Manual payments or Stripe?

Voice AI Portal gives you three ways to get paid by a client, and you choose one for each client:

Manual payments. The portal sends the client a payment request with your bank details, and you mark it paid when the money arrives. No Stripe needed.
Stripe invoices. Stripe numbers and emails an invoice each period, from your own Stripe account. The client pays it by card or bank transfer.
Card (automatic). The client adds a card once, and Stripe charges it at every renewal.

Whichever you pick, the portal counts the client’s minutes and chats the same way, renews their plan on the same day and, on Track and enforce, applies the same limits. Only how the money reaches you changes. You can use all three at once, for different clients.

The short answer

If the client…	Use
Is happy to pay by card and you want no chasing	Card (automatic)
Wants an invoice by email and pays it when it suits them, by card or transfer	Stripe invoices
Pays suppliers by bank transfer, needs a VAT invoice with a tax line, or you don’t use Stripe yet	Manual payments
Pays through Stripe and you are VAT registered	Stripe invoices or Card (automatic) on a plan priced with VAT included: Stripe charges the plan price as you set it and adds no tax

A simple way to begin: start every client on Manual payments, which needs nothing beyond your bank details, then move the clients who agree to Card (automatic) once Stripe is connected. Every client starts on Manual payments until you change it.

Side by side

	Manual payments	Stripe invoices	Card (automatic)
Setup for you	Add your bank details in Client billing, Settings	Connect Stripe once	Connect Stripe once
Setup for the client	None	A billing contact with an email address	Adds a card once in Stripe Checkout
Cost to you	No payment fees from us. Your bank’s own charges, if any	Stripe’s payment fees and Stripe Billing (opens in a new tab) fees, charged to your Stripe account	Stripe’s card fees and Stripe Billing (opens in a new tab) fees, charged to your Stripe account
What the client gets each period	An email from you with the amount, due date, your bank details, a reference and a link to a payment page	A numbered invoice emailed by Stripe, with your Stripe branding	A charge to their card, with Stripe’s receipt if receipts are on in your Stripe settings
How the client pays	Bank transfer, or however you agree. Also by card on the payment page once your Stripe account is taking payments	From Stripe’s invoice page: by card and by bank transfer if you switch them on, or using the details in your invoice footer	Nothing to do: the card is charged
Chasing unpaid bills	The portal sends reminders on your schedule, with your payment details and the link to pay	Stripe sends reminders, using your Stripe settings	Stripe retries the card and you are emailed straight away
Recording the payment	You mark it paid: one at a time, several at once, part payments, or by matching your bank statement. A card payment on the payment page records itself	Automatic when paid in Stripe, including Stripe bank transfers. Mark as paid for money sent straight to your bank	Automatic
Invoices and VAT	Optional portal invoices, receipts and credit notes, with a VAT line at your rate and exports for Xero and QuickBooks Online	Stripe’s invoices and credit notes, at your plan prices. Your VAT number shows once you add it in Stripe	Stripe’s invoices and receipts, at your plan prices
Monthly statement email	Available	Not sent	Not sent
When a bill is late	Remind and tell me, or pause calls automatically after 3, 7, 14 or 30 days (clients on Track and enforce)	Shows as overdue on Payments due. Calls carry on until you pause the client	Calls carry on for your Days to fix a failed card payment, then stop on Track and enforce until the client pays
Minute and chat packs	The client selects Request minutes or Request chats, and the portal raises a payment request for the pack. Once your Stripe account is taking payments, the client buys packs by card with Buy now instead	Buy now by card. A pack you request payment for becomes a Stripe invoice	Buy now by card
Auto top-up	Available once your Stripe account is taking payments: the client saves a card when they first buy the pack	The same	The same
Best for	Accounts teams that pay by transfer, clients who need VAT invoices from you, and agencies without Stripe	Clients who want an invoice to approve, with the choice of card or transfer	Small businesses who want it to just work, and agencies who want no chasing at all

Voice AI Portal adds no fee to any of these. For Stripe’s own fees, see Stripe’s pricing for the UK (opens in a new tab) or the US (opens in a new tab).

