Payments
Paid against the job
METBooker collects deposits at booking and balances by link, QR code or counter card reader, and records every payment, refund and manual method against the booking it belongs to, into your own payment provider account.
Six moments when money moves
Automotive payments happen at different points in a job and in different places. Each one is recorded on the same booking, so the balance owed is the real one.
- Deposit at booking
Set per service and paid online when the customer books, before you set off or clear workshop time.
- Link before arrival or collection
A balance link sent ahead of collection, or with a request you accept, where payment links are configured.
- QR or link at the roadside
A QR code from the same guarded checkout link, so the customer pays on their own phone. No card reader needed.
- Card reader at the counter
Stripe Terminal at the counter or on collection, where enabled. SumUp Solo integration is coming soon.
- Manual records
Cash or your own card machine, recorded by staff against the job, where supported.
- Refunds and exceptions
Refunds against the original payment, and failed or stalled payments listed for someone to deal with.
Payment links, full online payment, the card reader and counter sales are configured for your account during onboarding.
After the deposit
Taking a deposit is the easy part. The time goes on everything after it.
A customer pays a deposit online, adds a part on the day, pays the rest by card at collection, and a week later you refund part of it. In most systems that is four records in three places. In METBooker each of those is a line in the booking's payment record, the balance owed updates with each one, and the invoice and any credit note come from the same record.
The business's own provider account receives the money. Customers enter card details on the provider's hosted checkout or card reader, so card details do not pass through METBooker; METBooker creates the payment request, tracks its status and records it against the booking.
- METBooker's share
- None. No fee per booking and no percentage of customer payments; your provider's normal processing fees apply.
- Card reader
- Stripe Terminal, configured during onboarding. SumUp Solo integration coming soon.
- Supported providers
- Stripe, SumUp, Square or Dojo, according to the configured journey. Dojo supports online payments; Dojo card readers and automated Dojo setup verification are not supported.
Every way they pay
Whichever way the money arrives, it is recorded against the booking or the counter sale it belongs to.
| Method | When it is used | What METBooker records |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit online | When the customer books, set per service | Deposit on the booking, balance outstanding |
| Full payment online | When the customer books, if you allow it | Booking paid in full |
| Payment link | Balances, and requests you accept with a payment | Link sent, then paid, on the booking |
| Scan-to-pay QR code | At the counter, on collection or at the roadside | QR payment recorded against the booking |
| Card reader | At the counter or on collection | Card payment against the booking or sale |
| Cash or your own card machine | Taken by staff | Recorded by staff against the booking or sale |
| Written off | A balance you decide not to collect | Recorded as waived, not as money received |
Full online payment, payment links, the card reader and counter sales are configured for your account during onboarding.
Refunds and credit notes
Cancelling a booking can refund the customer through your provider without leaving METBooker. A refund is recorded against the original payment, and where invoices are enabled, a credit note is issued in its own numbered series and can be emailed to the customer.
Refunds made directly in your provider's dashboard come back into METBooker automatically for Stripe and Dojo. For the other providers, staff record them by hand so the booking stays right.
Example. A customer paid a deposit and a balance, then a part was not needed. A part-refund through Stripe reduces the amount paid on the booking, and the credit note is ready to email.
| Provider | On cancellation | Part-refund |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Automatic | Yes |
| Square | Automatic | In the provider |
| Dojo | Automatic | In the provider |
| SumUp | Automatic | In the provider |
"In the provider": make the refund in the provider's dashboard and record it in METBooker.
When something goes wrong
Card payments occasionally stall, fail part-way or are refunded outside METBooker. Those payments are listed under Payments needing attention, with the reason, so someone deals with them rather than finding out from an unhappy customer. Credit notes that are owed are listed in the same place.
Behind that, METBooker checks its own payment records every night and recovers card-reader and Dojo payments whose confirmation was missed. Matching provider payouts to your bank stays with you or your bookkeeper.
Common questions
Does METBooker take a percentage of my payments?
No. You connect your own payment provider account and customers pay into it. Your provider charges its normal card fees; METBooker charges only its monthly subscription.
Can a customer pay part now and part later?
Yes. Take a deposit online when they book, then the balance by payment link, at the counter on the card reader, or as cash or a card on your own machine recorded by staff. The booking shows what is still owed.
What happens to the deposit if a booking is cancelled?
Cancelling a booking can refund the payment through your provider automatically. How refunds work varies by provider, and part-refunds are supported with Stripe; the table on this page sets out each case.
Does METBooker reconcile payments with my bank?
No. METBooker checks its own payment records every night and lists anything that needs a person, but matching provider payouts to your bank account stays with you or your bookkeeper, because providers batch payouts and deduct fees.
Can I sell parts or a quick job without a booking?
Yes, with counter sales, which are configured for your account during onboarding. Quick sales take cash, your own card machine, the card reader or a payment link, and get a numbered receipt.
Do card details pass through METBooker?
No. Card details are entered on the payment provider’s hosted checkout or card reader. METBooker orchestrates the payment request and records the status, amounts and provider reference against the booking.
Which payment providers are supported?
Stripe, SumUp, Square and Dojo online-payment paths are supported according to the configured journey. Dojo is a live online-payment provider; automated Dojo setup verification and Dojo card readers are not supported. The integrated card reader is Stripe Terminal, with SumUp Solo integration coming soon.
Where next
Each payment feeds the invoice, the VAT record and the export for your accountant.