Payment setup (Stripe)

Connecting Stripe to Accept Online Payments

Stripe integration lets your clients pay invoices online via a secure payment link — no manual bank transfer chasing required. This setup is for any CaterCloud account owner who wants to collect card payments directly through their quotes and invoices.

Where to Find It

Go to Settings → Payments. If neither Stripe nor Square is connected yet, you'll see a first-time guidance panel walking you through your options.

How to Connect Stripe

1. On the Settings → Payments page, locate the Stripe section.
2. Click the Connect with Stripe button.
3. A Stripe onboarding window will open (either as a popup or a new tab). Complete the steps Stripe asks for — business details, bank account, identity verification.
4. Once you finish and close the Stripe window, CaterCloud will automatically detect the completed connection and reload the page.
5. You'll see Stripe's status update to reflect that your account is connected and ready to accept payments.

What Changes After Connecting

• Payment links on invoices — CaterCloud can now generate a secure, hosted payment link your clients click to pay by card.
• Default payment processor — If you also have Square connected, a toggle will appear letting you choose which processor is used by default for new payment links.

Optional: Card Surcharge

Once Stripe is connected, you can enable a Card surcharge on the same page. This adds a small percentage fee to card payments to help cover your processing costs. Clients see the total before they pay. Bank transfers and manual payments are never affected.

To configure it:

1. Check Add a surcharge to card payments.
2. Enter a Surcharge rate (0–10%; Stripe's typical rate is around 1.75%).
3. If your business is GST-registered, you can opt to include GST within the surcharge.
4. Click Save surcharge settings.

A live preview shows the exact amount a client would pay on a $500.00 example invoice.

> Tip: Only charge up to what your bank or processor actually charges you — check your Stripe fee schedule before setting a surcharge rate.