One of the features on our Pro Plan is Stripe integration. You might be wondering what Stripe is, how it works with CleanerPlanner, and how it can benefit your window cleaning business? This post sets out to answer those questions.
Stripe is an online payment provider that allows you to take debit or credit card payments. Our integration with Stripe allows you to take card payments from your customers by entering their card details directly into CleanerPlanner.
So how does our Stripe feature benefit you and why should you use it?
1) Quicker, cheaper debt collection
Stripe integration means you can take card payments over the phone. As a result, it can be a hugely useful feature when it comes to debt collection, as payment can be taken without the need to visit a customer or rely on them being present at the job address. It enables you to take control of processing their payment there and then, meaning you don’t have to rely on your customer to go away and remember to make a payment by other means. Alongside all of that, settling debt by card is probably the most convenient option for most customers, requiring very little effort on their part and making payment much more likely to happen. As a result, you can reduce the costs of your debt collection, and increase the rate at which you collect payments.
2) Save time
You can process card payments from CleanerPlanner directly, without the need to log in to anything else or open any other web pages. When you process the card payment, CleanerPlanner automatically updates your customer record, making the process quick and admin-free. There’s no matching up payments to customers and updating their records manually as with bank transfers and other payment methods.
3) Better value over other options
So why not just use Paypal, Stripe’s better-known counterpart? Quite simply, because Stripe does the same job, but for much less. Stripe fees are currently 1.4% + 20p per transaction, compared to Paypal, who charge 3.4% + 20p – well over double.
4) More convenient for your customers
As we’ve mentioned, paying by card is a convenient and quick payment method for most people. There’s no need to worry about having the right money to pay you, writing a cheque, or even logging into a bank account to transfer payment – they simply provide you with their card details and it’s taken care of. Many people these days expect to be able to pay for their bills by card, and giving them the opportunity to do so might just win you business over a competitor that can’t.
5) Improved company image
Following on from that, the ability to pay by card is virtually an expectation for most consumers and businesses, and it has become a given for many service providers. Of course, there are still many window cleaning businesses that don’t accept card payments, and doing so sets you apart as a modern, professional and legitimate business.
When combined with our GoCardless integration, our Stripe integration is a powerful way of reducing your debts, taking control of your payments and providing a better, more modern service to your customers.
If you’re not yet a CleanerPlanner customer, you can try it free for 30 days (without providing your card details and with no obligation to sign up) and see for yourself how CleanerPlanner will improve your window cleaning business.
If you’re already a CleanerPlanner user, you can find out about setting up Stripe here.
