Getting Paid Faster: Card Terminals, Online Payments and Your Shop

Five o’clock is when every shop’s counter gets crowded. Customers arrive after work, all at once, to pick up their cars. Each one waits while the advisor finds the invoice, types the total into a separate card machine, waits for approval, then marks the invoice paid. Multiply that by a line of customers and pickup becomes the worst part of their visit, right at the end.

The problem with a separate card machine

A card terminal that is not connected to your shop software creates work and risk:

• Typing the total twice. Once on the invoice, once on the terminal. A typo means the customer is charged the wrong amount.
• Payments not matched to invoices. At the end of the day someone has to match terminal receipts to invoices by hand.
• Unpaid invoices that look paid. If the invoice is marked paid but the card was declined, or the other way round, you find out at month end.
• Slow pickups. Every extra step is time the next customer is standing at the counter.

Integrated card terminals

An integrated terminal is connected to your shop software. The advisor opens the invoice and sends the total to the terminal. The customer taps or inserts their card. When the payment is approved, it is recorded on the repair order automatically.

No retyping, no end-of-day matching, and a checkout that takes seconds. Some shops also take the terminal to the car so the customer can pay at the vehicle.

Online payments before pickup

Many customers would rather not wait at the counter at all. With online payments, the “your car is ready” message includes a link to the invoice. The customer reviews it, pays by card from their phone, and simply picks up the keys.

This works especially well for:

• Customers who drop off before work and pick up after hours.
• Fleet and business customers who pay by card from the office.
• Mobile mechanics, who can send a payment link from the driveway.

Deposits for large jobs

For expensive repairs or special-order parts, asking for a deposit protects the shop if the customer changes their mind. Taking it through the same system means the deposit is recorded against the repair order and subtracted from the final invoice automatically.

Keep the books matched

When payments are recorded on the invoice automatically, they can also flow to your accounting software without extra work. Our post on syncing your shop with QuickBooks or Sage explains how to set up payment methods so bank reconciliation works.

At the end of each week, compare the deposits from your processor with the payments recorded in your shop software. Processor fees and refunds are the usual reasons for small differences.

How AutoSoftWay helps

AutoSoftWay takes card payments in the bay with 360Payments terminals and online through Stripe, with each payment recorded on the repair order automatically. Invoices, payments and customers then sync to QuickBooks. See all AutoSoftWay integrations.

The short version

A separate card machine means typing totals twice and matching receipts by hand. Connect your card terminal to your shop software, offer online payment links so customers can pay before they arrive, take deposits on large jobs, and let payments flow to the books automatically.