Take and process payments in QuickBooks Online with QuickBooks Payments

Learn how to accept electronic customer payments for online invoices and in-person sales.

QuickBooks Payments allows you to add links to invoices so customers can pay online. Customers can pay with PayPal, Venmo, credit card, or ACH bank transfer. All they have to do is follow the link in the email. You can also process payments in person or over the phone.

To watch more how-to videos, visit our video section.

If you don’t use QuickBooks Payments, here's how to record credit card payments processed outside QuickBooks.

Note: Check the QuickBooks Payments website for the latest plans and check out our guide to QuickBooks Payments fees. If you're a ProAdvisor, see how you can qualify for lower payment rates.

Step 1: Sign up or connect an existing QuickBooks Payments account

If you haven't already, sign up for QuickBooks Payments.

Or, if you already have a QuickBooks Payments account, follow these steps to connect your existing account to QuickBooks Online.

Step 2: Set up your account so customers can pay invoices online

Set your company preferences

First, set up your account settings for invoice payments:

1. Go to Settings ⚙.
2. Select Account and settings, and select Sales.
3. Under Invoice payments, select Edit ✎, then select the payment options you want.
4. Select Save.
5. Select Done.

Set your payment options directly on the invoice

You can choose how to receive payment on each invoice you send. If you change them on one invoice, this will only affect the invoice you change and won’t affect the company preferences.

Step 3: Process payments in QuickBooks Online

Now you're ready to get paid. Follow the steps based on how you received the payment:

Process payments for sales receipts

If customers come into your business, you don't need to send them an invoice. Instead, create a sales receipt:

1. Select + New.
2. Select Sales receipt or Make a sale, then fill out the customer info.
3. Add a product or service to sell.
4. From the Payment method dropdown, select Credit Card.
   Note: For a check: make sure you get a signed authorization form. This lets customers permit you to debit their accounts.
5. Select Enter credit card details.
6. Enter the credit card info or select Swipe Card.
   Optional: To save this customer's credit card, select Use this credit card in the future.
7. Select Save or Use this info.
8. Select Got it, then select Save and close or Save and new.

If you add the customer's email address, QuickBooks sends them a copy of the sales receipt.

Process payments for invoices

If you sent a customer an invoice but they wish to pay in-person, you have a few options. Ask them to follow the link in the email and finish paying for the invoice online.

Or process the payment for them and match it to their existing invoice:

1. Select + New.
2. Select Receive payment.
3. Enter the customer name and payment date.
4. In the Outstanding Transactions section, select an open invoice to apply the payment. To take a partial payment, change what's in the PAYMENT  field.
5. From the Payment method dropdown, select Credit Card.
   Note: For a check: make sure you get a signed authorization form. This lets customers permit you to debit their accounts.
6. Select Enter credit card details.
7. Enter the credit card info or select Swipe Card.
   Optional: To save this customer's credit card, select Use this credit card in the future.
8. Select Save or Use this info.
9. Select Got it, then select Save and close or Save and new.

Learn more about using your payments account in QuickBooks.

Step 4: Learn about deposit times for customer payments

After you process payments, QuickBooks puts the money in your bank account. It uses the bank account you picked when you signed up for QuickBooks Payments. The time it takes to get the money into your bank account depends on your product and payments plan. Learn more about deposit times for QuickBooks Payments. Note: If you're new to payments, your first payments may take a bit longer while we set up your accounts. Going forward, customer payments process much faster.