Payment collection

Payment collection means a form, survey or contract can ask for money as part of completing it. A booking form can take a deposit, an order form can take full payment, and a proposal can be paid when the client signs. The tool usually connects to a payment provider such as Stripe or PayPal to process the card. Tally, Typeform, Jotform, Fillout, DocuSign and PandaDoc offer versions of it.

Sending a form and then chasing an invoice adds days of delay and gives people time to change their mind. Taking payment at the moment of agreement raises completion and cuts admin. It suits event registrations, deposits, simple product orders and signed quotes.

It is not a full shop. If you need stock, shipping, tax rules and discount codes, a proper e-commerce tool is a better fit. Also check where the money goes, since the payment provider and the form tool may each charge fees.

• Which payment providers does it connect to, and is your own account used?
• Does the tool add its own fee on top of the payment provider's?
• Can the amount depend on answers in the form, such as quantity or a chosen option?
• Can you send receipts and see paid and unpaid submissions in one list?