Stripe

What Stripe is

Stripe is the payment infrastructure most field service platforms use under the hood, and it can also be used directly for payment links, stored cards, recurring subscriptions, and invoicing. Transparent pricing and excellent reliability, with the caveat that it is built for developers first.

What it does well

• Transparent published pricing
• Excellent recurring billing and stored cards
• Highly reliable and widely integrated
• Payment links with no development needed

Integrates with

Most field service platforms · QuickBooks · Xero

Integration lists change often and "integrates" can mean anything from a real two-way sync to a one-way push through Zapier. Ask the vendor which fields move, in which direction, and how often.

Before you commit

• Compare total effective rate, not headline rate: interchange, assessment, platform markup, and chargeback handling.
• Surcharging rules vary by state and card network. Get the compliance answer in writing.
• For financing, know who pays the dealer fee and how it affects your margin on a promotional plan.
• Check approval rates across credit tiers — a lender that only approves prime leaves money on the table.
• Make sure deposits and progress payments are supported, not just pay-in-full invoices.

How to judge it in a trial

Run one real job through it end to end — not the demo data. Quote it, schedule it, do it, invoice it, take the payment. Then ask the only question that matters on day 400: did the people who have to use this every day find it faster than what they do now? Friction you notice in week one compounds forever, and tool-hopping costs more than any feature gap.