Skip to main content

Client payment methods, security, and transaction fee guidelines in HoneyBook

Learn how clients can pay in HoneyBook, what payment types are supported, and how to handle transaction fees securely and legally

Updated over a week ago

HoneyBook provides your clients with multiple secure ways to pay invoices, including credit cards and ACH bank transfers. These flexible payment options help ensure fast, easy transactions and keep your billing process professional and organized.

🔥 Stop

For security and compliance reasons, you can’t make a payment on behalf of your client, nor can you edit or remove their stored credit or debit card information in HoneyBook. All payment actions must be initiated directly by the client.

This ensures that clients maintain full control of their financial information and helps HoneyBook remain compliant with payment processing regulations.


Supported payment types in HoneyBook

HoneyBook currently supports the following payment methods for clients:

Cash or check

Your client pays you outside of HoneyBook

ACH or bank transfer

  • Your client enters their bank details at checkout

  • Payments made using bank transfer take longer to process, but have lower transaction fees than credit card payments

Cardholder-initiated transaction (CIT)

Your client pays using a credit card

Card-on-file (COF) transaction

  • Your client pays using a credit card where the card details were previously saved

  • Your client makes a payment through autopay

  • Your client can edit or remove their credit card anytime

You can adjust your clients' payment options on a file-by-file basis, by learning how to set and check client payment methods. Also, learn more about accepted credit cards and banks for client payments.

Payment receipts and card details

After a client completes a payment, HoneyBook automatically sends them a payment confirmation email with a link to the receipt. For improved transparency and accounting purposes, the last 4 digits of the card used are included on the receipt. This helps both you and your client verify which card was used—especially helpful for recordkeeping, expense tracking, and reconciliation.


Handling transaction fees in client invoices

Currently, HoneyBook doesn’t support automatic surcharging, meaning there’s no built-in feature to automatically pass payment processing fees on to your clients.

However, if permitted in your region and under the applicable card network rules, it may be possible to manually add a surcharge as a line item in your invoice to help offset transaction costs.

Important considerations

  • Surcharging laws vary by country, state, or province

  • Card networks like Visa or Mastercard have specific rules governing whether and how surcharges may be applied

  • Professional legal advice is strongly recommended before implementing any form of surcharge to ensure full compliance

Best practices

  • If you're considering passing along transaction fees, transparently label the line item in the invoice, for example, “Credit card processing fee”

  • Always disclose the fee to the client before payment to avoid confusion or disputes

  • Regularly review local laws and card brand regulations to ensure you’re in compliance with evolving policies


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!