Online payment methods for small business are the instruments your clients pay with: cards, phone wallets, bank debits and plain bank transfer. This article answers which of those to offer, to which clients, and how to switch them on for the levelpartner.ai platform's payment pages. Getting the mix right means fewer abandoned payments, lower fees on large invoices and less time matching money to invoices. Where the pay button sits, on an invoice, a booking or a website, is a different question, covered in a separate guide on payment options.
The four methods that matter
Cards. Credit and debit cards are the default for most clients and the easiest to accept. They suit small and medium invoices, deposits and recurring charges with consent. Fees are a percentage of the amount, so they bite on large invoices.
Wallets. Phone wallets let a client pay with a fingerprint or face scan instead of typing a card number. Under the hood they are still card payments, so fees and protections are the same. They mostly help clients who pay from a phone.
Bank debits. In the US these run over the ACH network; in the UK, through Direct Debit or open banking payments. They are slower to settle than cards but usually cheaper on large sums, and they suit regular retainers. Other countries have their own bank payment schemes.
Bank transfer. The client pays from their own banking app using details on the invoice. No processor fee, but the money arrives with whatever reference the client typed, which is the main cause of unmatched payments.
Matching methods to clients
Think about who is paying, not what is cheapest for you.
Owner-managed clients and consumers, common for mortgage brokers and real estate, pay on their phones. Offer cards and wallets, and make the pay link the obvious action.
Corporate clients, common for agencies and consultants, often pay through an accounts payable team that only does bank transfers on a payment run. Card links may be ignored. Offer bank transfer with a clear reference, and bank debit for retainers if they will sign a mandate.
Large one-off invoices sit between the two. Offer cards, but show bank transfer or bank debit as the preferred method above a size you choose.
Before you start
- A payment processor connected in Payments, and tested.
- Your processor's settings open in another tab, since most methods are switched on there.
- A list of your clients grouped roughly by how they pay today.
- Bank details for transfers, checked by finance, ready for the invoice footer.
How to set up your payment methods
- In your processor's dashboard, open the payment methods settings for your own account.
- Select the platform's configuration in the dropdown on that page.
- In the Invoice configuration, switch on cards and wallets, and bank debit where available.
- Repeat in the InvoiceWithAutopayment configuration if you charge recurring invoices automatically.
- On the platform, go to Payments, then Invoices & Estimates, and click Settings.
- Open Title, Terms and Layout and add your bank transfer details to the terms.
- Open Payment Settings and click Manage next to the default payment methods.
- Choose all valid payment methods, bank transfer only, or both, then click Save.
- Raise a test invoice to an internal contact and open it on a phone and a laptop.
- Note which methods each client group should be steered to and share it with the team.
What the mix does to your admin
Every method you add changes the month-end work. Card and wallet payments are matched to invoices automatically. Bank debits are matched too, though they settle more slowly. Bank transfers need someone to spot the deposit and mark the invoice paid.
So the more clients you move from transfer to an automated method, the less matching you do. The month-end reconciliation guide shows how the methods appear in your books.
Suppose most fees arrive by bank transfer, about 70 a month, and a dozen need investigating because the reference is missing. Adding cards for invoices under a set size and bank debit for retainers would move much of that volume to methods that match themselves. If transfers dropped to about 25 a month, mostly from corporate clients, unmatched payments might fall to two or three. These figures are assumptions.
Time it takes
Switching methods on takes under an hour, plus any time your processor needs to approve bank debits. The weekly saving is in matching: each automated payment is one less transfer to chase down.
The mistake most people make
Offering every method to every client at once. A payment page with six options slows people down, and corporate clients still pay by transfer anyway. Lead with the method that suits the client, and keep the alternatives visible but secondary.
The other mistake is hiding bank details to push clients onto cards. Corporate clients who cannot pay by card will simply email to ask, and the invoice sits unpaid in the meantime.
When to stay with bank transfer only
If almost every client is a large company paying on a monthly payment run, adding cards changes little. Focus instead on clear references and on getting your invoice to their accounts payable team before their cut-off. Revisit the mix if your client base shifts towards smaller firms or consumers.
Troubleshooting
A method is switched on but does not appear. The platform has not picked up the change. Reconnect the processor in Payments.
Wallets show on phones but not laptops. That is normal. Wallets appear only on devices and browsers that support them.
Bank debits fail after a few days. The client's bank returned the payment. Check the reason in the processor dashboard and ask the client to confirm their details.
Clients still pay by transfer to an old account. Old invoices or email signatures carry old details. Update every template and footer the same day.
Related guides
For the card flow in detail, see how card processing works and how to connect it. For where to put the pay button, see payment options across invoices, bookings and pages. For phone-first clients, try text to pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which online payment methods should a small business offer first?
Cards and wallets, because they cover most clients and match to invoices automatically. Add bank debit for retainers and keep bank transfer for corporate clients.
Are bank debits cheaper than cards?
Often, especially on large amounts, but check your own processor's pricing. Settlement is slower, so they suit regular payments better than urgent ones.
Can I offer different methods to different clients?
You can steer clients by how you word the invoice email and what you put in the footer. The hosted payment page shows the methods your processor has switched on.
Do wallets cost more than cards?
They are processed as card payments, so treat them the same. Check your processor's published pricing to be sure.