Managing Client Billing Information

In this article:

• Before You Begin: Requirements for Storing Cards
• Three Ways to Add a Client's Billing Information
  • Adding a Card on Behalf of Your Client
  • Clients Adding Their Own Billing Information
  • Auto-Saving Cards from Invoice Payments
• Charging a Card on File
  • Billing from the Client Record
  • Billing from a Booking
  • Adding Line Items to Existing Invoices
• Choosing Which Payment Method to Charge
• What Happens When a Charge Fails
• Preventing Clients from Removing Cards
• How Client Billing Information is Stored Securely
• What Clients See in Their Portal
• Removing Cards from Client Records
• Next Steps

Before You Begin: Requirements for Storing Billing Information

To store and charge client credit cards through Practice Better, you need Practice Better Payments set up and connected to your account. Practice Better Payments is powered by Stripe and available on all Practice Better plans.

What you'll need:

• Practice Better Payments account activated
• Client consent to store their payment information

Accepted storable billing methods: Practice Better Payments can accept and store payment information from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit cards, and bank debits.

Where billing information is stored: All client billing information is encrypted and stored securely in Stripe's vault, not on Practice Better's servers. Neither you nor Practice Better ever sees or stores the full card number — only the last four digits and expiration date are visible for reference.

💡 Tip: When discussing stored cards with clients, reassure them that their information is protected by bank-level encryption and handled by Stripe, one of the world's most trusted payment processors.

Learn more about Getting Started with Practice Better Payments →

Three Ways to Add a Client's Billing Information

You have flexibility in how billing information gets added to client records. Choose the method that works best for your workflow and client preferences.

Adding a Card on Behalf of Your Client

When clients provide their card information over the phone, during a session, or through secure communication, you can enter it directly into their record.

1. Go to My Clients and double-click the client's name.
    
2. Select the Billing & Payments section from the client record, and click the Billing Information tab.
   
    
3. Click the Fast Action button in the bottom-right and select Add Payment Method.
   
    
4. Enter the client's card details in the pop-up window:
   
   • Cardholder name
   • Postal code
   • Country
   • Card number
   • Expiration date (MM/YY)
   • CVC security code
      
5. Click Save.

The card is now stored and available for processing future payments.

📍 Note: The system displays the message "Your client's card information is encrypted before transfer to our servers" to remind you that all data is handled securely.

Clients Adding Their Own Billing Information

Clients can add their credit card or bank information independently through their Client Portal, giving them control over their payment methods.

Client steps:

1. Log in to the Client Portal.
    
2. Go to My Resources > Invoices & Billing or click Invoices & Billing from the left-hand menu, and select the Billing Information tab.
   
    
3. Click the Fast Action Button in the bottom-right to Add Payment Method.
    
    
4. Select either Card or Bank Account and enter the payment method details in the pop-up window:
   
   • Card number
   • Expiration date (MM/YY)
   • CVC Security code
   • Country 
   • ZIP/Postal code
      
5. Click Save.

The payment method is now stored and ready for use on invoices and payment plans.

📍 Note: Clients may see other payment methods in addition to credit card, depending on the practitioner’s Practice Better Payments configuration.  

Auto-Saving Cards from Invoice Payments

The most seamless way to capture card information is to have clients save their details when paying their first invoice.

How it works:

When creating an invoice, enable the Save billing information for future payments checkbox in the Payment Options section at the bottom of the invoice form. This option is unchecked by default, so you must actively enable it.

When clients pay this invoice online:

• They enter their card information on the payment page
• A checkbox appears: "Store my credit card details securely for future payments"
• If they check this box, their card is automatically saved to their record
• Future payments become one-click experiences for them

This method works particularly well for first-time clients or when setting up new service relationships.

Learn more about Creating and Managing Invoices in Practice Better →

Charging a Card on File

Once a client has a card stored, you can process payments directly from your Practice Better account without asking them to enter their information again.

Billing from the Client Record

This is the most common method for processing ad-hoc charges or billing for services after they've been delivered.

