💳 How to Get Paid Before You Leave the Job
You finished the job and the customer is standing right there. Instead of mailing a bill and waiting three weeks, show them the invoice on your phone and let them pay it right then, by card, bank, PayPal or Venmo.
Most of us know how this goes. The repair takes an hour. Getting paid for it takes three weeks, a reminder or two, and a phone call nobody wants to make. Usually the holdup is just that the invoice never left the truck.
The simplest fix is to get paid while you are still there. The invoice is already on your phone, so show it to the customer and let them pay it on theirs.
Step 1: make the invoice
When you finish a work order or a PM, the app offers CREATE INVOICE, with the hours and parts you logged already on it. You can also open Invoices & Receipts from the home screen, tap the green +, and use + ADD WORK OR RECEIPT to pull in the work and parts from that location.
Look it over, then tap CREATE INVOICE.
Step 2: show it or send it
If the customer is standing there, tap SHOW TO CUSTOMER. A QR code fills your screen. They point their phone camera at it and the invoice opens on their phone. From there they can pay by card or bank, or you can switch the code to PAY WITH PAYPAL or PAY WITH VENMO, which opens those apps with the amount already filled in.
If they are not there, tap SEND TO CUSTOMER. It opens a text or email with a link to the invoice and a short message already written. They open the link and pay the same way.
They do not need an account or an app. They just see the invoice with your logo and a button to pay.
Step 3: getting the money
Card and bank payments go through Stripe into your own Stripe account, and from there to your bank. We never hold your money. When a customer pays, the invoice marks itself paid and your phone gets a notification.
PayPal and Venmo payments go straight to your own accounts, but the app cannot see them come in. When one does, open the invoice, tap + RECORD PAYMENT and pick PayPal or Venmo.
Once it is paid in full, the button changes to SEND RECEIPT, so the customer gets a paid receipt.
What it costs
Making invoices, sending them as a PDF, PayPal and Venmo, and recording payments are all free.
Taking card and bank payments needs Pro, and so does the invoice link and the SHOW INVOICE code, because the customer’s page reads the invoice from the cloud. On the free plan, SEND TO CUSTOMER sends the PDF instead.
Stripe charges its own fee on each card or bank payment. On top of that we take 0.5%, and never more than $10 on one payment.
| Invoice paid | Our fee |
|---|---|
| $150 | $0.75 |
| $600 | $3.00 |
| $2,000 | $10.00 (the most it ever is) |
| $8,000 | $10.00 |
Setting it up
You do this once. On the phone, go to Settings, then Company Profile. For PayPal and Venmo, type in your PAYPAL.ME USERNAME and VENMO USERNAME. For cards and bank, find ONLINE PAYMENTS (CARD OR BANK), agree to the terms and tap SET UP ONLINE PAYMENTS, and Stripe walks you through the rest. On the web dashboard it is SETTINGS & PAYMENTS on the Invoices page.
Stripe here is for businesses in the United States, and invoices are in US dollars.
- ▸ Want to leave a way to pay off one invoice? Use WAYS TO PAY ON THIS INVOICE.
- ▸ Want it off for every invoice? Use SHOW ON INVOICES in Company Profile.
What it does not do
It does not connect to QuickBooks or Xero. It cannot see PayPal or Venmo payments on its own. And it does not send bills on a schedule; someone still makes each invoice.
Try it on yourself first
Make a small invoice and pay it from a second phone, so you know exactly what your customer sees.
Add your PayPal or Venmo
Settings, Company Profile, then PAYPAL.ME USERNAME or VENMO USERNAME. On Pro, tap SET UP ONLINE PAYMENTS for cards and bank.
Make a small invoice
Open Invoices & Receipts, tap +, add one line and tap CREATE INVOICE.
Show it
Tap SHOW TO CUSTOMER and scan the code with another phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the customer need the app?
No. They scan a code or open a link, see the invoice in their browser, and pay.
Where does a card payment go?
Into your own Stripe account, then to your bank on Stripe’s schedule. We never hold it.
What is the fee?
Stripe’s own fee, plus 0.5% to us, never more than $10 on one payment. Card and bank payments need Pro. PayPal and Venmo have no fee from us.
Do I have to mark the invoice paid?
Not for card or bank payments; that happens on its own and you get a notification. PayPal and Venmo you mark with RECORD PAYMENT.
Can I use PayPal and Venmo on the free plan?
Yes. They print on the invoice PDF, and SHOW TO CUSTOMER can show a PayPal or Venmo code on any plan.
Does it work with QuickBooks?
No, there is no QuickBooks or Xero connection.
Jonathan Curtis
HVAC Technician & Founder · Equipment Tracker Pro
Jonathan Curtis is an HVAC technician and the founder of Equipment Tracker Pro. He built the app to solve real problems he encountered in the field, including the daily frustration of faded nameplates and administrative double-entry.
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