Routines are good until they start eating up more time instead of saving it. Most practices we’ve spoken with describe the same, slow steps - see the client, write the note, create the invoice, send it. Wait, then follow up and eventually, follow up again. 

Somewhere along this tedious timeline, a client's card expires, or the invoice sits in an inbox for a fortnight, or people just forget, The result? A task that should have taken ten seconds turns into one you carry around all week.

splose can shrink these steps and reduce the time spent waiting. This starts with ensuring all the pieces are connected; payment method collection, direct debit and in-app invoice payment. Once they are, your practice now has a loop that runs seamlessly from first booking all the way to ensuring the session payment lands in your account. Here’s how you can build a successful loop in four easy steps. 

Step 1: Ask for payment details before the first appointment

The single biggest reason practices end up chasing payments is because they don't have a payment method on file. And most practices only ever collect one by accident; when a client happens to pay online through a booking or an invoice link. But with splose, your practice doesn’t have to end up in the same position. 

If you have Stripe connected, you can add a payment method step to any form in splose, including your standard intake form. When a new client books or calls, you send the form as you already do. They fill in their details and agree to your terms, as they normally would. But with the payment step added, they now also authorise storing their payment details for future services They also enter their card or bank details at the same time. 

Storing card details does not trigger a charge

Storing payment details during setup is a standard, familiar part of onboarding. When you add a payment step to your form, you're storing the payment method securely for future invoices. The upfront authorisation makes it easier for you to collect payment when an invoice is overdue, rather than chasing up the client asking for card details. 

Adding a payment step works just as well as a standalone form. If you've been with splose a while and have multiple existing clients with no payment method on file, you can send a short payment details form to your active client list and build coverage in one go, rather than waiting for each client to pay an invoice online.

Step 2: Give clients the choice of card or direct debit

When a client completes the payment step, they can store a card for future use. If you have direct debit enabled, the payment step allows you to directly store their bank account details.

Direct debit is worth setting up because, for many clients, it's just easier. There's no card to dig out and no expiry dates to update over time. Bank account details are also familiar and trusted, especially for older clients or when family members are managing care and payment setup. 

From a practice management perspective, it's truly set and forget. Cards expire, get reissued, or get lost, forcing your team to chase updated details. Direct debit mandates keep going without interruption, which allows your admin burden to drop to near zero and stay there.

In addition to being reliable and convenient, direct debit is also cheaper since there are no card fees to be processed. The only trade-off is timing with direct debit taking three to five business days to clear. Card payments on the other hand settle much faster. 

We still recommend offering both options and letting your clients pick. Whichever they choose, the method is stored securely by Stripe and shows up on the client's profile in splose. You never handle or store the card number yourself.

Step 3: Issue the invoice and collect payment without leaving splose

Once a payment method is on file, invoicing stops being a two-system job. You issue the invoice in splose and take the payment from the same screen using the client's previously authorised payment method. No exporting, no separate payment terminal reconciliation, no wondering whether a transfer from last week matches the invoice from the week before.

Payments made through splose are also reconciled against the invoice automatically. This allows your accounts to stay tidy without having to touch them directly. Furthermore, stored payment methods in splose reduce settlement time to around 1 working day (compared to 3 to 5+ working days for bank transfers or manual follow-ups, where up to 50% of invoices are paid late).

Step 4: The loop pays off the more you use it

The reason to think of these as one workflow rather than three features is because of how seamless the process continues to remain whether it’s your tenth or fiftieth appointment. 

Every loop begins with a client booking. The intake form then collects the payment method and the appointment goes ahead as scheduled. From here, the invoice is issued and paid within splose, using the card or direct debit details you already hold. As the appointments start to ramp up, this payment loop continues to work in the background, without any intervention. Your admin team has more hours in the day to focus on other priorities and the cost of getting paid drops to near zero. 

Here’s how to set up a full billing loop in splose 

1. Connect Stripe in your Stripe Integration Settings. Both payment method collection and in-app payment need this. New customers can set up payments directly from there.
2. Turn on payment method collection in your Payment Settings.
3. Add the payment method step to your intake form in your Form Settings. Consider a standalone version for existing clients too.
4. Enable direct debit in your Payment Settings if you want to offer it alongside a card payment option. This applies only to Australian practices only for now.
5. Send the form to new clients as part of your normal onboarding, and to your existing active clients as a one-off.