Card on File for Painting Companies: When and How to Charge It
Card on file is the fastest way to get paid for a painting job. The customer agrees once, and when the job is complete, the card is charged.
Collecting the Card
Customers can add a card through a secure form: when they sign up from your website, in the customer app, or from a link you send. You never handle card numbers yourself.
Charging at Completion
When the crew taps Complete, the invoice is built and the card can be charged. The customer gets the receipt.
Expired Cards
Cards expire. Send a secure card update link by text and the customer updates it themselves. The AI Assistant can send the link too.
Explain It Up Front
Put it in the estimate notes: “We charge the card on file when the job is complete and you have done the final walk-through with the crew.” Customers who expect it do not dispute it.
Big Jobs
For large jobs, many painters bill in stages. Set the plan in the estimate notes so the customer knows when each charge comes.
More on this topic: the Painting Invoicing Software page and the rest of its guides.
Charge the Card When the Job Is Done
Card on file, charged at completion.
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