Choose manual payments when

You haven’t connected Stripe yet, or don’t want to.
The client’s accounts team pays supplier invoices by bank transfer, or by cheque.
You are VAT registered and the client needs an invoice that shows VAT as its own line. Portal invoices add a tax line at the rate you set.
You want monthly statements: one email at renewal with the calls handled, minutes used, staff time covered and the payment now due.
You want to keep payment fees to a minimum. Clients can still pay by card on the payment page if they prefer, once Stripe is connected.

Choose Stripe invoices when

The client wants a numbered invoice by email that they approve and pay.
You want the client to choose card or bank transfer each time, and have the payment recorded for you.
You want Stripe to chase late invoices for you, using your Stripe reminder settings.

On Stripe invoices, an overdue invoice doesn’t pause calls by itself. If a client stops paying, pause them yourself from their Billing page.

Choose card payments when

The client is a small business that pays its software by card.
You want each period paid on renewal day, with nothing for you to record.
You want calls to stop by themselves when a card keeps failing, after the days you give the client to fix it.
The client wants auto top-up: the same saved card buys a pack when they run low.

Worked example: one agency, three clients

You are a UK agency, VAT registered, with Stripe connected. In Client billing, Settings, you set Payment terms to 14 days and turn on Issue invoices from the portal with a VAT rate of 20% and Your prices set to Exclude VAT (added on the invoice).

You sell one package, 600 minutes a month for £250 plus VAT, so £300 with VAT. You create two plans with the same minutes: Clinic 600 at £250 for clients on manual payments, where the portal adds the VAT, and Clinic 600 (VAT included) at £300 for clients on Stripe.

Client	Plan	Collection	What happens at renewal
A dental clinic	Clinic 600 (VAT included), £300	Card (automatic)	Stripe charges the card £300 on renewal day. Nothing for you to do
A law firm whose accounts team pays by transfer	Clinic 600, £250	Manual payments	The portal issues an invoice for £250 plus £50 VAT, £300 in total, due in 14 days. The firm pays by transfer quoting the reference, and you match it from your bank statement
A plumbing firm that wants an invoice it can pay by card	Clinic 600 (VAT included), £300	Stripe invoices with Let clients pay Stripe invoices by card on	Stripe emails an invoice for £300, due in 14 days. The firm pays with the Pay button, and the payment is recorded for you

Each client pays £300. The VAT settings for portal invoices apply only to the law firm, on manual payments: the portal sends Stripe your plan prices as they are, which is why the Stripe plan’s price already includes VAT. Agree with your accountant how VAT should show on your invoices. See VAT and tax on Stripe invoices.

Mixing manual and Stripe clients

You can run some clients on manual payments and others on Stripe at the same time. What is set once for your agency, and what is set per client:

Set once for every client	Set for each client
Payment terms, which Stripe invoices also use	Collection: how this client pays
Payment reminders for manual payments	Their plan
Days to fix a failed card payment	Billing contacts and billing email addresses
Your bank details and portal invoice settings	Invoice to details for portal invoices
Stripe invoice footer, extra fields and the Let clients pay switches	Billing for this client: Track only or Track and enforce
New clients pay by: how a new client starts paying when you first switch it on

Connecting Stripe changes two things for clients who stay on Manual payments:

their payment pages also offer Pay £X by card, and a card payment marks the payment paid for them;
they buy packs by card with Buy now. To let one of them pay for a pack by bank transfer instead, open their Billing page and use Request payment for a pack.

Switch a client between manual payments and Stripe

You change how a client pays on the client’s Billing page, in the How this client pays card, under Collection. Agency owners and admins can do this. The Stripe choices appear once your Stripe account shows Taking payments, and the client needs a paid plan first.