1. Go to My Clients and double-click the client's name.
    
2. Select the Billing & Payments tab.
    
3. Click the Fast Action Button (floating action button in the bottom-right corner).
    
4. Select Create and process invoice.
   
    
5. Fill in the invoice details (services, amounts, line items).
   • Learn more about Creating and Managing Invoices in Practice Better →
      
6. Click Process in the toolbar at the top of the page.

📍 The client won't receive an email at this point—only when the payment completes successfully.

7. On the Pay Invoice page, select the payment method:
    

   

   • Cash (if collecting in person)
   • Check (if you received a physical check)
   • Bank transfer (if recording external payment)
   • Saved payment methods (displays as card brand icon with last 4 digits and expiration date, or saved bank info)
   • Another payment method (to enter new payment details)
      
8. Select the payment method you want to charge and click Submit to process the payment.

If successful, both you and your client receive email receipts immediately. The invoice automatically updates to "Paid" status.

Billing from a Booking

When you need to invoice a client for a specific appointment, you can create and process an invoice directly from the booking.

1. Go to My Schedule > My Bookings.
    
2. Click the More Options menu (3 dots) beside the booking and select Create/Edit invoice.
   
    
3. Complete the invoice details.
    
4. Click Process and follow the same payment steps as above.

This method keeps billing tied directly to appointments, making it easy to track which services have been paid.

Adding Line Items to Existing Invoices

If you've already created an invoice but need to add charges for additional services, you can add line items from bookings, packages, or programs.

1. Open the existing invoice you want to modify.
    
2. Click the Fast Action Button and select from the available options:
   
   • Add line item from booking
   • Add line item from package
   • Add line item from program
   • Add empty line item
3. Choose the specific item (booking, package, etc.) to add.
   
    
4. Customize the line item details as needed and click Done to save the line item.
   
    
5. Process the updated invoice using the steps above.

Choosing Which Card to Charge

When a client has multiple cards stored on file, you have complete control over which card to charge for each transaction.

How it works:

During the payment processing step, all saved payment methods appear in the payment modal. Each saved card displays:

• Card brand icon (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
• Last 4 digits
• Expiration date (e.g., "expires: 9/2027")

Simply select the payment method you want to charge and click Submit. This gives you flexibility to charge different cards based on client preferences or instructions.

💡 Tip: If a client calls to request you use a specific card, you can accommodate that request on a per-transaction basis without changing their default payment method.

What Happens When a Charge Fails

Payment processing doesn't always go smoothly. Cards get declined, expire, or hit spending limits. Here's what happens and how to handle it.

Learn more about Troubleshooting Payment Processing Issues →

When a charge fails:

• The invoice remains in "Unpaid" status
• No automatic retry occurs
• Practitioners processing an invoice will see a pop-up with the failure reason
  

Common reasons for failed charges:

• Insufficient funds
• Expired card
• Incorrect CVC/security code
• Card reported lost or stolen
• Bank declined the transaction
• Spending limit reached

How to resolve:

1. Contact the client to let them know the payment didn't process.
    
2. Ask them to:
   • Update their billing information in the Client Portal
   • Provide an alternate payment method
   • Call their bank to authorize the charge
      
3. Once resolved, return to the invoice and process the payment again.

📍 Note: Keep communication professional and assume the best — most payment failures are simple technical issues, not intentional non-payment.

Preventing Clients from Removing Cards

By default, clients can add and remove credit cards freely from their Client Portal. However, you have the option to restrict card removal to ensure consistent payment processing.

Default Protection (Always Active)

Practice Better automatically protects payment methods in certain situations:

If a client has an active payment plan AND:

• The payment plan is set to "charge saved payment method" or "send invoice if no saved card"
• AND the client only has one card on file

Then: That card can't be removed, even if the client sees the removal option in their portal.

This protection prevents payment plan disruptions by ensuring there's always a valid payment method available for scheduled installments.

