Invoicing & Payments
How do I set up Stripe Connect to accept payments?
Go to Settings > Billing > Connect Stripe. You'll be redirected to Stripe to log in or create a new account. Stripe asks for your business information, bank account details, and identity verification. Takes about 10 minutes.
Once connected, you accept credit card, debit card, and Apple Pay payments through your creavio invoices immediately. Your Stripe account belongs to you — if you ever leave creavio, you keep it. creavio never holds your money. Payments go directly from your client to Stripe to your bank account.
Manage payout schedules, bank accounts, and tax documents at dashboard.stripe.com anytime. See Stripe Fees for the full cost breakdown.
What are the payment processing fees?
Stripe's standard rates: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction. That's it.
Example: a client pays a $2,000 invoice by card. Stripe deducts $58.30. You receive $1,941.70. Fees are deducted automatically before the payout hits your bank account.
creavio takes no additional cut. No hidden fees. No per-invoice charges. No monthly payment processing minimums. The Stripe fee is the only fee. Many photographers build processing costs into their pricing so the math stays clean.
Can I send recurring invoices?
Yes. Create a standard invoice, toggle Recurring, and set the frequency: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or custom interval. Choose the number of occurrences or an end date.
creavio generates and sends each invoice on schedule. If the client has a card on file, enable auto-charge to collect automatically without the client clicking anything. Each recurring invoice shows as a separate line in your financial reports.
Pause, modify, or cancel a series anytime without affecting invoices already sent or paid. Useful for retainer clients, monthly content work, or subscription services. See Recurring Transactions for setup.
How do partial payments, deposits, and retainers work?
creavio supports flexible payment structures. When creating an invoice, open the Payment Schedule section and add milestones. Each milestone has its own amount and due date.
Example: 50% deposit at booking, 50% balance two weeks before the session. Or split a $3,000 wedding package into three payments of $1,000 each on specific dates. Clients see the full schedule and pay each installment as it comes due.
Automatic payment reminders go out before each milestone. Link a deposit to your booking workflow so the session only confirms once the deposit clears. Partial payments are tracked visually on the invoice — how much paid, how much remains. See Payment Plans.
Can I require a deposit to confirm a booking?
Yes. Under Settings > Session Types, set a required deposit per session type — flat fee or percentage. When a client books or you send a booking confirmation, the deposit invoice generates automatically.
Booking status stays pending until the deposit clears, then flips to confirmed and the session appears on your calendar. Deposit terms carry over to your contract templates automatically. The remaining balance can be invoiced separately or built into a payment schedule on the original invoice.
How does creavio handle taxes on invoices?
You configure tax rates. creavio doesn't calculate or remit taxes on your behalf — that varies by jurisdiction.
Under Settings > Payments > Tax, set a default rate (e.g., 6% sales tax) applied to new invoices automatically. Set different rates for different session types or line items if your jurisdiction taxes goods and services differently. Invoices show subtotal, tax amount, and total.
Revenue reports break down collected tax separately from service revenue for easy export to your accountant. Stripe issues a 1099-K for US photographers who meet the IRS threshold. Consult a tax professional for your specific obligations. See Sales Tax for configuration.
Can I invoice in multiple currencies?
Yes. 135+ currencies via Stripe. When creating an invoice, select the currency from the dropdown. The client sees and pays in their local currency.
Stripe converts and deposits in your payout currency (your bank account's currency) minus a ~1% foreign exchange fee on top of standard processing. Set a default currency under Settings > Payments > Currency and override per invoice for international clients. Available on all paid plans. Reports show revenue in your default currency with conversion rates applied at transaction time. See Multi-Currency.
How do automatic payment reminders work?
Configure under Settings > Payments > Reminders. Default schedule: 3 days before due, on due date, and 3 days after. Customize intervals, add more reminders, or disable entirely.
Each reminder email includes the amount, due date, and a direct pay link. Reminders use your branding so they feel like they're from you, not a billing system. For payment schedules with multiple milestones, reminders go out for each installment individually.
Send manual reminders anytime from the invoice detail page. Clients who already paid won't get reminders — the system checks payment status before sending. See Invoice Reminders.
Can I create packages with add-ons?
Yes. Go to Settings > Packages. Each package includes a name, description, price, and a list of deliverables (e.g., 2-hour session, 50 edited images, online gallery, 10 prints).
Packages display on your booking page for client self-selection. Add optional add-ons: extra hours, second photographer, album, etc. — each with its own pricing. When you invoice a package, all included items appear as line items.
Create as many packages as you need. Assign them to specific session types. Packages simplify pricing for clients and speed up your invoicing. See Session Types for setup.
What happens when a payment fails?
Both you and the client get notified immediately. The client receives an email with a link to update their payment method and retry. Invoice status changes to payment failed in your dashboard.
If auto-charge is enabled on a recurring invoice, Stripe automatically retries up to 4 times over the following days using a smart retry schedule. You can also manually retry from the invoice detail page. Failed payments don't generate fees — you only pay the Stripe processing fee when a payment succeeds.
Your payment reminder schedule continues running on failed invoices so the client knows the balance is outstanding.
Does creavio support PayPal or ACH payments?
No PayPal. No ACH yet.
Payments are processed through Stripe only, which means credit cards and debit cards. ACH bank transfers are on the roadmap. We'd rather do fewer payment methods well than bolt on integrations that create support headaches.
For clients who insist on paying outside of Stripe, you can mark an invoice as paid externally in creavio so your records stay accurate even when payment happens through Venmo, Zelle, or cash.