How clients pay invoices

When you send an invoice through Esqase, your client receives a secure payment link they can open in any browser. This page explains exactly what your client sees, from unlocking the link through paying and getting a confirmation, and how you set up the payment methods that appear to them. Use it to walk a client through paying, or to make sure your firm is configured so the link works smoothly.

The payment link is a public, client-facing page. Your client does not need an Esqase account or a password to a portal. They simply open the link from the email you send them, prove they are the right person, view the invoice, and pay.

Before you begin

Before any client can pay through a link, your firm needs a few things in place. Most of this is one-time setup.

• At least one payment method enabled. Card payments through Stripe, PayPal, a manual bank-transfer or wire link, or a QR code. You enable and configure these in your firm's payment settings. See Payment settings.
• A default deposit account. This is the account a collected payment lands in. Without one, Esqase has nowhere to record the payment, so it will not let you generate a link. See Accounts, trust, and transactions.
• An invoice to collect on. The link is always tied to one specific invoice. See Creating and sending invoices.

What your clients see, and how you set it up

The payment link is a single web page, branded with your firm's name and invoice number. The flow your client experiences is shaped entirely by how you configure the link and your payment settings.

Here is how you create the link your client will use:

1. Open the invoice you want to collect on. See Creating and sending invoices.
2. Choose the option to generate a payment link. The Generate payment link dialog opens.
3. Under Payment methods, check the methods you want to offer the client for this invoice: Card (Stripe), PayPal, Manual bank transfer link, and QR code. A method is only checkable if your firm has enabled it in settings; methods your firm has not set up appear greyed out.
4. Under Payment terms, choose how much of the balance the client can pay:
   • Full balance only: the client must pay the entire remaining balance.
   • Client chooses an amount: the client can pay a partial amount toward the balance.
   • Firm-defined installments is marked coming soon and is not yet available.
5. Click Generate link. The dialog switches to Payment link ready and shows the link in a read-only field.
6. Use the copy button to copy the link, or click Send email to client to email it from Esqase. The link page itself asks the client to verify their identity by email when they open it.

When the client opens the link, they move through three stages: unlocking the link, viewing the invoice, and paying. The rest of this page covers each stage from the client's point of view.

Opening and unlocking the payment link

To protect the invoice, the link does not show any financial detail until the client proves they are the person it was sent to. The standard way to do this is a passwordless email sign-in.

This is what your client does:

1. The client clicks the link in your email (or pastes it into a browser). They land on a screen titled Invoice followed by the invoice number.
2. The screen asks them to enter the email address your firm has on file. The instruction reads: "Enter the email [your firm name] has on file and we will send you a secure sign-in link to view this invoice."
3. The client types their email and clicks Email me a sign-in link.
4. If the email matches the contact on the invoice, Esqase sends a secure sign-in link to that address. The screen changes to Check your email and tells them to open the link on the same device.
5. The client opens the email and clicks the sign-in link. They return to the payment page, which briefly shows Signing you in while it verifies them, then unlocks the invoice.

A few things to know about this step:

• Privacy by design. For security, the Check your email message appears whether or not the email matched. This prevents anyone from using the link to discover who an invoice was sent to. Only the genuine contact actually receives a sign-in link.
• Same device. The client should open the sign-in link on the same device and browser where they requested it. Opening it elsewhere may not unlock the page.
• Use a different email. If the client entered the wrong address, they can click Use a different email to try another one.
• Rate limiting. If a client requests too many sign-in links in a short time, Esqase temporarily pauses new requests to deter abuse. They should wait a few minutes and try again.

Troubleshooting the unlock step

• "That sign-in link is invalid or has expired." Sign-in links are short-lived. Ask the client to return to the payment page and request a fresh link with Email me a sign-in link.
• The client never receives the email. The email address they entered does not match the contact on the invoice. Confirm the email you have on file for that contact, then ask the client to enter that exact address. You can check and update the contact's email under Working with contacts.
• They clicked the link on their phone but requested it on a laptop. Have them request a new link from the device they intend to pay on.

Viewing the invoice and downloading the PDF

Once unlocked, the client sees the full invoice laid out like a printed bill.

The invoice view shows:

• A header with the word Invoice, the invoice number, the Issue date, and the Due date (if the invoice includes one).
• A From block with your firm's name, address, email, and phone.
• A Billed to block with the client's name and contact details.
• A line-item table with columns for Description, Qty, Rate, and Amount.
• A totals summary showing Subtotal, Tax, Total, Paid to date, and Balance due.
• Any Notes you added to the invoice.

At the top right of the invoice, the client can click Download PDF to save a copy of the invoice as a PDF file. This is handy for the client's own records or to forward to an accountant.

The two-view invoice and pay toggle

The payment link has two views: the invoice on one side and the payment options on the other. The client toggles between them.

• The default view is the invoice. Below the invoice, when a balance is owed and at least one payment method is available, there is a primary button reading Pay followed by the amount due (for example, Pay $1,250.00).
• Clicking that Pay button switches to the pay view. This shows a method picker on the left and the selected payment method's form on the right, with the amount due shown at the top right under Amount due.
• To go back, the client clicks Back to invoice at the top of the pay view. They can switch back and forth freely without losing their place.

