Setting Up Stripe & Card Payments

Connect your bank account through Stripe to accept card payments in person and online — then set up a card reader or use Tap to Pay on your phone.

Where to find it — Web: Sidebar → Payouts (payment account, readers, fee settings). Mobile: More → Payouts (status and balance; setup opens in browser).

---

Overview

Setting up Stripe & card payments lets you:

• Connect your bank account to receive payouts from card payments
• Accept contactless and chip card payments using a Stripe Terminal reader
• Use Tap to Pay on your mobile phone — no hardware needed (AU, NZ, GB)
• Choose who pays the processing fee (you or your customer)
• Track your payout balance, history, and transaction details
• Order a card reader directly through OpenChair

---

Step 1: Connect your bank account

Before you can accept card payments, you need to connect your bank account through Stripe. This is a one-time setup that takes about 2 minutes.

What you need

Country	Documents required
Australia	Photo ID (driver's licence or passport), bank account details (BSB and account number)
New Zealand	Photo ID, bank account number
United Kingdom	Photo ID, bank account details (sort code and account number)

On web

1. Go to Payouts in the sidebar.
2. If you have not started setup, the page shows "Activate payments" with the message: "Connect your bank account to start accepting payments."
3. Click "Connect your bank account".
4. Complete the Stripe verification form that appears inline. This collects your identity, business details, and bank account.
5. When finished, OpenChair syncs your account status. A green "Active" badge appears when everything is verified.

On mobile

1. Go to More → Payouts.
2. The Bank account card shows "Setup required" in red.
3. Tap "Connect bank account". This opens the setup form in your browser.
4. Complete the verification steps and return to the app.
5. Pull down to refresh — the status updates to "Active" when verified.

Skipping Stripe (cash-only)

If you only accept cash payments:

1. On the Payouts page, click "I only take cash payments" below the setup button.
2. The page switches to "Cash-only mode" with the message: "Online booking payments are disabled for your venue. Clients can book appointments but cannot pay online."
3. To reconnect later, click "Enable online payments".

---

Step 2: Set up a card reader (optional)

A Stripe Terminal reader lets you accept tap, chip, and swipe payments at your front desk. If you prefer, you can skip this step and use Tap to Pay on your phone instead.

Ordering a reader

If your bank account is connected and you have no readers registered:

1. Go to Payouts on web.
2. An "Accept Card Payments In Person" discovery card appears with two options:
   • Tap to Pay — "Use your phone as a card reader — no hardware needed."
   • Card Reader — "Order a dedicated countertop reader, delivered to your door."
3. Click "Order a Card Reader".
4. In the order sheet, enter your shipping name, address, and postcode.
5. Select the reader model from the dropdown.
6. Click "Order & Pay" to complete the purchase through Stripe.

An order tracker shows the delivery status: Processing → Ordered → Shipped (with tracking number) → Delivered.

Registering a reader

Once your reader arrives (or if you already have a compatible Stripe Terminal reader):

1. Go to Payouts on web and scroll to the Connected Readers section.
2. Click "+ Add Reader".
3. On your reader device, access the settings menu (swipe right from the left edge) and enter the admin code 0-7-1-3-9 to generate a pairing code.
4. Enter the pairing code in the "Registration Code" field (placeholder: "e.g. banana-apple-pear").
5. Optionally enter a Label (e.g. "Front Desk", "Station 1").
6. Click "Register".

The reader appears in the Connected Readers list with a status indicator:

Status	Indicator	Meaning
Online	Green dot	Reader is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi
Offline	Red dot	Reader is not reachable — check power and Wi-Fi
Unknown	Grey dot	Status could not be determined

Removing a reader

1. Click the trash icon next to the reader.
2. Confirm by clicking "Remove" in the dialog.

The reader is unregistered from your venue. You can re-register it later using its pairing code.

---

Tap to Pay (mobile)

Tap to Pay turns your phone into a contactless card reader — no hardware needed. Customers hold their card near the top of your phone to pay.

Availability

Country	iPhone	Android
Australia	Yes	Yes
New Zealand	No (Apple restriction)	Yes
United Kingdom	Yes	Yes

How to use Tap to Pay

No setup is required — Tap to Pay is automatically available at checkout if your device and country are supported.

1. Complete a booking or start a walk-in checkout on the mobile app.
2. Select "Tap to Pay" as the payment method.
3. The screen shows: "Hold the customer's card near the top of your phone."
4. The customer taps their card. Status updates: "Preparing Tap to Pay..." → "Hold card near your phone" → "Confirming payment..." → "Payment Successful".

On Android, the app requests location permission the first time you use Tap to Pay (required by Stripe for reader discovery).

Tap to Pay is available on both FREE and PRO plans at no additional cost beyond standard processing fees.

---

Processing fees

OpenChair charges a processing fee on each card transaction. The fee depends on your subscription plan and country.

Fee structure

Country	FREE plan	PRO plan
Australia	3.0% + $0.50 AUD	1.8% + $0.30 AUD
New Zealand	3.5% + $0.50 NZD	2.5% + $0.30 NZD
United Kingdom	2.5% + £0.30	2.0% + £0.20

An additional 1.8% international card surcharge applies when the customer's card was issued in a different country from your venue.

Who pays the fee

You can choose who pays the processing fee. Go to Payouts on web and find the "Transaction fees" section.

Option	What it means
Absorb all fees (default)	Customers pay the service price only. Processing fees come from your revenue.
Pass all fees to customer	A processing fee is added to each transaction for the customer to pay.
Pass international card fees only	Domestic cards are absorbed. International cards attract an additional 1.8% fee for the customer.

