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Payment Methods

The Payment methods table is where you decide which ways of paying you actually offer -- both at the counter (in person) and online through your booking widget. You can also offer a small discount when a customer pays you in person by cash, bank transfer, or "other", to save on card fees.

It is one simple table: each method has a tick for POS (in person), a tick for Online, and -- for the offline methods -- an optional Discount.

Opening the Payment Methods table​

  1. Click Settings in the sidebar.
  2. Select Payments from the settings menu.
  3. Scroll down to the Payment methods section.

What's in the table​

Each row is one way to take a payment:

MethodWhat it is
Credit / debit cardCard payment -- typed or saved card
Tap to Pay (terminal)Tap-to-pay on a card reader at the counter
Payment linkA secure link you send the customer to pay themselves
Voucher / gift cardRedeeming a voucher or gift card toward the total
CashCash handed over in person (offline)
Bank transferMoney transferred to your bank (offline)
OtherAny other in-person method you accept (offline)

The last three (Cash, Bank transfer, Other) are grouped under Offline payments -- these are the methods where you can offer an in-person discount.

Turning methods on and off​

There are two columns of ticks:

  • POS -- tick this to offer the method when you (or your staff) take a payment in person on a booking. Untick it to hide that method from the payment screen.
  • Online -- tick this to offer the method in your booking widget at online checkout. Untick it to remove it from the widget.

Only Credit / debit card and Voucher / gift card can be used online, so those are the only two rows with an Online tick available. The other rows show a dash (—) in the Online column because they only make sense in person.

To make a change:

  1. Tick or untick the boxes you want for each method.
  2. Click Update at the bottom of the page.
tip

Everything is switched on by default, so you don't have to set anything up unless you want to stop offering a particular method.

Offering a discount for paying in person​

Card payments cost you a processing fee. If you'd rather a customer paid by cash, bank transfer, or another offline method in person, you can offer them a small discount to encourage it.

For Cash, Bank transfer, and Other, the Discount column has a tick box. To set one up:

  1. Tick the Discount box on the row for that method.
  2. A small percentage field appears -- type the discount you want to give (for example, 3 for 3% off).
  3. Click Update.

How the discount works when you take a payment​

You don't have to remember to apply anything -- it happens automatically:

  • When you take a payment on a booking and choose Cash (or whichever offline method you set a discount for), EquipDash applies the discount straight away.
  • The booking total drops by that percentage, and any taxes recalculate on the new, lower amount.
  • The discount shows as its own line on the booking and on the customer's receipt, so it's clear exactly what was taken off and why (for example, "Cash payment discount").

If you change your mind and switch the payment method back to a card before charging, the discount is removed and the total returns to the full price.

A discount, never a card surcharge​

This is the important bit, and it's worth getting right:

  • The price you advertise is always the full price. The discount is taken off that price only when someone pays in person by an offline method.
  • It is never a surcharge added on top for paying by card. Online card bookings always pay the full displayed price -- no extra is ever added for using a card.

This matters in places where adding a surcharge for card payments isn't allowed but offering a discount for cash or debit is perfectly fine -- for example, Quebec. By framing it as a discount for paying in person rather than a fee for paying by card, you stay on the right side of those rules. EquipDash always handles it this way for you.

How it all fits together​

ColumnWhat it controls
POSWhether the method appears when you take a payment in person on a booking
OnlineWhether the method appears in your booking widget (card and voucher only)
DiscountAn optional percentage off for paying in person by cash, bank transfer, or other

Things to Keep in Mind​

  • Turning a method off for POS simply hides it from the in-person payment screen -- it doesn't affect any payments you've already taken.
  • Turning a method off for Online removes it from your widget checkout. If you untick both online-capable methods, customers won't be able to pay through the widget, so leave at least one on.
  • The in-person discount only applies to the offline methods (cash, bank transfer, other). Card, tap-to-pay, payment link, and voucher don't have a discount option -- a voucher already reduces the amount due, and adding a discount to card payments would defeat the whole point.
  • Changing these settings doesn't change existing bookings. Only new payments use the updated configuration.