# Set up payments

> Connect Stripe, set your business country and choose who pays the platform and processing fees.

- URL: https://tillage.ai/docs/getting-started/set-up-payments
- Section: [Getting started](https://tillage.ai/docs/getting-started)

Tillage collects payments through Stripe. Connecting it lets clients pay invoices by card or bank transfer, and it's required before you can send quotes or invoices from Tillage. This page walks through the setup and the fee choices you'll make along the way.

Only team owners and admins can connect or change Stripe.

## Before you start

Set your business location first. Go to **Team Settings → Business** and choose your **Country**. If you're in the United States, also choose your **US state**. Then click **Save Team Settings**.

Your country decides where a new Stripe account is created and which bank transfer method clients see at checkout. You can't change it once Stripe is connected without disconnecting first. See [Business and branding](https://tillage.ai/docs/account/business-and-branding#country-and-state).

## Connect Stripe

1. Go to **Team Settings → Payments**.
2. In **Payment Processing**, click **Connect with Stripe**.
3. Choose a setup:
   - **Connect Existing** links a Stripe account you already have. Your transactions, customers and history stay in your own Stripe account.
   - **Set Up Express** creates a new Stripe Express account for you, managed through Tillage. Choose this if you don't use Stripe yet.
4. Follow Stripe's steps to verify your business and add a bank account for payouts. Stripe redirects you back to Tillage when you're done.

Both options cost the same: no monthly fee, and a 1% platform fee only when a client pays online.

If you set up payments during onboarding, you've already done this. You can come back here any time.

### Check the connection

When setup is complete, the card shows **Payment Processing Active** with **Manage in Stripe** and **Disconnect** buttons.

If Stripe still needs something, you'll see **Complete Your Stripe Setup** with a **Continue Stripe Setup** button, or an **Action Required** card listing what's missing, such as a bank account for payouts. Click **Complete in Stripe Dashboard** to finish. Stripe can hold payouts until these items are done.

### Bank transfers with an existing Stripe account

Express accounts turn on your country's bank transfer method automatically. If you connected an existing account, turn it on yourself in your Stripe Dashboard under **Settings → Payment methods**. Tillage shows **Enable bank transfers in Stripe** until it's on; click **Check again** after you change it.

## Choose who pays the fees

Two fees can apply when a client pays online. In **Team Settings → Payments**, the **Fees & Invoicing** card lets you choose who covers each one.

| Fee | Amount | Options |
|---|---|---|
| **Platform fee (1%)** | 1% of the invoice, capped at $50 per invoice. Same for card and bank payments. | **Business absorbs** (default) or **Client pays** |
| **Processing fee** | Stripe's fee: about 2.9% + 30¢ for cards, 0.8% capped at $5 for US ACH | **Business absorbs** (default) or **Client pays** |

- **Business absorbs** takes the fee out of your payout. The client pays the invoice amount.
- **Client pays** adds the fee to the client's total at checkout. For the processing fee, Tillage grosses up the charge so you receive the full invoice amount after Stripe's fee.

Fees passed to clients are pass-throughs only; Tillage adds no markup. Use **Checkout preview** to enter an amount and see what a client would pay by card and by bank transfer.

Offline payments you record yourself, such as checks or wires, carry no Tillage fee.

### Limits on passing fees to clients

- **Client pays** for the processing fee stays disabled until your business location is complete: a country, and a state for US teams.
- Card surcharges are prohibited in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico. Teams based there can't pass the processing fee to clients; it's always absorbed. You can still pass on the platform fee.
- Outside the US, surcharge rules vary and many countries prohibit them. Confirm it's allowed where you operate before choosing **Client pays**.

When either fee is passed to clients, open **Legal & compliance requirements** on the same card to review what applies.

See [Processing fees](https://tillage.ai/docs/invoices/processing-fees) for worked examples and [Pricing and fees](https://tillage.ai/docs/reference/pricing-and-fees) for the full breakdown.

## Before Stripe is connected

You can create clients, quotes, contracts and invoices without Stripe, but you can't send quotes or invoices. Until you connect, Tillage shows a **Set up payment processing** banner, and the send dialogs show the same message instead of the send form.

Creating quotes and invoices also needs either a verified email address or a connected Stripe account. If you see **Verify your email to unlock sending**, click **Resend email** and follow the link.

## Disconnect Stripe

1. Go to **Team Settings → Payments**.
2. Click **Disconnect** and confirm in **Disconnect Stripe?**.

Payment processing turns off for the team, and clients can't pay online until you reconnect. Your Stripe account stays active and your data stays in Stripe.

## Next steps

- [Create an invoice](https://tillage.ai/docs/invoices/create-an-invoice)
- [Send an invoice and get paid](https://tillage.ai/docs/invoices/send-and-get-paid)
- [Stripe integration](https://tillage.ai/docs/integrations/stripe)

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