If you send invoices from Xero and then wait days, sometimes weeks, for a bank transfer to land, you already know the problem. The fix is letting clients pay the invoice by card the moment they open it. Here is exactly how to take card payments on your Xero invoices, what you need, and what (if anything) you have to change about the way you invoice.
Why add card payments to your Xero invoices?
The single biggest reason small businesses get paid late is not bad clients. It is friction. A bank transfer means your customer has to log into their banking app, copy your sort code and account number, type the amount, and remember to actually do it. Every one of those steps is a chance to put it off.
A card payment removes the friction. When the invoice itself has a "Pay now" option, your client can settle it in seconds with their card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, often before they have even closed the email. That is the difference between getting paid in days instead of weeks.
What you need to get started
- An active Xero account (this also works with QuickBooks)
- The way you already invoice, with no new software to learn
- A Ripple Pay account connected to your accounting software
That is it. You do not need a card machine, a separate payment terminal, or a developer.
How to take card payments on Xero invoices, step by step
Step 1. Connect your accounting software
Link Ripple Pay to your Xero account. This is a one-time setup that lets Ripple Pay add a secure payment option to the invoices you send. You authorise the connection inside Xero, so your login details are never shared.
Step 2. Send invoices exactly as you do now
This is the part people do not quite believe: you carry on invoicing the same way. You do not change your templates, your workflow, or your numbering. Ripple Pay works with the invoices you already send rather than asking you to rebuild them somewhere else.
Step 3. Your client pays by card
When your customer opens the invoice, they get a clear option to pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. They tap, they pay, and the payment is reconciled against the invoice. No chasing, no "did you get my bank details?", no awkward follow-up email a fortnight later.
In short: connect Xero once, keep invoicing as normal, and let clients pay by card on the invoice. The card option does the chasing for you.
Do I have to change how I invoice?
No, and that is the whole point. If a tool asks you to export your clients, rebuild your invoice templates, or send payments through a separate portal, you will never keep it up. Ripple Pay adds the card-payment option to the invoices you are already sending from Xero, so there is nothing new to learn and nothing to migrate.
Is taking card payments on invoices secure?
Yes. Card details are handled through secure, PCI-compliant payment processing, so your customer's card number never touches your systems and you never store it. The connection to Xero is authorised through Xero's own secure login, so your accounting credentials stay private.
What does it cost?
One simple monthly plan plus a small fee per transaction, with no setup costs and no long contract. The bigger number to think about is the cost of late payment itself: the hours spent chasing, and the cash flow gap while you wait. Card payments are designed to remove both.
Start taking card payments on your Xero invoices
Connect Xero, keep invoicing as normal, and get paid in days instead of weeks.
Get started with Ripple PayFrequently asked questions
Does this work with QuickBooks too?
Yes. Ripple Pay connects to both Xero and QuickBooks. See our guide on how to take card payments on QuickBooks invoices.
Can clients pay with Apple Pay and Google Pay?
Yes. Alongside standard debit and credit cards, customers can pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay, which is often the fastest option of all.
How quickly will I actually get paid?
Because the client pays the moment they open the invoice rather than when they get round to a bank transfer, most businesses see invoices settled in days instead of weeks.