---

Payouts

Once your bank account is connected, OpenChair collects card payments and pays them out to your bank account on a schedule.

Payout schedule

Plan	Options
FREE	Monthly (1st of each month)
PRO	Monthly or Weekly (every Monday)

To change your schedule on web, go to Payouts and update the payout schedule section. On mobile, the schedule card shows Monthly and Weekly buttons — Weekly requires a PRO subscription.

Minimum payout amount

A minimum balance is required before a payout is triggered:

Country	Minimum
Australia	$50 AUD
New Zealand	$50 NZD
United Kingdom	£50

If your balance is below the minimum, a warning appears: the funds accumulate until the threshold is reached.

Viewing your balance

The Balance card on the Payouts page shows:

• Available — funds ready to pay out
• Pending — funds being processed (typically 2–7 business days)
• Next payout — the scheduled date

Payout history

The payout history table shows past payouts with their date, status, and amount. Status badges indicate: Paid (green), In transit (blue), Pending (orange), Cancelled (grey), or Failed (red).

---

Walk-out checkout (card on file)

Walk-out checkout charges a customer's saved card when their appointment ends — one tap, no checkout queue. This feature is marked PRO.

To enable walk-out checkout, your venue must have Stripe Connect configured with charges enabled. The toggle appears in the "Walk-out checkout" card on the Payouts page.

For full details on how walk-out checkout works during the payment flow, see Checkout.

---

Disconnecting Stripe

If you need to close your payment account:

1. Go to Payouts on web.
2. Scroll to the Danger Zone at the bottom.
3. Click "Disconnect".
4. Confirm in the dialog. The message warns: "This will permanently close your Stripe account and cancel any pending payouts. This cannot be undone."

---

Account status reference

Status	Web badge	Mobile badge	Meaning
Active	"Active" (green)	"Active" (green)	Charges and payouts enabled — fully operational
Setup in progress	"Setup in progress" (grey, spinning)	—	Stripe account created but verification incomplete
Pending verification	"Pending verification" (amber)	"Pending verification" (amber)	Details submitted, Stripe reviewing (1–2 business days)
Not connected	"Not connected" (amber)	"Setup required" (red)	No Stripe account — setup has not started
Cash-only	Card title: "Cash-only mode"	"Cash only" (grey)	Owner chose to skip Stripe

---

Role access

Action	Owner	Manager	Stylist
Connect bank account (Stripe setup)	Yes	No	No
Register / remove card readers	Yes	No	No
Change fee absorption setting	Yes	No	No
Change payout schedule	Yes	No	No
View payout balance and history	Yes	Yes	No
View transactions	Yes	Yes	No
Enable / disable walk-out checkout	Yes	No	No
Disconnect Stripe	Yes	No	No
Use Tap to Pay at checkout	Yes	Yes	Yes
Process card terminal payment	Yes	Yes	Yes

---

Platform differences

Feature	Web	Mobile
Stripe Connect setup	Inline embedded form on Payouts page	Opens browser to web Payouts page
Card reader registration	"+ Add Reader" with pairing code form	Not available — web only
Reader status	Connected Readers card with online/offline dots	Reader selector in checkout (status shown)
Hardware ordering	"Order a Card Reader" sheet with address form	Not available — web only
Tap to Pay	Not available (browser limitation)	Available at checkout (AU, NZ Android, GB)
Fee absorption settings	Radio buttons on Payouts page	Not available — web only
Payout schedule	Managed on Payouts page	Monthly/Weekly toggle (Weekly requires PRO)
Balance and history	Full table on Payouts page	Summary cards + history list
Walk-out checkout toggle	Toggle on Payouts page	Not available — web only
Disconnect Stripe	Danger Zone on Payouts page	Not available — web only

---

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
"Not connected" or "Setup required" status	You have not completed the Stripe Connect setup. Go to Payouts on web and click "Connect your bank account" to start the verification process.
Setup completed but still showing "Pending verification"	Stripe is reviewing your details. This usually takes 1–2 business days. On mobile, pull down to refresh the status. On web, the page syncs automatically.
Cannot register a card reader	Only venue Owners can register readers. Ensure your Stripe account is active (charges enabled). The pairing code expires quickly — generate a new one on the reader and enter it immediately.
Card reader shows "Offline"	Check that the reader is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. Press the refresh button in the Connected Readers section. If the reader remains offline, restart it and ensure it is on the same network.
Tap to Pay not appearing at checkout	Tap to Pay requires a supported device in Australia, New Zealand (Android only), or the United Kingdom. Ensure your venue has Stripe Connect active. On Android, grant location permission when prompted.
"No readers registered" at checkout	No card readers are linked to your venue. Go to Payouts on web → Connected Readers → "+ Add Reader" to register one. Alternatively, use Tap to Pay or Cash.
Cannot change fee absorption setting	This setting is only available to venue Owners on web. UK venues are locked to "Absorb all fees" by regulation and cannot change this setting.
Payouts not arriving in my bank account	Check the minimum payout threshold ($50 AUD/NZD, £50 GBP). If your balance is below the minimum, funds accumulate until the next scheduled payout date. View your balance on the Payouts page.
Weekly payout option is disabled	Weekly payouts require a PRO subscription. FREE plan venues are limited to monthly payouts.

---

Related Articles

• Checkout
• Deposits
• Managing Payouts
• Managing Your Services
• Commission Tracking

---

Last updated: March 2026