Before you can take patient payments by card, you connect a Stripe account. Stripe is the payment processor that handles the card charge and deposits the money into your bank. Each location connects its own account, so payouts stay separate. Cash and check payments can be recorded without Stripe.
This is not your FrontDesk subscription. This is how your patients pay you. Your own plan and card are under Settings → Billing → Subscription.
Where to set it up
Go to Settings → Billing and open the Payment methods tab. Each of your locations is listed with its status. The Stripe Payments card in Settings → Integrations opens the same setup.
Connecting a location, finishing its setup, disconnecting it, its payouts and its Stripe dashboard are for the account owner and that location's admins, managers, practice managers and billers. The rest of the team sees each location's status.
Connect a location
- Find the location and click Connect with Stripe.
- Stripe opens its own secure onboarding pages. You'll provide:
- A support phone number and website (shown to patients on their card statement and receipts).
- Your business category, legal business name and address.
- Your business tax ID (EIN) and the owner's identity details.
- The bank account for payouts (routing and account number).
- Acceptance of Stripe's terms of service.
- When you finish, Stripe returns you to FrontDesk and the location checks its status again.
FrontDesk never sees or stores your bank details; everything sensitive is entered on Stripe's pages.
Hand it off to whoever does the banking
While a location says Finish setup, click Someone else can finish this to copy a setup link, and send it to whoever manages your finances. They can complete Stripe's verification from that link without logging in to FrontDesk.
What the status means
| Status | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Taking payments | Card payments are on and payouts are enabled. The row shows the next payout and what is pending. | View payouts, Stripe dashboard |
| Finish setup | Stripe needs a few more details before money can move; the row lists them. | Finish in Stripe, Someone else can finish this |
| Stripe reviewing | Everything is submitted and Stripe is verifying it, usually in under 24 hours. | Nothing to do |
| Payments off | Stripe turned off payments for this location, and card payments decline until it is fixed; the row lists what Stripe needs. | Resolve in Stripe, Contact support |
| Not connected | No Stripe account linked yet. | Connect with Stripe |
View payouts lists the location's recent payouts. Stripe dashboard opens the location's own Stripe dashboard for payouts, refunds and banking. Disconnect unlinks the Stripe account from the location.
What else is on this tab
Below the locations, the same tab holds the Autopay switch that charges cards on file when visits complete, and the Cancellation and no-show policy. See Card on file and autopay and Cancellation and no-show fees.
If payments go off
While a location's card payments are not connected, a payment plan installment that comes due is not charged and is not counted as a missed payment. The plan card on the client's profile says card payments aren't connected, and your team is told once. Once Stripe is reconnected, the installment is charged automatically.
Next step
Once a location is Taking payments, head to Take patient payments to collect payments, send pay links and invoices, and email receipts.