When a client pays an invoice, we recommend collecting the payment with Dubsado Payments as your main payment processor. Dubsado Payments is powered by Stripe, so your payments are protected by Stripe's security and compliance practices, while our Customer Care team is still here to help you along the way.

Setting up Dubsado Payments happens in one continuous flow: you start the connection in Dubsado, then finish Stripe's onboarding in a new tab. We recommend completing it in one sitting. If you're still comparing payment processors to figure out which one is right for you, our processor comparison guide walks through the differences.

Go to Invoicing ➔ Payment settings, or Settings ➔ Payments. This page is available to Admin and Owner roles only.

On the Dubsado Payments card, click Get started. You'll be redirected to a new tab to complete Stripe's onboarding.

Stripe's onboarding leads you through creating (or logging in to) a Stripe account, then entering your business and personal details, linking a bank account, and setting up how your charges appear to clients.

To create a new Stripe account:

After you enter the verification code, your account is created. Stripe shows you an emergency backup code so you can still access your account if you lose your phone. Save this code somewhere safe.

Your business location auto-fills based on the country and currency you set in Dubsado.

For your type of business, choose either Individual or Company. Stripe's guidance on selecting a business type can help you decide which applies to you, or check our article on business types.

Under personal details, enter your full name, email, date of birth, home address, phone number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number, if prompted.

Stripe requires a website or social media profile. If your business is new, we recommend creating a professional social media profile to use here. You'll also write a product description. Include things like:

Next, add the bank account where you want your funds deposited. Payments stay in your Stripe account until funds are transferred to your bank account.

If your business is located in the United States, you can either:

Finally, set up how your charges look to clients and how they can reach you.

The Statement descriptor is how you want all charges to appear on your client's card statement. The Shortened descriptor is how charges appear when you add descriptors that change depending on the transaction, for example "Three Dubs * Web build," "Three Dubs * Logo Design," or "Three Dubs * SEO."

You'll also enter a customer support phone number and address. These are visible to clients on Stripe's client-facing documents, like invoices or receipts. If you don't want to share a personal phone number, we recommend using a business phone number, such as one from Google Voice.

A screen appears for you to review everything you've entered. Anything missing shows up as an error to fix. After you submit, you're redirected automatically back to Dubsado.

After you submit your information in Stripe, you're returned to Invoicing ➔ Payment settings or Settings ➔ Payments in Dubsado. The Dubsado Payments card shows a status badge letting you know where things stand. Connected, Pending verification, and Action required are the statuses you're most likely to see.

When your account shows Connected, the three-dot menu on the card gives you Visit Stripe and Disconnect options.

You can only use one of Dubsado Payments or Square as your card processor at a time. If you're already connected to Square, clicking Get started on the Dubsado Payments card opens a Connect Dubsado Payments confirmation dialog explaining that connecting will disconnect Square.

To confirm the switch, check I'm ready to connect, then click Connect. After you complete Stripe's onboarding, the card may briefly show Ready to connect with a Connect button, giving you control over exactly when Square is disconnected.

Yes. You can connect both PayPal and Dubsado Payments so your clients have multiple ways to pay.

No. You can use only one of Dubsado Payments or Square as your card processor at a time. PayPal can be added alongside either one.

Dubsado Payments is supported in a growing list of countries. Check our supported countries and currencies reference to see if your country is listed. If it isn't listed, Dubsado Payments isn't supported there yet, though more countries may be added over time.

You can edit your business information anytime from your Stripe Dashboard.

No. All card information and funds are securely stored with Stripe. Nothing is stored in Dubsado.

Open invoices aren't affected by connecting Dubsado Payments.

Yes. Use the same Stripe email address across workspaces. Each workspace gets its own separate Stripe Dashboard, and you can switch between them by clicking your logo in Stripe.

No. You can use an email already associated with a Stripe account, which lets you reuse business details you've previously entered, but Stripe always creates a new dashboard for use with Dubsado Payments. Pre-existing dashboards can't be used.

Log in to Stripe with the same email you started with. If you're able to view the newly created dashboard, you can pick up where you left off using the Visit Stripe option on your Dubsado Payments card. If you can't log in or see it, contact our Customer Care team to reset the connection. For the smoothest experience, complete onboarding in one sitting.

If you're already using Dubsado Payments and the connection looks stuck, open the three-dot menu on the Dubsado Payments card and click Disconnect. Refresh the page, then click Get started to reconnect and follow Stripe's prompts. Confirm the status changes to Connected. If it stays stuck, contact our Customer Care team.