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What you will accomplish

You will use the Billing Setup area on a customer’s detail page to prepare them for invoices and recurring charges—without hunting through multiple settings screens. Use this guide when you need to:
  • Add a customer to payment processing so you can charge or save a card on file.
  • See whether they already have a payment method saved.
  • Review invoice and fee settings tied to that customer.
This guide is about customers who pay your facility. For outside providers you pay, use Work with vendor contacts.
Outcome you are working towardWhen billing is set up correctly, your team can send an invoice or start recurring storage—and the customer can pay online or keep a card on file. This guide gets the customer record ready for that moment.

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Before you start

  • The customer exists in Contacts.
  • Payment processing is connected for your facility in Settings > Billing (an admin task).
  • The customer’s email is correct if they will add a payment method through the portal or a payment link.
If billing is not set up for your facilityYou may see a message that billing is not set up yet, with a link to Settings > Billing. An admin must connect payment processing before customer-level billing tools appear. You can still create customer records and send manual invoices outside the app until then.Until payment processing is connected, Billing Setup may show Billing isn’t set up yet instead of Add to Stripe. The screenshot below shows a customer record when billing tools are available—your screen may look slightly different until an admin finishes setup.

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Open Billing Setup on the customer page

1

Open the customer record

Go to All Contacts, find the customer, and open their detail page.Expected result: You see sections such as Personal & Contact, Cars, and Activity Feed.
2

Find Billing Setup

Scroll to the Billing Setup section on the right side of the page (below Activity Feed on wide screens).Why this matters: Keeping billing next to the customer record helps your team confirm “payment on file” while you are already talking to that person on the phone.
3

Read the status at a glance

The top line in Billing Setup tells you whether this customer is ready for online payments. Look for phrases like Customer not in Stripe, a saved payment method, or Billing isn’t set up yet.Expected result: You know in one glance whether you can invoice this customer online today or need an admin to finish facility setup first.
Customer page showing Billing Setup on the right with Billing isn't set up yet and a Set up billing button, plus Customer's Cars and Portfolio Value on the left
When payment processing is not connected yet, Billing Setup says Billing isn’t set up yet and shows Set up billing. Cars and Portfolio Value still work while an admin finishes billing.
Billing Setup section on a customer detail page showing payment processing status and Add to Stripe button
After your facility connects payments, the same section can show Add to Stripe or a saved payment method instead of the set-up prompt.

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What you might see in Billing Setup

The section changes depending on your facility setup and this customer’s status:
If your facility is still setting up paymentsUntil an admin connects payment processing in Settings > Billing, Billing Setup may show Billing isn’t set up yet with a Set up billing link instead of Add to Stripe. You can still create customer records and prepare their email address—you will return here after facility setup is complete.

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Add the customer to payment processing

If the section says the customer is not in Stripe (or payment processing):
1

Click Add to Stripe

In Billing Setup, click Add to Stripe.Expected result: The button may show Adding… for a few seconds while the system creates a billing profile for this customer.
2

Confirm the section updates

After success, the section should show payment method tools instead of the empty state.Why this matters: Invoices and recurring charges need this link before the customer can pay online or save a card on file.
3

Check the customer list shortcut (optional)

You can also review customers from the All Contacts table when payments are enabled—look for Add to Stripe on a row. Both paths do the same thing.
All Contacts table showing six customers including Alex Morgan at Morgan Collection LLC, with Search, Filters and settings, Report, and Create New Customer
All Contacts is helpful when your manager asks who still needs to be added to payment processing. Open a row to see Billing Setup on the detail page.Expected result: The row no longer shows Add to Stripe after the customer is linked.
Same action, two placesAdd to Stripe on the contacts list is a shortcut when you are reviewing many customers. Billing Setup on the detail page is best when you are already editing that customer’s record.

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How payment methods get saved

Once the customer is linked to payment processing, a payment method can be added in three common ways. Your facility may use one or all of them:
1

Customer adds a card in the portal

Invite the customer to the portal (see Invite a customer to the portal). When billing is turned on for the customer app, they can add a card or bank account under Billing in the portal.Why this matters: The customer enters their own payment details securely—you do not need to handle card numbers over the phone.
Customer portal Billing page where a customer can view invoices and add a payment method
When your facility enables billing in the customer app, customers can add a payment method themselves under Billing in the portal.
2

Customer pays an invoice link

When you send an invoice with Send and collect customer payments, the customer can pay through the link. They may choose to save their payment method for next time.Expected result: The payment appears in Payments history on the customer record and in Payments.
3

Staff records payment in person (if enabled)

If your facility uses Tap to Pay or similar in-person tools, a team member with permission can save a payment method while the customer is on site.Expected result: The saved method appears in Billing Setup on the customer page.
Expected result: Saved methods appear in Billing Setup and in the Customer Report under Payment Method when that column is enabled.
Where to look after a customer paysIf a customer asks “Did my payment go through?” check Payments history on their customer page first, then open the invoice in Payments > Invoices. Review customer activity and history also shows recent billing events on the timeline.

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Invoice billing and fee settings

Below Billing Setup, you may see additional sections when payments are enabled for your facility:
Creating the invoice itselfThis guide prepares the customer for billing. To build the invoice line items, open Create an invoice.

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Quick check before month-end billing

Use this short checklist when your manager asks who is ready to be charged:
  • Customer has a correct email on their record.
  • Billing Setup shows they are linked to payment processing (not “Customer not in Stripe”).
  • A payment method is saved, or you plan to send a payment link with the invoice.
  • Cars and recurring charges are linked to the right customer—see Manage recurring billing.
For a facility-wide view, open the Customer Report and enable the In Stripe and Payment Method columns.

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Troubleshooting

Add to Stripe fails or spins foreverCheck that payment processing is connected in Settings > Billing. Confirm the customer has a valid email. Try again after a minute; if it still fails, ask an admin to review the payment connection.
I only see Set up billing, not Add to StripeYour facility has not finished payment setup yet. An admin needs to connect payment processing first. You can still add customers and prepare their records while waiting.
Customer paid but Billing Setup looks emptyRefresh the page. If they paid through a one-time link without saving a method, you may see the payment in Payments history or Payments instead of a saved card.
Wrong person linked to chargesStop and open the correct customer record. Move cars and invoices to the right person before taking more payments. See Link cars and documents to a customer and Handle duplicate or merged customer records.

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What to do next