How To Accept Credit Card Payments in Proposals

Ask our CEO what’s the most challenging step after a client signs a proposal and he’ll tell you – getting paid. 

The client reads the proposal, asks a few questions, and after agreeing on the terms, they sign. 

But then they have to log in to their banking app, choose the credit card, fill in the details, etc. 

On mobile devices, it also means they have to exit the proposal to use the payment app. 

Long story short, it can take a while until the client sends money. 

Our own research shows that in 2019, the average time it took our users to collect payments was 12 hours. 

Then, in 2021, we managed to cut that time to 6 hours on average. 

How did we do that?

By giving our users an option to accept credit cards directly from the proposal through Stripe or PayPal.

Integrate Stripe

Better Proposals makes it easier for you to get paid by integrating Stripe into our digital proposal templates.

It’s quite easy actually:

• Step 1

First, you need to connect your Stripe account. Open the Better Proposals dashboard and click Settings > Integrations in the sidebar menu. Once you get there, you’ll see all kinds of software categories. Find Stripe under Payment integrations.

• Step 2 

Click the pink Connect Stripe button and follow the instructions to log into your account. 

• Step 3

When you log in, you’ll be automatically redirected to a page where you get confirmation that you’ve connected to your account.

Integrate PayPal

You can just as easily Integrate PayPal in Better Proposals:

• Step 1 

On the proposal Dashboard, click Settings > Integrations and choose PayPal.

• Step 2

Open https://developer.paypal.com/, click the login button in the top right, and log in with your PayPal account. 

• Step 3

Click My Apps & Credentials and scroll down until you see Rest API Apps. 

• Step 4

If you already use an app for your business, click on it. In other cases, click Create App and give it a name. It can be your business name. 

• Step 5

On the details page of the app, flip the toggle from Sandbox to Live and copy the contents of the Client ID box. Make sure that you’re using the Live Client ID, as the integration won’t work with the Sandbox. 

• Step 6

Click the Connect PayPal button below, paste in your Client ID and click the button to update it. 

• Step 7

When your account connects, you’ll be automatically redirected to a page that confirms you’ve connected to your account.

How to accept a payment?

As you’re creating your proposal, you can choose the type of payment you want to take and it will automatically offer your clients to make the payment with their credit card the moment they sign the proposal. 

You can choose to accept:

• Fixed amount

• % of the one-off total

• One-off total

• One-off total plus the first month

This way you can prompt your clients to make payments very quickly. 

Why?

Because it’s so much easier for them. There’s no need to use another app or bother with all the details.

Everything is streamlined and connected to the previous steps.

You only need to choose the message they get and the amount. The client pays with their credit card and the money goes straight into your Stripe or PayPal account. 

When they pay, you’ll see this page and get an email telling you that the client has paid.

Start a subscription

If you’re selling a service, you may want to charge the client for ongoing fees they have agreed to. 

Select the approved document and on the right-hand side click Start Subscription.

You can choose to put your client on any existing Stripe or PayPal plan, choose when the subscription starts, and even include necessary taxes.

Finally, confirm that you’re OK with the details and you’re all set. 

Extra tips – to make payments run smoothly 

Here are several recommendations that can reduce the risk of customer complaints and disputes, as recommended by credit card networks.  

Make sure that your website contains:

• Description of what you’re selling. Especially for physical goods, plenty of pictures and information about the product details. 

• Customer service contact information. This includes direct communication channels such as email addresses and phone numbers, as well as live chat – also available as an integration. 

• Your fulfillment policies. When purchasing from you, customers need to know 

1. Under what conditions they can receive a refund, 
2. When and how do you ship goods, 
3. Under what conditions they can return the goods, and 
4. How can they cancel subscriptions? 

• Your website privacy policy. When they sign and agree to pay with a credit card, customers love to know that you comply with privacy laws and have it specified how you protect, use, or disclose their data. 

• The logos of the credit cards you accept. Maintain a low-friction checkout process by displaying the brand logos of the credit card companies that you accept. This way customers can instantly know that you accept their preferred card.

Why should you accept credit card payments in proposals?

Improves the client experience

Flexible payment options that include credit cards and cardless payments, allow you to provide a better experience for your clients. Many clients prefer to pay with credit cards due to their convenience and speed.

More sales

When you accept more payment options, you automatically attract new clients, which improves your sales. If you sell products, the relation between credit cards and a boost in sales is direct. A study has shown that people are likely to spend 12-18% more when using credit cards. 

Increases cash flow

Checks can take between five and ten business days to clear through your bank. In comparison, credit card payments are processed much quicker – the money can appear in your business bank account within a day or two.

Saves time

Credit card processors like Stripe and PayPal allow you to accept credit card payments with a few clicks.

Improves payment security

With credit card options, your business has less cash on hand, which cuts the risk of theft or loss. Although there is some security risk with accepting credit cards, in many cases fraud charges are easily recovered if you go through a merchant service provider. Understanding credit card data breach statistics is crucial in recognizing the patterns and taking proactive measures to protect your client's sensitive information. To optimize these efforts, integrating identity theft protection strategies can significantly enhance security. 

Provides reporting 

Finally, most credit payment processors offer rich sales reports based on your transitions. This allows you to gather useful data about the types of payment clients use, how long it takes them to pay, and the average amount your business receives.

Wrapping up

By enabling credit card payments in your proposals, you’re filling in the missing piece for a 100% seamless transaction process. 

Your clients will have it easier paying you, which boosts your sales and improves customer experience. 

The time of DOC and PDF proposals has gone forever. 

With our digital proposals, you can set the credit card option up in a matter of minutes. 

Start a free trial today and you’ll quickly realize why thousands of businesses have chosen to automate their sales with Better Proposals.