Getting paid

Bottle supports payment links, pay-later invoices and cash on delivery. New orders use the customer’s payment terms unless you change them.

Paid orders imported from WooCommerce or Shopify keep payment and invoicing with that shop. Bottle handles the delivery and tracking, not another payment link, invoice or refund settlement. See Connecting your shop.

Setting up

Open Connections from your user menu and choose Stripe, then Set up with Stripe. Have your business and bank details ready. You can return to finish setup later.

Already use Stripe? Choose Connect an existing Stripe account, sign in to Stripe and select the account for this business. You do not need to create another account. The button is available when Bottle’s existing-account connection is configured.

If you leave Stripe without approving, no account is connected. An expired connection link means you should start again from Card payments. Bottle does not replace an account that is already taking payments.

Only an owner can connect Stripe. Office users can check its status. Payments go to your Stripe account and Stripe pays out to your bank. Bottle does not hold the money.

Pay first

Payment-link orders wait for payment before automatic round planning includes them. Creating the order emails the payment link when the connected provider supports payment links, the customer has an email address and Order emails is on under Business settings → Customer emails.

Once payment is confirmed, the customer receives their order details and tracking reference when Order emails is on. The payment provider sends the card receipt.

The invoice

A payment-link order for a saved customer creates a Bottle invoice with your invoice number. The payment settles both the invoice and order.

The link in the email, the reminders and the invoice keeps working until the invoice is paid. Each time the customer opens it, Bottle opens a fresh card payment page. Once the invoice is paid, the link says so. If it is cancelled or replaced, the link says it is closed.

Resending the link does not create a second debt. If you change the order’s contents, the old invoice is cancelled and a new link creates an invoice for the updated amount. Cancelled invoices keep their numbers.

A one-off order without a customer record can have a payment link but no customer invoice.

A customer who owes on several invoices can pay them all in one card payment. See Paying several invoices at once.

Sending a link

Open the order to send or resend its payment link. If a payment provider was not connected when you created the order, connect it first, then use Send payment link. Bottle does not send it while Order emails is off; copy and share the link through your existing route instead.

The order shows Awaiting payment until payment is confirmed, then Paid with the date.

If the customer has no email address, copy the link from the order and send it yourself.

A card at the door

The driver can open a card-payment link from the stop. The customer scans the QR code and pays on their own phone. See Cash for recording payments and handing cash to the office.

On account

Choose Pay later to deliver without taking payment first. Bottle invoices after delivery, or includes the delivery in the customer’s weekly, monthly or quarterly invoice.

Set the customer’s payment terms and invoice frequency on their record. See Invoices.

Cash on delivery

The driver records the amount collected at the stop. Cash orders do not need advance payment to be planned onto a round.

Track cash held by each driver and confirm handovers on the Cash page.

Recording payments received elsewhere

Use Mark as paid to record a payment received outside the payment link. If it was recorded incorrectly, mark it unpaid again.

Did you invoice the order yourself, outside Bottle? Choose Paid outside Bottle as the payment method instead. Bottle then raises no invoice for it, so the customer is not billed twice. You cannot send a payment link or use Mark as paid on an order paid outside Bottle. See How it is being paid.

Planning

Unpaid payment-link orders remain in the waiting list with Not paid yet. Once paid, they can be included in the next planning run. Office users can also add them to a round manually.

What it costs

Stripe charges processing fees. Check Stripe’s current pricing for the payment methods you offer.

For an overview of invoicing and getting paid in Bottle, see Invoicing and getting paid on the Bottle website.