5 Ways to Accept Payments Online in 2026
Updated on September 29, 2026 | 9 min. read
🌟 KEY TAKEAWAYS
To stay competitive, online businesses must embrace digital payment methods such as credit cards, digital wallets, and BNPL.
Offering various payment methods increases customer convenience and encourages faster payments.
Integrating payment options directly into invoices, such as "Pay Now" buttons, speeds up the collection process.
Automating recurring payments for subscriptions streamlines both customer and business operations.
Checkout Links Enhance Accessibility: Shareable checkout links provide easy access to payment pages across various platforms.
A robust online payment system that offers multiple customer payment options is essential for all types of business and helps you get paid faster, as customers are more likely to pay their invoices immediately when there’s a clickable link to a variety of payment options, and recurring invoices are more effective when autocharge is enabled. In this article, we’ll explore the different ways you can accept online payments so you can find the best fit for your company.
Table of Contents
Explore different solutions you can use to accept payments online and learn which systems are the best fit for your small business.
1. Invoicing and Billing
Especially for service-based businesses, online invoicing and billing with a “pay now” option is a quick and convenient way to manage your payments and get faster payments. You can send an electronic invoice to your client and include a payment button right in the email, which will encourage them to pay faster, while providing them with a convenient, secure way to pay their invoices.
Invoicing software like FreshBooks lets you send invoices and receive payments through one quick, secure, and easy system, with clickable links to encourage faster customer bill payments.
2. Recurring Billing
If you offer a subscription-based product or service, recurring billing is a helpful way to encourage customers to pay on time. You can either send a new invoice each month or a friendly email reminder that an upcoming payment is due. They can then pay through checkout or payment links on the invoice or opt to pay through text, over the phone, or through a virtual terminal.
Alternatively, you can opt for automatic recurring billing, which directly charges a customer’s credit card or bank account. You’ll have to secure customer consent for this (which can be withdrawn at any time), but this system is convenient for customers who don’t want to manage a bill each month. FreshBooks software streamlines your recurring billing processes. By creating recurring templates, you can automate the generation of invoices based on your preferred frequency, saving you time and effort. This ensures consistent billing and eliminates the need for manual creation. Furthermore, FreshBooks offers Advanced Payments, allowing you to securely store client credit card information. This facilitates faster payments and provides added convenience for both you and your clients.
3. Mobile Payments
Mobile payments using near-field communication (NFC) are a convenient way for customers to pay on the go. They can input credit card and debit card information into their mobile device, make a payment by tapping their enabled card or device, and receive a receipt instantly via email.
Having a payment system that’s compatible with mobile payments helps open up great potential for your small business.
4. QR Code Payments
While not a payment method itself, a QR code can be used to direct a customer to a secure payment gateway or page. The customer scans the QR code with their smartphone, which then redirects them to a payment gateway or a mobile payment option like a digital wallet page.
QR codes are convenient if you have a physical advertisement and want customers to be able to access an online payment page to complete the sale quickly.
5. Checkout Links
Checkout links are unique, reusable links in the form of a URL, QR code, or payment button on a website or social media page that allow multiple customers to pay upfront for goods and services. All they have to do is click or scan the link, and it’ll take them to the checkout page, where they can enter their payment details and make a purchase.
How to Accept Payments Online With FreshBooks
FreshBooks Payments powered by Stripe offers payment processing, supporting multiple payment methods, including credit cards, ACH bank transfers, and digital wallets to seamlessly pay single and recurring invoices. This simplifies financial management and enhances your small business’s cash flow. It integrates into other FreshBooks financial management and accounting software, providing a simplified way to get paid faster and track where your money goes.
Learn more about the different ways you can receive payment online with FreshBooks and the advantages of offering a variety of payment systems for your customers.
Credit Cards
FreshBooks makes it easy for online businesses to accept credit card payments with no extra setup required. This gives your customers more ways to pay and can help you grow your business by reaching new customers. The option to click directly on the invoice to make a payment also increases the chances of being paid and the speed at which clients submit payment.
Clients can use a credit card to pay their invoice, and the funds are deposited into your account within about 2 business days. You pay a small fee for the transaction, which is standard for online payment processing. The advantage of FreshBooks is that it automatically tracks these transaction fees in your Expenses, so you can easily organize your business taxes.