From	To	When it takes effect	What happens to the current period
Manual payments	Card (automatic)	When the client adds a card. Stripe charges it from the next renewal	Its open payment is charged to the card when they add it, unless the renewal is less than about 2 days away
Manual payments	Stripe invoices	At the next renewal	It stays a payment request in the portal
Card (automatic)	Stripe invoices	Straight away. The next invoice is emailed	Already paid by card
Stripe invoices	Card (automatic)	When the client adds a card. Stripe charges it from the next renewal	A Stripe invoice already sent stays open to pay
Card (automatic) or Stripe invoices	Manual payments	Straight away, with no part-month charge. Payment requests start at the next renewal	Anything Stripe has already invoiced can still be paid in Stripe

Move a client from manual payments to card

Moving a client to card payments

Pause

You
Choose Card (automatic)
In How this client pays, on their Billing page
Your client
Adds a card
From Add a card, or the link you send
Stripe
Charges any open period
Then the card at every renewal
Voice AI Portal
Shows Card subscription: Active
Payments are recorded for you

Tell the client first. Let them know they will add a card for their monthly plan, how much it is and the day it renews.
Choose Card (automatic). On the client’s Billing page, in How this client pays, choose Card (automatic) in Collection. The card shows “Waiting for the client to add a card. Card payments start at the next renewal; an unpaid current period is charged when they add it.”
Get the card added. With Show billing to the client on, the client’s billing contacts see Add a card on their Billing page. Or select Copy card setup link and send it: the link works for 24 hours, and only the newest link works.
Check it worked. Once the client has entered their card in Stripe Checkout, How this client pays shows Card subscription and Active. From the next renewal, Stripe charges the card on renewal day.

If a client completes an old card setup link after you have switched them away from card, that setup is cancelled and refunded. Packs, overflow or extra chats the client already owes as payment requests stay as they are: the client pays them from their payment pages, by card or by transfer.

Move a client from manual payments to Stripe invoices

Check the billing contact. Stripe emails each invoice to one address: the client’s first billing contact. Mark a client user as Billing contact under Users with access, or add a billing email address, in the client’s settings.
Choose Stripe invoices. In How this client pays, choose Stripe invoices in Collection. The card shows Stripe invoicing.
Let the current period finish as it is. Its payment request stays in the portal, with your bank details and payment page.
At the next renewal, Stripe emails the invoice, due after your Payment terms. It appears in the client’s Payments and is marked paid by itself when the client pays it in Stripe.

Move a client from Stripe back to manual payments

Choose Manual payments. In How this client pays, choose Manual payments in Collection. The client’s Stripe subscription ends straight away, with no part-month charge.
Collect anything Stripe has already invoiced in Stripe as usual. It still shows on the client’s Billing page.
From the next renewal, the portal raises a payment request with your bank details, and your reminders apply.

The client’s saved card stays in your Stripe account, so auto top-up keeps working if they set it up.

What the client sees after a switch

After the switch to	On their Billing page	By email
Card (automatic)	Payment method: “Your plan is paid by card at each renewal.” with Add a card, then Update card and see invoices	Stripe’s receipts, if receipts are on in your Stripe settings
Stripe invoices	Payment method: “Your provider emails an invoice for each period.”	Stripe’s invoice email, with a payment due notice from the portal
Manual payments	How to pay, with your bank details and a copy button for each, while a payment is due	Payment due and reminder emails from you, with the link to pay

Common questions

Can I try Stripe with one client before moving everyone? Yes. Each client keeps its own Collection, so move one client, check their first renewal in your Stripe Dashboard, then move the rest.

Does switching change the client’s minutes or plan? No. The plan, the renewal day, minutes, chats, packs and call blocking stay as they are. Only the way the client pays changes.

Can a client on manual payments pay by card? Yes, once your Stripe account is taking payments: their payment page offers Pay £X by card, and the payment is recorded for you.

What if I disconnect Stripe later? Every client on Stripe moves to manual payments at the end of their current period, keeping their minutes and plans. See Disconnect Stripe.

Does Voice AI Portal take a cut? No. Clients pay you directly, into your bank or your own Stripe account.