Accepting Online Payments with Stripe

HomeWatchTools uses Stripe to give your clients a simple, secure way to pay by credit or debit card. Once you connect your Stripe account, every invoice you send includes a Pay Now link — your client clicks it, pays online, and the money lands directly in your bank account. HomeWatchTools never touches your clients' funds and takes no cut of your invoice payments.

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How to Connect Stripe

This is a one-time setup that takes about five minutes.

1. Go to Settings → Billing inside HomeWatchTools.
2. Click Connect with Stripe.
3. You'll be taken to Stripe's secure setup page. Either sign in to your existing Stripe account or create a new one — creating a new account is free.
4. Complete Stripe's identity verification (name, address, bank account for payouts, and a few business details). Stripe requires this to comply with financial regulations.
5. Once connected, you'll be returned to HomeWatchTools. Your Stripe status will show as Connected.

That's it. No invoice configuration needed — every invoice you send from this point on will include a Pay Now link automatically.

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What Your Clients Experience

When you send an invoice:

1. Your client receives an email with a Pay Now link in the invoice PDF and in the email body.
2. They click it and land on a secure Stripe-hosted checkout page.
3. They enter their card details and pay the outstanding balance.
4. They see a friendly Payment received confirmation page. A receipt is emailed to them.
5. The invoice in HomeWatchTools is automatically marked Paid, and the payment appears in your Finance → Payments ledger.

If the invoice is already paid when a client opens the link, they see an "already paid" message. If you haven't connected Stripe yet, the link shows your contact details so the client can arrange payment another way.

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Taking Payments Through the Client Portal

If you've given your clients access to the portal, they can also pay directly from there. Unpaid invoices in the portal show the same Pay Now button. See The Client Portal for more on how that works.

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Recording Payments You Take Offline

Not every payment comes through Stripe. When a client pays by check, cash, or bank transfer, record it in HomeWatchTools so your books stay accurate:

1. Open the invoice and click Record Payment.
2. The Amount pre-fills with the current balance due.
3. Choose the Payment Method (check, bank transfer, cash, card, or other) and add a note if useful — a check number, for example.
4. Click Record. If the payment covers the full balance, the invoice becomes Paid. If it's partial, the invoice shows Partially Paid and you can record the remainder later.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does HomeWatchTools charge a fee on Stripe payments? No. HomeWatchTools takes no cut of your invoice payments. Stripe charges a standard processing fee on each transaction (currently around 2.9% + 30¢ for cards in the US), which is the normal cost of online card processing.

Can I accept card payments without connecting Stripe? No — Stripe is the payment processor HomeWatchTools uses. If Stripe isn't connected, invoices show your contact details so clients can arrange payment another way.

What if I already have a Stripe account? Just sign in to your existing Stripe account during setup. HomeWatchTools connects to it and your invoices start using it immediately.

Do I need to set anything up per-invoice or per-client? No. Once Stripe is connected, every invoice you send includes the Pay Now link automatically.

What happens when a client pays — do I need to do anything? Nothing. When a client pays online, HomeWatchTools marks the invoice Paid and records the payment in your Finance ledger automatically. You'll also see it in your Stripe dashboard.

Can I refund a card payment? Refunds are handled through your Stripe dashboard at stripe.com, not inside HomeWatchTools. Once you issue a refund in Stripe, it's returned to your client's card within a few business days.

When does the money arrive in my bank account? Stripe's standard payout schedule deposits funds within 2 business days in the US. You can configure this in your Stripe dashboard settings.