Recurring Payments and Auto-bills
FreshBooks invoicing and payment processing software makes it easy to manage recurring billing. Just set up a Recurring Profile for a client in your FreshBooks account, and then FreshBooks will take care of sending out the recurring invoice.
FreshBooks can also send payment reminders to prompt clients to follow up on invoices you’ve already sent.
Accept International Currencies
Expand your business overseas with FreshBooks Payments' ability to accept international currencies. FreshBooks Payments lets customers pay with credit cards from over 195 countries. It’s quick, easy, and accurate, and saves you and your customers the hassle of keeping track of exchange rates.
Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD)
When your clients would rather pay straight from their bank account, Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) is a convenient, secure option. PAD is a bank-to-bank transfer in Canadian dollars, so clients don't need a credit card or a cheque to pay you.
With FreshBooks Payments, you can turn on PAD for any invoice or recurring template billed in CAD. Your clients can pay by debit from their Canadian bank account, whether they're paying as a business or as an individual. Offering more ways to pay helps clients choose the option that's most convenient for them, which can help you get paid sooner.
Stripe
Stripe is a convenient payment processor that connects to FreshBooks. It’s especially versatile, supporting a variety of currencies and accepting major credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets like Apple Pay. It’s quick and easy and meets rigorous security standards for online payments.
Stripe offers different transaction fees for different types of payments, such as online and international card payments. By syncing with FreshBooks, these transaction fees are automatically imported and categorized as expenses for convenient business tax filing.
Advanced Payments Option
The advanced payments option lets you manage things like recurring billing and subscription-based payments to streamline the customer experience. Set up customer profiles with information for recurring bills or save customer credit card information so they can pay even more quickly next time. You can also manage features like automation to save you time and money on your billing process.
Get Started Accepting Online Payments Today
Accepting payments online is key to expanding your customer base and growing your small business. Online payments offer customers a quick and easy way to pay for products and services. The more payment options you offer, the easier it is for customers to make a purchase.
FreshBooks payments give you a variety of ways to accept online payments. Make the most of credit and debit card payments, bank transfers, digital wallets, and more. FreshBooks also automatically logs any transaction fees as an expense so it’s easier than ever to manage your business taxes. Try FreshBooks free to get started with online payments today.
FAQs on Accepting Online Payments
Looking for even more information about how to accept payments online? Explore FreshBooks online payment methods, online payment security, setting up online payments, and more.
What online payment options does FreshBooks offer?
FreshBooks offers multiple ways to accept online payments, including digital wallets like Apple Pay and major credit cards. FreshBooks also syncs with Stripe to support pre-authorized debit payments online.
How secure are online payments?
Online payments are secure when your payment provider follows the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the industry standard for protecting credit card data. FreshBooks is PCI compliant and regularly undergoes audits by a third-party auditor, and its payments partner, Stripe, also meets strict PCI standards.
How can I accept credit card payments online?
You can accept credit card payments online with FreshBooks payment software. FreshBooks makes it easy to accept major credit cards with no setup needed. You can also sync with Stripe for even more ways to accept online payments.
How do I set up online payments for my small business?
The easiest way to set up online payments is to use clickable links or QR codes via payment processing software. The simplest way to accept online payments for your small business is through FreshBooks Payments. FreshBooks simplified the application process so you can accept online payments in minutes.
What is the easiest way to accept card payments online?
The easiest way to receive payments online, including credit and debit card payments, is with a payment service provider like FreshBooks. FreshBooks simplified the application process, so you can start accepting different credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay, and Google Pay in minutes and transfer the funds directly to your bank account.
How can I receive payment without a bank?
Some payment processors and service providers, like PayPal, allow you to accept payments without linking a bank account. You’ll need to sign up and create an account, after which you can receive money when customers pay you online.
What is the most secure way to receive payment online?
The most secure way to receive online payments is to use a certified payment service provider that meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards. FreshBooks Payments is powered by Stripe, which meets strict PCI compliance standards, so you can accept secure payments right from your invoices.
How do small businesses receive payments?
Small businesses can receive payments in a variety of ways: credit cards, debit cards, ACH bank transfers, and mobile wallets are all popular options. FreshBooks lets you accept payments online securely on your invoices so you can easily manage your small business billing and payments from one easy system.
Is there any free payment gateway?
There are no completely free payment gateways. Some offer no set-up fees or monthly costs, but they tend to charge higher transaction fees; others require a full monthly fee or subscription but charge lower fees per transaction.
