5 Ways To Accept Payments Online in 2025

Online commerce has become essential in business, from making service reservations to placing digital product orders. Modern businesses are increasingly adopting digital payment methods, such as credit cards, digital wallets, and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services, as alternatives to traditional cash and check transactions. Being able to accept payments online is key to staying competitive in today’s market, as adapting to modern customer demands includes providing fast, secure, convenient payments. 

A robust online payment system that offers multiple customer payment options is essential for all types of business and helps you get paid faster, as customers are more likely to pay their invoices immediately when there’s a clickable link to a variety of payment options and recurring invoices are more effective when autocharge is enabled. In this article, we’ll explore the different ways you can accept online payments so you can find the best fit for your company.

Key Takeaways

• To stay competitive, online businesses must embrace digital payments like credit cards, digital wallets, and BNPL.
• Offering various payment methods increases customer convenience and encourages faster payments.
• Integrating payment options directly into invoices, such as “Pay Now” buttons, speeds up the collection process.
• Automating recurring payments for subscriptions streamlines both customer and business operations.
• Checkout Links Enhance Accessibility: Shareable checkout links provide easy access to payment pages across various platforms.

Table of Contents

• Invoicing and Billing
• Recurring Billing
• Mobile Payments
• QR Code Payments
• Checkout Links
• How to Accept Payments Online With FreshBooks
• FAQs on Accepting Online Payments

Explore different solutions you can use to accept payments online and learn which systems are the best fit for your small business.

1. Invoicing and Billing

Especially for service-based businesses, online invoicing and billing with a “pay now” option is a quick and convenient way to manage your payments and get faster payments. You can send an electronic invoice to your client and include a payment button right in the email, which will encourage them to pay faster, while providing them with a convenient, secure way to pay their invoices.

Invoicing software like FreshBooks lets you send invoices and receive payments through one quick, secure, and easy system, with clickable links to encourage faster customer bill payments.

2. Recurring Billing

If you offer a subscription-based product or service, recurring billing is a helpful way to encourage customers to pay on time. You can either send a new invoice each month or a friendly email reminder that an upcoming payment is due. They can then pay through checkout or payment links on the invoice or opt to pay through text, over the phone, or through a virtual terminal.  

Alternatively, you can opt for automatic recurring billing, which directly charges a customer’s credit card or bank account. You’ll have to secure customer consent for this (which can be withdrawn at any time), but this system is convenient for customers who don’t want to manage a bill each month. FreshBooks software streamlines your recurring billing processes. By creating recurring templates, you can automate the generation of invoices based on your preferred frequency, saving you time and effort. This ensures consistent billing and eliminates the need for manual creation. Furthermore, FreshBooks offers  Advanced Payments, allowing you to securely store client credit card information. This facilitates faster payments and provides added convenience for both you and your clients.

3. Mobile Payments

Mobile payments using near-field communication (NFC) are a convenient way for customers to pay on the go. They can input credit card and debit card information into their mobile device, make a payment by tapping their enabled card or device, and receive a receipt instantly via email. 

Having a payment system that’s compatible with mobile payments helps open up great potential for your small business.

4. QR Code Payments

While not a payment method itself, a QR code can be used to direct a customer to a secure payment gateway or page. The customer scans the QR code with their smartphone, which then redirects them to a payment gateway or a mobile payment option like a digital wallet page.

QR codes are convenient if you have a physical advertisement and want customers to be able to access an online payment page to complete the sale quickly.

5. Checkout Links

Checkout links are unique, reusable links in the form of a URL, QR code, or payment button on a website or social media page that allow multiple customers to pay upfront for goods and services. All they have to do is click or scan the link, and it’ll take them to the checkout page, where they can enter their payment details and make a purchase.

How to Accept Payments Online With FreshBooks

FreshBooks Payments powered by Stripe offers payment processing, supporting multiple payment methods, including credit cards, ACH bank transfers, and digital wallets to seamlessly pay single and recurring invoices. This simplifies financial management and enhances your small business’s cash flow. It integrates into other FreshBooks financial management and accounting software, providing a simplified way to get paid faster and track where your money goes.

Learn more about the different ways you can receive payment online with FreshBooks and the advantages of offering a variety of payment systems for your customers.

Accept Credit Cards Online

FreshBooks makes it easy for online businesses to accept credit card payments online with no extra set-up required. This gives your customers more ways to pay and can help you grow your business by reaching new customers. The option to click directly on the invoice to make a payment also increases the chances of being paid, and the speed at which clients submit payment. 

Clients can use a credit card to pay their invoice, and the money is then deposited in your account in about two business days. You pay a small fee for the transaction, which is standard for online payment processing. The advantage of FreshBooks is that it automatically tracks these transaction fees in your Expenses so you can easily organize your business taxes.

Recurring Payments and Auto-bills

FreshBooks invoicing and payment processing software gives you an easy way to manage recurring billing. Just set up a Recurring Profile for a client in your FreshBooks account, and then FreshBooks will take care of sending out the recurring invoice.

FreshBooks can also send payment reminders to prompt clients to follow up on invoices you’ve already sent.

Accept International Currencies

Expand your business overseas with FreshBooks payment’s ability to accept international currencies. FreshBooks Payments lets customers pay with credit cards from over 195 countries. It’s quick, easy, and accurate, and saves you and your customers the hassle of keeping track of exchange rates.

