How to take card payments in the field, at the end of the job

Why collect payment on site?

The best moment to get paid is when the customer is standing in front of the finished work. Every day after that, the invoice gets a little easier to forget. Collecting on site also means the tech can leave with the job closed out instead of adding it to the office's follow-up list.

This guide uses Stripe's documentation for its specific steps and requirements, because Stripe publishes them in detail. Other processors offer similar options; check their own docs for their versions. For the bigger picture on card versus bank payments, deposits and surcharges, see online payments for contractors.

What you'll need

• A payment processor account in the business's name, fully activated, with your bank account connected for payouts.
• A compatible phone for each tech who will take payments, or a card reader.
• Invoices or job totals the tech can see on site, ideally in your CRM's mobile app.
• A written rule for the crew on what to do when a payment fails or there's no signal.

Your three main options

Option 1: Set up tap to pay on a phone

Stripe's no-code option uses its Dashboard mobile app. Its requirements, as listed in Stripe's documentation:

• On iPhone: an iPhone XS or later, with a passcode set and signed into iCloud, running an iOS version Apple supports for Tap to Pay. Stripe's site says Tap to Pay on iPhone requires the latest iOS, and its developer docs say it won't work on beta releases.
• On Android: a supported device with NFC turned on.
• Location permission enabled for the app.

Stripe lists contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, as supported in this mode. The steps Stripe gives:

1. Open the Stripe Dashboard mobile app.
2. Tap the add (+) icon.
3. Select Charge a card or send an invoice.
4. Enter the amount.
5. Select Tap to Pay.
6. When the Tap to Pay symbol appears, ask the customer to tap their card or phone to your device, following the on-screen instructions, and wait for the confirmation screen.

Some contactless payments above certain amounts ask for a PIN. Stripe's developer docs say Tap to Pay on iPhone supports PIN entry on iOS 16.4 or later. If a card is declined or won't read, Stripe recommends using another method, such as a card reader or a payment link.

Option 2: Use a mobile card reader

A reader handles cards that can't be tapped and gives customers a familiar device to insert a chip card into. With Stripe, readers like the Stripe Reader M2 pair with a phone or tablet app over Bluetooth. Using a reader generally requires an app that supports it, either your field software or a custom integration, so check before you buy.

1. Confirm your CRM or field app supports the reader model.
2. Order the reader and register it to your account, assigned to a location.
3. Pair it with each tech's phone and charge it nightly with the phone.
4. Run a test payment in test mode before taking a real card.

Stripe's documentation says its Terminal SDK can store payments while offline and forward them automatically when the connection returns, on supported readers. Its no-code options do not support offline payments, and Tap to Pay on Android doesn't support offline mode. A stored offline payment can still be declined when it's forwarded, so treat offline mode as a backup for small amounts, not a routine.

Option 3: Send a pay link or show a QR code

The simplest option: text or email the invoice with a payment link, or show a QR code the customer scans with their phone. Stripe's docs describe payment links that can be shared by text or email or shown as a QR code. This is the right fallback when the tap fails, when there's no signal at the house (the customer pays later on their own connection), and when the customer isn't home at the end of the job.

What does it cost?

Processing fees vary by processor and change over time, so read the current pricing page before you choose. As one example, Stripe's Terminal page listed, as of October 2026, 2.7% + 5¢ per successful in-person card transaction in the US, plus 10¢ per authorization for Tap to Pay, and listed the Stripe Reader M2 at $59. Compare that against what your field software's built-in payments charge, since many field service apps process cards through their own partner at their own rates.

Set rules for the crew

• Never write down card numbers. Not on a work order, not in a text, not in a photo. If a payment can't go through, send a pay link instead.
• Collect before leaving. Walk the customer through the finished work, then take payment while you're both standing there.
• Refunds go through the office. Stripe's ready-made apps have controls for this, such as a Terminal Operator role that can't issue refunds in the Stripe Terminal app, or a passcode for refunds in standalone mode.
• Receipts by email or text, automatically. Stripe notes that receipts from its ready-made apps are card-payment confirmations, not tax invoices, so your invoice still has to come from your billing system.
• Know the surcharge rules. If you add a fee for cards, card network rules and state law apply. Our online payments guide covers this.

Connect payments to your invoices

A payment taken in a standalone app shows up in the processor's dashboard, but your invoice in the CRM still says unpaid until someone matches them. With five jobs a day, that's a daily chore and a source of "you already paid?" mix-ups. The fix is to take payment from inside the invoice in your CRM or field app, so the payment marks the job paid, the receipt goes out, and the books match without anyone retyping amounts.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Personal payment apps. Payments land in a personal account, mixed with personal money. Fix: use a business processor account and keep payouts going to the business bank account.
• No backup plan. The phone won't read the card and the tech leaves without payment. Fix: pay link as the standard fallback.
• Out-of-date phones. Tap to pay depends on current operating systems. Fix: keep company phones updated and check before the busy season.
• Payments not matched to jobs. Fix: take payment from the invoice, not from a separate app.
• Untested setup. Fix: run a test payment on every new phone or reader before it goes on a truck.

Tips, deposits and partial payments

Decide these before the first job, not at the customer's door. If you accept tips, say so in your crew rules and check whether your setup supports them; Stripe's docs list on-reader tipping for its smart readers and standalone mode, but not for its mobile readers. If you take deposits on bigger jobs, collect them when the customer approves the quote, and make sure the final invoice shows the deposit as already paid so the tech collects only the balance.

Next steps

Open the processor account and run a test payment this week. Then decide whether the payment should live inside your field software. If customers pay monthly or you want a card on file for repeat work, read recurring service billing. When we build a custom CRM, payments are taken from the invoice on the tech's phone, so every payment closes out its job automatically.

Frequently asked questions