open the invoice

2. In the payments section, click ‘Transactions’

3. Click on the three dots ‘…’ beside the payment you want to refund

4. Click Log refund

5. Select the refund date and amount.

6. Add a note to your client under ‘Note to contact’. This note will be included if you email a refund receipt.

7. Add a description which is an internal note and not visible to your client.

8. You can check the box ‘Allow client to repay this amount’ if you will be asking them to pay this amount again in the future.

9. Click ‘Log refund’ and the refund will be applied to the invoice.

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Let’s work together!

Getting paid shouldn't be the hard part. If you want your invoices, payment processor, and reminders all working together seamlessly, check out my Dubsado setup services, or book a free discovery call to talk through what you need.