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Getting paid your way: set up payments, take deposits and track what's owed

· 6 min read

Some customers pay by bank transfer, some send it through a mobile wallet, and some hand you cash at the door. SweetMargins doesn't try to change that. It shows customers how to pay you, the way you already get paid, and keeps a clear record of what's in and what's still owed. Here's how to set it up and how to track every payment, whether it comes as a deposit, in instalments or with a mix of methods.

Why we don't take payments for you

Plenty of apps plug into one payment company and make every customer pay through it. We chose not to, on purpose. Here's why.

  • It works in every country. The big card processors aren't available everywhere, and in many countries bakers simply can't sign up. A bank account and a phone number work everywhere.
  • Your customers pay the way they already do. Bank transfer, mobile money, PayPal, Venmo, cash on pickup. Nobody has to create an account or type card details for a birthday cake.
  • The money goes straight to you. It never passes through us, so there's nothing held back, no payout waiting days, and no account that can be frozen the week before a wedding order.
  • We take no cut. Card processors usually keep around 3% of every payment. We charge nothing on your payments, on Free or on Pro.
  • You can change your mind any time. Swap your bank, add a new app, or drop one. It's a change in your settings, not a migration.

Set up how customers pay you

  1. Go to Settings → Business and scroll to How customers pay you.
  2. Pick a type: Bank transfer, Mobile money, PayPal, Pay online (any payment link) or Other. The type only fills in the form for you. You can call it whatever your customers know it as, like “M-Pesa” or “Pay by card”.
  3. Add your details and instructions: your account number, the number to send to, or anything customers should do, such as “add your order number in the note.” For links, the instructions show under the pay button.
  4. Add up to three ways to pay. That's enough choice without burying your customers in options. Tap Edit on any of them to change it later.

Two small words do a lot of work. Write {amount} in a link or in your instructions and we fill in the amount due. Write {reference} and we fill in the invoice number, so you can tell which transfer is for which cake.

Up to three ways to pay, each with its own instructions.

Your payment methods then appear on every invoice you share and on every deposit request, with the right amount already filled in.

Ask for a deposit (Pro)

A deposit is the simplest cure for no-shows. In Settings → Business → Deposits, choose a percentage, say 30%. Every new order then asks for it. If you prefer, tick Only confirm orders once the deposit is in: new orders wait as Waiting and book themselves the moment you mark the deposit received.

Want a deposit on just one order? Open it and tap Ask for a deposit. You get a link to share by WhatsApp, text or email. It opens a page showing your customer what's due and how to pay.

Track every payment, step by step

Let's follow Sarah's $120 birthday cake from order to paid in full.

  1. You

    Step 1: You send Sarah the deposit request

    With a 30% deposit set, the order asks for $36. You copy the link and send it to Sarah on WhatsApp. If the order came in through WhatsApp ordering, she gets the link automatically when you accept.

    Sarah sees what's due and how to pay you.
  2. Customer

    Step 2: Sarah pays however she likes

    She copies your bank details and sends the transfer from her banking app, with the reference you asked for. The money goes straight into your account.

    Sarah's phone

    She pays you directly, with no account to create.
  3. You

    Step 3: You tap received

    Once you see it in your bank, open the order and tap Mark $36.00 received. If she sent a different amount, paid another way or paid on another day, tap Different amount, method or date? and fill in what actually happened.

    The deposit is covered, so the order is marked Booked. If Sarah ordered on WhatsApp, she gets a thank-you message saying her order is confirmed.

    One tap for the usual case, details only when you need them.
  4. Both sides

    Step 4: The rest arrives, however it arrives

    On the day, Sarah pays the remaining $84 in cash when she picks up. You record it with Cash on delivery as the method. The order now shows Paid in full, and its invoice is marked paid by itself.

    Paying in three or four parts works the same way. Record each payment as it comes, and the order always shows what's been paid and what's left.

    A deposit by bank transfer, the balance in cash. Both in one place.

Good to know

  • Recording payments is free. Anyone can track payments on their orders. Deposit requests come with Pro.
  • Mistakes are easy to undo. Remove a payment from the order and everything goes back to how it was, including the invoice.
  • Your month adds up by itself. Once an order is done or paid in full, it counts in Money, so you can see what you made each month, ready for your records or whoever does your taxes.
  • Paid customers can't be deleted by accident. An order with money on it can't be deleted. Cancel it instead, so the record of what was paid stays.

Know who's paid, at a glance.

Keep your bank, your wallet and your cash tin. SweetMargins keeps the record.

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