Paying by card with Stripe

If you enabled card payments, the client can pay instantly with a credit or debit card, processed securely by Stripe.

1. In the pay view, the client selects the method labeled Card (or Card or PayPal if both are available).
2. They click Pay by card. A small line beneath the button reads "Securely processed by Stripe."
3. Esqase hands them off to Stripe's secure checkout page, where they enter their card details and confirm the payment.
4. After paying, Stripe returns them to a confirmation page.

Paying with PayPal

If you enabled PayPal, the client can pay through their PayPal account or a PayPal-supported card.

1. In the pay view, the client selects PayPal (or Card or PayPal when both are available).
2. They click the PayPal button. PayPal's own buttons appear and walk the client through approving the payment.
3. Once the client approves, the payment is captured and Esqase records it, then sends the client to a confirmation page.

Paying by bank transfer or wire (a self-reported payment)

A manual payment link is for clients who pay outside Esqase, for example by sending a wire or bank transfer to your firm. Because the money moves through your bank rather than through Esqase, the client tells you they have paid, and you confirm it on your side later.

This is what your client does:

1. In the pay view, the client selects Bank transfer or wire.
2. They read the instructions you wrote. If you added a payment URL or wire-instructions link, they can click Open payment instructions to view it in a new tab.
3. They send the payment through their bank.
4. Back on the page, they fill in the small form to report what they sent:
   • Amount sent: defaults to the full balance due, in the invoice's currency. The client can change it if they paid a different amount.
   • Your name (optional): the name the payment will arrive under.
   • Reference number (optional): a wire reference or confirmation number that helps you match the payment.
   • Proof of payment (optional): they can attach a receipt or screenshot (see Uploading proof of payment).
5. They click I have sent the payment. Esqase records the payment as pending and shows them a confirmation page.

Paying by scanning the QR code

A QR code payment works like the manual method, but instead of a link the client scans a static QR code (for example PIX, UPI, or a Venmo code) with their banking or payment app.

1. In the pay view, the client selects QR code.
2. They read any instructions you provided, then scan the displayed QR code with their banking or payment app and send the payment.
3. They fill in the same short form as the bank-transfer method: Amount sent, optional Your name, optional Reference number, and optional Proof of payment.
4. They click I have sent the payment. The payment is recorded as pending and they see a confirmation page.

Uploading proof of payment

For manual and QR payments, the client can attach evidence that they paid, such as a bank receipt or a screenshot of their transfer. This makes it much easier for you to match and confirm the payment.

1. In the bank-transfer or QR form, the client finds the Proof of payment (optional) area.
2. They drag and drop files onto it, or click to choose files from their device.
3. Accepted files are images or PDFs, up to 10 MB each. The client can attach more than one file.
4. Each file uploads with a progress indicator, then shows a green check when it finishes. The client can remove a file before submitting by clicking the remove (X) button next to it.
5. When they click I have sent the payment, the attachments are saved with the pending payment so you can see them when you review it.

Common questions

• Are there file-type or size limits? Yes. Proof files must be images or PDFs, and each file can be at most 10 MB. There is also a cap on the number of files per payment; if the client reaches it, the page tells them they cannot add more.
• Is proof required? No. It is optional for both manual and QR payments, but it is strongly recommended.

The payment confirmation page

After any successful payment (card, PayPal, manual, or QR), the client lands on a confirmation page.

The page is titled Thank you and reads: "We recorded your payment for invoice [number]. [Your firm name] will follow up if needed." A Back to home button takes them to the Esqase website.

What "recorded" means depends on the method:

• Card and PayPal: the payment has cleared and the invoice balance is already updated automatically.
• Bank transfer and QR: the payment is recorded as pending. Your firm reviews and confirms it before the invoice balance changes.

A fully paid invoice and unavailable links

Sometimes a client opens a link and there is nothing to pay, or the link no longer works. Here is what they see.

No balance due. If the invoice is already fully paid, the client still sees the invoice details, but instead of a Pay button they see a message: "No balance is due on this invoice." This is the expected result once an invoice is paid in full.

No payment options yet. If a balance is owed but your firm has not finished setting up payments for that invoice, the client sees a panel titled No payment options yet asking them to contact your firm directly. If this happens, check your payment settings and the methods you allowed on the link.

Expired, revoked, or invalid link. If a link has expired, was revoked, or the address is wrong, the page shows a generic not-found screen rather than the invoice. The client should ask your firm for a fresh link.

Troubleshooting

• The client sees "No payment options yet." Enable at least one payment method in Payment settings and confirm you checked it when generating the link.
• The client sees a not-found page. The link is expired, revoked, or mistyped. Generate and send a new one.
• A manual or QR payment is not reducing the balance. That is expected. Self-reported payments stay pending until you review and clear them in Recording and managing payments.

Related

• Creating and sending invoices
• Recording and managing payments
• Payment settings
• Accounts, trust, and transactions
• Integrations overview
• Working with contacts