Bank Transfer (ACH)

When your clients want to pay by direct deposit or eCheck, ACH bank transfers offer a convenient and secure option. You can either provide clients with your banking details online payment form and they can initiate the transfer, or you can give them a void check and they can use that to send the bank transfer.

FreshBooks makes it easy for clients to use ACH bank transfers to pay their invoices. Although ACH bank transfers generally take slightly longer than other methods like credit card payments, offering your clients multiple options can encourage them to pay by letting them use the system that’s most convenient for them.

Checkout Links

Checkout links are a quick and versatile way to bring customers to the payment page. You can create a unique checkout link for products and share it on your website, in texts and emails, and on social media. When the customer clicks the link, they’ll have the option to pay by credit card or bank transfer. For example, you can add a clickable link directly on the invoice you’re emailing a client or include a QR code on your bill or website for easier payment. 

Checkout links let you skip over the invoicing process and go straight to payments, saving you and your customers time and energy. It can also encourage people to make purchases since it’s easy to share your link anywhere and pay from anywhere with an internet connection.

PayPal

PayPal is easy, secure, and has the advantage of being widely known by many customers. You can connect FreshBooks to PayPal and use PayPal to accept online payments on your invoices.

PayPal lets customers pay from their PayPal account balance or directly from their bank account. There’s usually a processing time of a few days for the money to reach your business bank account, but it’s quick and easy for the customer to pay. PayPal also lets you accept a variety of currencies from 202 countries without any set-up fees or monthly fees.

WePay

WePay is a digital payment processor that lets you accept credit, debit, and ACH bank transfer payments online. It syncs with FreshBooks so you can easily accept a variety of payments on your FreshBooks invoices and import the payment details for your financial records. WePay is simple for customers to use and secure for financial information.

Stripe

Stripe is another convenient payment processor that connects to FreshBooks. It’s especially versatile in that it supports a variety of currencies as well as accepts major credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets like ApplePay. It’s quick and easy and meets rigorous security standards for online payments.

Stripe offers different transaction fees for different types of payments like online transactions and international card transactions. By syncing with FreshBooks, these transaction fees are automatically imported and categorized as Expenses for convenient business tax filing.

Advanced Payments Option

The advanced payments option lets you manage things like recurring billing and subscription-based payments to streamline the customer experience. Set up customer profiles with information for recurring bills or save customer credit card information so they can pay even more quickly next time. You can also manage features like automation to save you time and money on your billing process.

Get Started Accepting Online Payments Today

Accepting payments online is key to expanding your customer base and growing your small business. Online payments offer customers a quick and easy way to pay for products and services. The more payment options you offer, the easier it is for customers to make a purchase.

FreshBooks payments give you a variety of ways to accept online payments. Make the most of credit and debit card payments, bank transfers, digital wallets, and more. FreshBooks also automatically logs any transaction fees as an expense so it’s easier than ever to manage your business taxes. Try FreshBooks free to get started with online payments today.

FAQs on Accepting Online Payments

Looking for even more information about how to accept payments online? Explore FreshBooks online payment methods, online payment security, setting up online payments, and more.

What online payment options does FreshBooks offer?

FreshBooks offers multiple ways to accept online payments: you can accept digital wallets like ApplePay as well as major credit cards. FreshBooks also syncs with Stripe to support pre-authorized debit payments online.

How secure are online payments?

FreshBooks meets industry compliance standards for secure online payments. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Standard is the common security standard for measuring things like credit card payments online. Both FreshBook’s partners WePay/Chase and Stripe meet strict PCI standards.

How can I accept credit card payments online?

You can accept credit card payments online with FreshBooks payment software. FreshBooks makes it easy to accept major credit cards with no set-up needed. You can also sync with Stripe for even more ways to accept online payments.

How do I set up online payments for my small business?

The easiest way to set up online payments is by using clickable links or QR codes through payment processing software. The simplest way to accept online payments for your small business is through FreshBooks Payments. FreshBooks simplified the application process so you can accept online payments in minutes.

What is the easiest way to accept card payments online?

The easiest way to receive payments online, including credit and debit card payments, is with a payment service provider like Freshbooks. Freshbooks simplified the application process, so you can start accepting different credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay, and Google Pay in minutes and transfer the funds directly to your bank account.

How can I receive payment without a bank?

Some payment processors and service providers like PayPal allow you to accept payments without linking a bank account. You’ll need to sign up and create an account, where you can then receive money when customers pay you online.

What is the most secure way to receive payment online?

The most secure way to receive online payments is to use a certified payment service provider. This includes things like PayPal and Stripe which meet strict security compliance. FreshBooks syncs with these 2 payment processing providers to deliver a secure online payment system.

How do small businesses receive payments?

Small businesses can receive payments in a variety of ways: credit cards, debit cards, ACH bank transfers, and mobile wallets are all popular options. FreshBooks lets you accept payments online securely on your invoices so you can easily manage your small business billing and payments from one easy system.

Is there any free payment gateway?

There are no completely free payment gateways. Some offer no set-up fees or monthly costs, but they tend to charge higher transaction fees; others require a full monthly fee or subscription but charge lower fees per transaction.

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