Collecting Client Credit Card Information Through a Form

In this article:

• Before You Begin
• Adding the Credit Card Element to a Form
• Setting Up Form Mapping for the Credit Card Element
• Saving the Card Automatically by Automation
• Saving the Card Manually on Import
• Caveats and Limitations
• What Clients Experience

Before You Begin

The Credit Card element is only available to practitioners who have Practice Better Payments connected to their account. If PBP is not connected, the element won't appear in the Form Builder toolbox.

Getting Started with Practice Better Payments →

Adding the Credit Card Element to a Form

You can collect credit card information securely through a form by adding the credit card element to a form. Learn more about Creating Forms & Waivers Manually in Practice Better → 

📍 Note: Each form can include only one Credit Card element.

To add the credit card element to a form:

1. Go to your Practice > Forms & Waivers.
    
2. Open an existing form or create a new one using Start from scratch.
    
3. In the Form Builder toolbox, locate the Credit Card element and drag it into your form, or click it to add it to the bottom of the current page.
   
    
4. Give the field a descriptive title (e.g., "Payment Information" or "Credit Card on File").
    
5. Optionally add help text to set client expectations, such as explaining that the card will be saved for future billing.
    
6. Toggle Required question on if you want to prevent clients from submitting the form without completing the card field.
   
    
7. Click Done to save the element.
    
8. Optionally make additional updates to your Form and then Save your changes. 

💡 Tip: Consider adding a Checkbox or Signature element to your form alongside the Credit Card element to collect explicit client acknowledgment that their card will be saved for future billing. This gives you a clear record of consent and sets client expectations before they enter their details.

Setting Up Form Mapping for the Credit Card Element

Before a card can be saved to a client's billing profile, you need to create a form mapping that tells Practice Better where to send the credit card data when the form is imported. This setup only needs to be done once per form.

Learn more about Importing Form Responses into Your Client Records →

1. Go to Settings (gear icon) > View All Settings > Forms & Signature, or go to My Practice > Forms & Waivers and click the Mappings & Settings tab.
    
2. Click Add mapping (or Add another) and select your form from the pop-up menu.
   
    
3. Click Add mapping to create a new mapping line.
   
    
4. In the left picklist, select the Credit Card question from your form.
    
5. In the right picklist, select Billing Information: Credit Card as the destination.
    
6. Click the More Options menu (3 dots) to select Set as client's default payment method. Toggle this on if you want the saved card to become the client's default for future invoices. You can leave it off if you prefer to manage defaults manually.
   
    
7. Click Save.

📍 Note: Form mappings for the Credit Card element work differently from other mapping destinations. The card data is handled by Stripe's secure infrastructure and is never stored as plain text on Practice Better's servers.

Saving the Card Automatically by Automation

If you want cards to be saved without any manual steps after form submission, set up an automation to import the form response as soon as the client submits it.

1. Go to your Practice > Automations.
    
2. Click the Fast Action Button in the bottom right corner.
    
3. Select Import completed forms into client files from the pop-up.
   
    
4. Name your automation and select the form you want to import automatically.
   
    
5. Select the existing mapping you created for this form. If you haven't created a mapping yet, complete the steps in the Setting Up Form Mapping section above first.
   
    
6. Click Create to save your automation.

✅ Once this automation is active, when a client submits the form, their card will be imported and saved to their billing profile automatically, with no action required on your end.

Saving the Card Manually on Import

If you prefer to review form responses before importing, or if you don't have an automation set up, you can import the card manually from the client's record after they submit the form.

1. Go to My Clients and open the client's record.
    
2. Go to the client's Forms & Waivers section.
    
3. Locate the completed form and click the More Options menu (3 dots) and select Import into file.
   
    
4. In the Import Form Data pop-up, confirm that the Credit Card mapping to Billing Information: Credit Card is listed. If it isn't, click Add mapping to add it manually.
   
    
5. Optionally toggle Set as client's default payment method if you want this card to become their default.
   
    
6. Click Review to preview which fields will be updated.
    
7. Click Import to finalize.

✅ The card is now saved to the client's billing profile and is available for future invoices and payment plans.

Caveats and Limitations

Credit Card Element and Booking Page Forms

The Credit Card element is intentionally hidden when a form is used as a booking page form. Client billing information collected at booking is handled through the service's payment settings or the "Require billing information" option, not through form elements.

If you attach a form containing a Credit Card element to a booking page, you'll see an alert in the form selection modal:

"This form contains a credit card element that will be hidden during the booking flow."

The form can still be used as a booking page form, and all other elements will function normally. The credit card field simply won't appear to clients during the booking process. 

This behavior applies whether the Credit Card element was in the form when it was attached to the booking page, or added to the form afterward.

📍 Note: To collect a card at booking, use the service's built-in billing information requirements instead. Learn more about Managing Client Billing & Payment Requirements for Bookings →

Declined Card Entries

If a client enters incorrect or invalid credit card details in the form, they'll see a declined error. If the Credit Card field is set as a required question, the form will not submit until the client successfully enters valid card details.

One Credit Card Element per Form

Each form can contain only one Credit Card element. If your workflow requires collecting cards across multiple scenarios, use separate forms with separate mappings.

PDF Copies of Completed Forms

On a PDF export of a completed form that includes a credit card submission, the card data is shown in truncated format only, displaying the card issuer and last four digits (e.g., "Mastercard ending in 4242"). The full card number is never visible in any Practice Better view.

Card Visibility During Entry

When a client is filling in the Credit Card field in the form, the card number is visible as they type. Once the form is submitted and the card is saved to Practice Better, the information is masked and only the card brand and last four digits are visible.

Clients may update their saved billing information in their client portal.   Clients can learn more about Managing Your Payment Methods in the Client Portal → 

What Clients Experience

When a client reaches the Credit Card element in a form, they'll see a secure card entry field where they can enter their:

• Card number
• Expiry date
• CVC security code

The card number is visible as they type, but is masked once saved; only the card brand and last four digits are visible in their profile.

When a client submits their card details, Stripe runs a card verification check with their bank to confirm the card is valid. No payment is made, and no funds are captured. This is a standard part of Stripe's card validation process.

If a client's card fails verification, the error message they see is generated by Stripe and will vary depending on the reason (for example, an expired card will show a different message than an incorrect CVC). These messages may use language like "card declined," which refers to the bank rejecting the verification check, not a payment attempt. The client can re-enter their card details or try a different card.

When the form is submitted successfully, clients see the standard form completion success message. The card is not charged at any point during this process. It is saved for future use only, and the client will be billed separately when a practitioner processes an invoice.