How to take card payments on an invoice

To take card payments on an invoice you need two things: a payment gateway, which handles the card details and the authorisation, and a merchant account, which is where the money lands. Your invoicing tool puts a pay link on the invoice, the customer enters a card, and the funds settle to your merchant account under your own agreement with your acquirer.

The reason this matters more than it sounds is that many invoicing tools do it differently — they take the payment into their account and pay you later, minus a margin. Whether your tool is a payment intermediary or a payment initiator determines who holds your money and for how long.

What is the difference between a gateway and a merchant account?

A gateway is the technical layer: it collects card details securely, runs the authorisation, handles 3-D Secure, and returns a result. A merchant account is the banking layer: an account with an acquiring bank that can receive card settlements, opened in your business's name after underwriting.

Some providers sell both together and call the bundle one thing. Others separate them. Either way both exist, and both have to be in place before a card payment can reach you.

What actually happens when a customer pays an invoice by card?

1. The customer opens the invoice and clicks to pay.
2. They enter card details into a field hosted by the gateway — not by you. This matters for PCI scope: if card numbers never touch your systems, your compliance obligation is dramatically smaller.
3. The gateway runs 3-D Secure if the transaction requires it, which may redirect the customer to their bank to confirm.
4. The gateway requests authorisation from the issuer. This reserves the funds; it does not move them.
5. Capture moves the money. It may be immediate or later, depending on configuration.
6. Settlement deposits the funds into your merchant account, typically 1–3 working days later, net of fees.

The invoice is marked paid at capture, not at settlement — which is why a paid invoice and money in your bank are a couple of days apart.

What is 3-D Secure, and will it cost you sales?

3-D Secure is the step where the customer's bank confirms it is really them, usually via their banking app. In most of Europe it is mandatory for the majority of consumer transactions under Strong Customer Authentication rules.

It does add friction, and it does cause some abandonment. But it also shifts liability for fraudulent chargebacks from you to the issuer, which for invoice payments — often substantial amounts — is usually the trade you want.

Should you pass card fees on to the customer?

You can in some jurisdictions and not in others. Surcharging consumer cards is prohibited in the UK and EU, and restricted in various ways elsewhere; business cards are more often permitted.

Where it is allowed, weigh it against what it costs you in friction. A surcharge appearing at the moment of payment is one of the more reliable ways to make someone close the tab and pay by bank transfer next week instead.

Do you have to store the card to charge it again?

No, and you should never store it yourself. If you want repeat or one-click payments, the gateway vaults the card and gives you a token — a reference you can charge against without ever holding the number. Your customer sees "Visa ending 4242"; you hold a string that is useless to anyone else.

For invoicing this is the highest-leverage feature available. A customer with a saved card pays a subsequent invoice in one click, which does more for your collection times than any reminder schedule.

How this works here

Quantum Solutions Invoicing is a payment initiator, not an intermediary. You connect your own gateway, and settlement goes directly to your own merchant account — we never hold your funds, so there is no payout schedule and no second layer of fees. You can hold per-currency credentials where your gateway supports several. Your customers get a portal where they can save a card and pay in one click, and refunds go back to the original payment method.

The trade-off is honest: you need your own gateway. If you do not have one yet, that is a setup step involving underwriting, not a checkbox.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to accept card payments on an invoice? A payment gateway to handle the card details and authorisation, and a merchant account to receive the settled funds. Your invoicing tool then puts a pay link on the invoice.

How long does it take to receive money from a card payment? The invoice is marked paid when the payment is captured, usually within seconds. Settlement into your bank account typically follows 1–3 working days later, net of fees.

Is it safe to accept card payments through an invoice? Yes, provided card details are entered into a field hosted by your gateway rather than by you. That keeps card numbers out of your systems entirely and keeps your PCI compliance scope small.

Can I charge a customer's card again without asking them? Only with a stored payment method they have agreed to, held as a token by your gateway rather than as a card number by you, and only within the mandate they consented to.

Can I add a card fee to an invoice? It depends on the jurisdiction. Surcharging consumer cards is prohibited in the UK and EU and restricted elsewhere; business cards are more often permitted. Check local rules before adding one.