Faster Payment
How to Accept Online Payments as a Small Business
Short answer
Most small businesses should accept cards and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) through a payment link in every invoice, and offer ACH for larger B2B invoices. Card processors typically charge 2.6–2.9% + 30¢; ACH is usually under 1%.
Accepting online payments has shifted from 'optional' to 'essential' — the slowest-paying customers, by a wide margin, are the ones who still have to mail you a check. The question is not whether to accept online payments but which mix of methods to offer.
The payment methods to consider
Each option trades off speed, fee, and friction. Most small businesses end up offering 2–3 methods to cover different customer preferences.
| Method | Typical fee / speed |
|---|---|
| Credit & debit cards | 2.6–2.9% + 30¢ / 1–2 business days to deposit |
| Apple Pay & Google Pay | Same as card rates / same speed |
| ACH bank transfer | Often <1% or flat $1–3 / 3–5 business days |
| PayPal | ~3.5% + 49¢ / instant to PayPal balance, 1+ day to bank |
| Cash App / Venmo (business) | ~1.9% / next business day |
| Wire transfer | $15–30 flat / same day, manual reconciliation |
How to add payments to your invoicing
The lowest-effort path is to use your invoicing tool's built-in payment processor (often powered by Stripe or Square under the hood). Connecting takes a few minutes, the payment link is auto-added to every invoice, and the platform reconciles the payment back to the invoice automatically.
Alternatives include linking to your own Stripe/Square checkout, embedding a PayPal/Venmo/Cash App business handle in the invoice, or providing your own bank ACH details. The integrated approach is more expensive per transaction but typically pays back many times over in faster payment and saved reconciliation time.
What about the processing fees?
Some small businesses pass the card-processing fee to the customer (a 'surcharge'). This is legal in most U.S. states with disclosure requirements but creates friction and can hurt on-time payment rates. The more common practice is to bake processing fees into the price (raise prices 3% across the board) so customers see a single number and can pay however they want.
Frequently asked questions
Can I charge customers the card processing fee?
In most U.S. states, yes — credit-card surcharges are legal with proper disclosure. Debit-card surcharges remain illegal in all states. Surcharging is restricted or banned in a handful of states; check your state's law before enabling it.
Is ACH safer than credit cards?
ACH has lower fraud risk and lower fees than cards, but settlement is slower (3–5 business days vs 1–2). For large B2B invoices, ACH is usually the right choice; for small consumer invoices, cards win on speed and friction.
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Sources & further reading
Primary sources we consulted when writing and reviewing this guide.