Invoice Payment Methods: What to Accept and How to State It on the Invoice
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Invoice payment methods are the ways you will accept the money, written on the invoice so the client does not have to ask. Most small businesses do best with two or three: a bank transfer for business clients, a card or payment link for clients who pay from a phone, and check for the ones who still do. The cost, the speed, and the paperwork differ, and the table below lays them out.
| Method | Speed | Cost to you | Best for | What to print |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer (ACH) | 1 to 3 business days | Usually free or a small flat fee | Business clients, larger amounts | Bank name, routing number, account number, account name |
| Wire transfer | Same day, often | A flat fee, higher for international | Large or international invoices | Bank name, SWIFT or routing, account number, address if international |
| Check | Mail time plus clearing | Free, but slow and mailable to the wrong place | Clients whose accounts payable still runs on checks | Payee name exactly as the bank has it, and the mailing address |
| Card | Immediate | A percentage of the amount plus a small fixed fee | Small invoices, consumers, clients who want to pay now | A payment link, or the instruction to call for a card payment |
| Payment link (Pay Now) | Immediate | The provider's card or transfer fee | Emailed invoices; one click for the client | The link itself; the builder prints it as "Pay online" |
| Cash | Immediate | None, but no record unless you issue a receipt | Small in-person jobs | "Cash accepted; a receipt will be issued" |
Due date, quickly
Full calculatorHow to choose two or three
Start from who pays you. A business client with an accounts payable department wants a bank transfer and an invoice with a PO field; a homeowner wants a card link. If you invoice both, offer both and let the terms say when each applies. Cost matters at the margins: a card fee on a $200 invoice is small, on a $20,000 one it is not, which is why many businesses accept cards below a threshold and ask for a transfer above it. FreshBooks describes the same trade-offs from the payer's side.
How to state the methods on the invoice
Put them in the payment instructions block, next to the due date, in the order you prefer to be paid. For example: "Please pay by bank transfer to [bank], routing [number], account [number], payee [name]. Card payments accepted at [link] for invoices under $2,000." The clause assembler writes the accepted-methods sentence from a set of checkboxes, and the invoice builder has a Pay Now link field that prints the link on the PDF.
What to print, and what never to print
Print what the client needs to send money: bank name, routing and account numbers, the exact payee name, a mailing address for checks, a payment link. Never print a card number, an online banking password, or a Social Security number; a tax ID goes on a W-9, not the invoice. Guidance from Wise on payment terms makes the same distinction between what the invoice states and what it should never carry.
International clients
Say the currency on the invoice, name the method that avoids intermediary fees where you can, and state who pays the transfer fee. The builder's currency select formats the amounts; it does not convert them.
After the payment arrives
Mark the invoice paid with the date and method, or issue a receipt from the receipt generator. Clients paying by transfer often want one for their records.
This guide was written by Ready Utilities. The method trade-offs were checked against FreshBooks and Wise, and the wording examples match the clause assembler's accepted-methods sentence. It states no card surcharge rule for any state and no processing fee for any provider, because both change; check the provider's current pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What payment methods should I put on an invoice?
The ones you can actually receive without a fee that surprises you: bank transfer (ACH) for most business clients, check if the client still pays that way, and a card or online link for clients who want to pay from their phone. List two or three, not six.
Should I accept credit cards on invoices?
If it gets you paid faster, yes; card processing typically costs a few percent of the amount, so many businesses accept cards on small invoices and ask for a transfer on large ones. Say which applies in your terms.
Where do payment details go on the invoice?
In the payment instructions block near the terms, and repeated in the email that carries the invoice. Never in the description lines.
Is it safe to print bank details on an invoice?
Routing and account numbers are on every check you write, so printing them is normal for business invoices. Do not print card numbers, passwords, or a Social Security number.
Can I charge a fee for card payments?
Rules vary by state and by card network, and some states restrict surcharges. This page does not list them; if you want to pass the cost on, say so in the terms before the work and check the rule where you operate.