HoneyBook's raison d'etre is to make the process of booking clients easier for you and easier for them, and the payment process is a huge part of the experience.
That's why we offer several payment options, so you can decide what works best for your business. And since clients are like snowflakes, and no two are quite the same, you can change your payment options on a file-by-file basis.
PLEASE NOTE: Payment settings can be set on the template level, or adjusted on a file-by-file basis when sharing a smart file with a client.
This article references smart files, our newest file experience offering more power and customization than ever. Click here to learn more about smart files and add them to your account!
To edit the payment options on a smart file with an invoice:
1. From within your file, navigate to the payment page, then click the outline of the payment area to open the settings sidebar.
2. Here, you can adjust:
Payment method: Choose whether your clients can pay by credit card, bank transfer, or either. Most members leave both options on, so their clients can decide.
Autopay: Automatically charge clients on the due dates set in the payment schedule. You can toggle required autopay on, which will require clients to opt in to autopay before they’re able to submit payment to you. If toggled off, clients won’t be required to opt in to automatic payments, but they’ll still have the option to. Your client will need to agree to this before autopay takes effect.
Gratuity: Allow your client the option to add gratuity/tip to their payments.
PLEAES NOTE: At the moment, we cannot process ACH bank transfers for Canada-based members—only credit card payments can be accepted for these accounts at the moment. We're hoping to expand this functionality in the future, though!
3. When your client receives the file and proceeds to the payment options, they'll now be able to make their payment using whatever settings you saved. Here's what the process looks like for them!
PLEASE NOTE: When a client enters their payment information and clicks Pay, the first payment in the payment schedule will process immediately, even if this occurs before the payment due date. This also applies if autopay is turned on (by you or the client); if the client enters their payment information before the first payment due date, the initial payment will process immediately, and future payments set to autopay will automatically process on the set due dates.
If a client makes a payment via ACH bank transfer, that payment will need to fully process (with the payment status moving from processing to paid in HoneyBook) before a subsequent payment can be made. This may take 7-8 business days, so be aware of this when creating your payment schedule.
Want to learn more?
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!