Additional Protection Setting

You can go further and prevent clients from removing cards entirely, regardless of whether they have payment plans active.

To enable card removal prevention:

1. Go to Settings & Preferences > Invoice & Payment Settings.
    
2. Scroll to the Payment Settings section.
    
3. Enable the checkbox: Prevent clients from removing credit cards in the Client Portal.
   
    
4. Click Save Changes near the top right of the page.
    

What happens for clients:

If clients have only one payment method saved, they'll see a message directing them to contact their practitioner for billing management. 

When to use this setting:

• You require saved payment methods for all clients
• You offer ongoing services with recurring billing
• You want to reduce payment friction by keeping cards on file
• You've experienced issues with clients removing cards before scheduled payments

Important context for clients:

If a client needs to replace their card (expired, lost, stolen), they must first add a new card to the system before they can remove the existing one. This ensures there's always at least one valid payment method on file.

How Card Information is Stored Securely

Understanding where and how card data is stored helps you confidently reassure clients about security.

Security architecture:

• All card information is encrypted during transmission (SSL/TLS)
• Cards are stored in Stripe's PCI-compliant vault, not on Practice Better's servers
• Practice Better only stores a token reference to the card, not the actual card data
• You and your clients can only see the last 4 digits and expiration date

What you can see:

• Card brand (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
• Last 4 digits
• Expiration month and year
• Cardholder name

What you cannot see:

• Full card number
• CVC/security code
• Any other sensitive payment data

Compliance: Practice Better Payments (powered by Stripe) maintains PCI-DSS Level 1 certification, the highest level of payment security standards. This means card data is protected by the same security measures used by major banks and financial institutions.

💡 Tip: If clients express concerns about storing their card, explain that their information is encrypted and managed by Stripe—neither you nor Practice Better has access to their full card number.

What Clients See in Their Portal

Understanding the client experience helps you guide them through billing and address questions before they arise.

In their Invoices & Billing section, clients can:

1. View saved payment methods:
   • Card brand and last 4 digits
   • Expiration date
   • Option to set a default card (if multiple cards exist)
      
2. Add new payment methods:
   • Enter card details securely
   • Choose whether to make it their default card
      
3. Remove cards (when allowed):
   • If removal prevention is disabled
   • AND they don't have an active payment plan with only one card
   • They can delete saved cards
      
4. Update expired cards:
   • Add the new card first
   • Then remove the expired card

What clients cannot see:

• Your payment processor dashboard
• Transaction fees or processing details
• Cards belonging to other clients (each client only sees their own)
• Manual/external payment method options (ie. Cash, Check are only available to the practitioner) 

Removing Cards from Client Records

As a practitioner, you can remove client payment methods directly from your Practice Better account when needed.

⚠️ Important: If a client has an active payment plan set to charge a saved payment method and you remove their only card, future installments will fail. Always ensure there's an alternate payment method or update the payment plan settings before removing the last card.

When you might remove a card:

• Client requests removal
• Card is expired and replaced
• Client is no longer active
• Duplicate cards were added by mistake

How to remove a card:

1. Go to My Clients and double-click the client's name.
    
2. Select the Billing & Payments tab.
    
3. Click the Billing Information tab.
    
4. Locate the card you want to remove.
    
5. Select the Delete option next to the card.
   
    
6. Confirm the removal.
   

The card is immediately removed from the client's record and can no longer be charged.

📍 Note: Removing a card does not notify the client. If they had an active payment plan using that card, you'll need to update the payment plan with a different payment method or work with the client to add a new card.

Next Steps

Now that you know how to manage client billing information, explore these related topics:

• Collecting Partial Payments and Using Multiple Cards → Enable flexible invoice payment options for clients who need to split payments.
• Setting Up Payment Plans in Practice Better → Automate recurring billing with installment schedules.
• Processing Payments with Practice Better Payments → Understand all the ways to collect payment. 

Managing client cards securely and efficiently reduces billing friction and helps you get paid faster. Our support team is here if you have questions about payment processing or need help with complex billing scenarios!