Card Payments (Stripe Connect)

Let clients pay by credit or debit card directly through your client portal.

How It Works

1. Go to Dashboard > Settings > Business Profile
2. Click "Connect with Stripe" and complete Stripe's onboarding (~2 minutes)
3. Once connected, clients see "Pay by Card" buttons next to each payment in their portal
4. Payments are deposited directly to your bank account via Stripe

What Clients See

When you have Stripe Connect enabled, your client portal shows a purple "Pay by Card" button next to each unpaid amount:

• Deposit — Pay the deposit by card
• Balance — Pay the remaining balance by card
• Additional Payment — After the contract is fully paid, a "Send Additional Payment" link appears for tips, parking reimbursement, or other extras (up to $10,000)

Payments are automatically marked as paid when the card charge succeeds. You'll receive an email notification for each card payment.

Minimum Card Payment

The client portal hides the card button for very small payments below $5 by default. This prevents awkward effective fee percentages on tiny card charges. Clients can still use your Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, cash, check, or bank-transfer instructions for those smaller amounts.

Fee Handling Options

You choose who covers the card processing fee:

Split Threshold

When using Split 50/50, you can optionally set a dollar threshold that changes behavior based on gig size:

• "Absorb above $X" — Split the fee on smaller gigs, absorb it entirely on larger ones (generous on big gigs)
• "Split above $X" — Absorb the fee on smaller gigs, split on larger ones

If no threshold is set, fees are always split 50/50.

Where to Configure

Go to Settings > Stripe Connect and look for "Who pays the card processing fee?"

Fee Cascade

You can set the fee mode at multiple levels — each overrides the one above:

1. Global default — Applies to all gigs (Settings > Stripe Connect)
2. Per event type — Override for specific event types
3. Per client — Override for a specific client
4. Per gig — Override on an individual contract

The split threshold is set at the global level only. When a cascade override selects "Split 50/50", the global threshold still applies.

Surcharge Restrictions

Some states restrict or prohibit credit card surcharges. If your client is in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Puerto Rico, consider using the "absorb" option to stay compliant. The percentage component of split mode (1.75%) is within typical state percentage caps, but the small fixed component combined with very low charge amounts can produce a high effective percentage — consult local rules if you operate in a regulated jurisdiction.

Managing Your Connection

From Settings > Business Profile you can:

• View your account status (charges enabled, payouts enabled)
• Disconnect your account — clients will no longer see card payment options
• Reconnect anytime to resume card payments

Common Questions

Is this Pro-only?

No — Stripe Connect card payments are available to all GigOrganizer users, free and Pro.

Does GigOrganizer take a cut?

GigOrganizer does not take a percentage of your performance fee. Card payments use a processing-fee structure that covers Stripe's card cost and a small platform buffer so card payments do not run at a loss on small bookings. You can choose to absorb the fee, split it with the client, or pass it to the client — configure this in Settings > Stripe Connect.

Do I need a Stripe account already?

No. The onboarding process creates one for you. If you already have a Stripe account, you can connect that one.

What if a client pays by card and also sends a Venmo/check?

Card payments auto-mark the deposit or balance as paid. If the client also pays through another method, you may need to reconcile manually.

Is there a payment limit?

Standard deposit and balance payments match your contract amounts. Additional payments (tips, reimbursements) are capped at $10,000 per transaction.