This guide explains what your clients experience when they receive and pay an invoice through Programa so you know what to expect and can guide them through the process if needed.
What clients receive
When you send an invoice, your client receives:
An email notification with a link to view their invoice
A branded Programa payment portal showing all invoice details, line items, totals, and payment options
The payment portal is:
Mobile responsive - works on any device without needing to zoom or scroll
No login required - clients access it directly via the link in their email
Professionally branded - reflects your studio name, logo, and invoice details
What clients see on the invoice page
On the payment portal, clients can:
Review all line items, quantities, rates, tax, and any discounts applied
See the total amount due and, if applicable, individual split payment instalments with their due dates
Download the invoice as a PDF
See which instalments have been paid if the invoice has split payments.
Note: If your invoice uses split payments, each instalment is shown separately with its own label (e.g. "Deposit", "Milestone 1"), amount, and due date. Clients can pay each instalment independently (only in sequential date order) or the entire outstanding balance. The outstanding balance updates automatically after each payment.
PDF Example:
Accepted payment methods
Clients can pay using:
Credit or debit card — accepted globally
Bank transfer (direct debit) — BECS in Australia, ACH in the US
Stripe Link — if your client has previously saved their payment details with Stripe Link, they can use it for a faster checkout experience. This option appears automatically when available.
Apple Pay and Google Pay are not currently supported at launch (however, clients with Link can use saved payment details for a faster checkout experience)
Paying by credit card
Click Pay on the invoice page
Select Credit Card
Enter card details: card number, expiry date (MM/YY), and CVC
Review the Programa Pay transaction fee - a 3.5% fee applies to card payments
Click Next to see the final total payable including the fee
Confirm the total and click Pay to complete the payment
Paying by bank transfer (direct debit)
Click Pay on the invoice page
Select Direct Debit or Bank Transfer
Enter bank account details:
Australia: BSB number and account number
US: routing number and account number
Review the Programa pay transaction fee - bank transfers incur a 1% fee, capped at $25
Click Pay to complete the payment
Transaction fees are shown clearly before your client confirms payment - there are no hidden charges at checkout. You choose whether to pass fees on to clients or absorb them yourself when sending the invoice. See [Transaction fees explained] for more detail.
After a successful payment
The client sees a payment confirmation screen immediately
For split payment invoices, the remaining balance updates on the invoice page - clients can return to the same link to pay future instalments when they are due
Once an invoice is fully paid, it is locked and no further payments can be made against it
Need more help with the client payment experience? Contact our support team via live chat for personalized assistance.