Stripe handles every card payment your practice takes through splose: online payments on invoices, payments at online booking, saved cards on a client's profile, in-person payments through Stripe Terminal, and direct debit. When something goes wrong, the cause is usually a setting in splose, a setting in your Stripe account, or your local network, and most are fixable in a few minutes without contacting support.
In this guide, we'll show you the quick checks to run first, then the most common Stripe problems grouped by what you're seeing, each with its cause and the steps to fix it. If your issue isn't fixable at your end, the last section covers what to send our support team so we can resolve it quickly.
How to use this guide
Match what you're seeing, not what you think caused it. Find your symptom in the list below and jump to that section. Where an error message is shown, it's the exact wording that appears on screen, so you can match it. If your wording isn't listed, read the closest match; the cause is usually the same. If nothing matches or the problem persists, jump to Still failing? When to contact support at the end.
Nothing here matches
Before You Begin
Most Stripe issues clear after four quick checks. Run these before working through the sections below.
Stripe is connected. Go to Settings > Integrations > Stripe and confirm the connection is active.
Online payments are enabled. Go to Settings > Finances > Payments and confirm Enable online payment is on. Without this, the Pay now button won't appear on invoices.
The invoice has left Draft. Stripe payment options don't appear on draft invoices. Email the invoice or mark it as sent so it moves to Awaiting Payment.
You're looking for the payment under Credit Card. Every Stripe payment in splose is recorded against the built-in Credit Card payment method, which you'll find in the Accepted forms of payment list at Settings > Finances > Payments. splose creates and maintains it for you, so there's nothing to configure.
⚠️ Don't disconnect and reconnect Stripe to troubleshoot.
Disconnecting is not a fix, and it carries real risk. Reconnecting creates a new Stripe account, and because your clients' saved cards live in Stripe rather than in splose, those saved cards will no longer appear on your client records.
There is also no disconnect button in splose; disconnection is a manual request to our support team. If you're having trouble with Stripe, work through this guide or contact support instead.
Clients can't pay online
The Pay now button is missing from the invoice
What you'll see
No Pay now or Pay with credit card option on the invoice or its public link. Clients tell you "there's no option to pay" or "the link isn't working."
How to fix it
Work through these causes in order.
Cause 1: Online payments have been switched off
Go to Settings > Finances > Payments.
Switch Enable online payment on.
Click Save.
Open an invoice's public link and confirm the Pay now button appears.
Check this even if you know you enabled it previously. Saving your invoice settings can switch online payments off, so it's worth confirming the toggle is still on after any settings change.
Cause 2: The invoice is still a draft
Open the invoice and check its status.
Email it, or click Mark as sent, so it moves to Awaiting Payment.
The payment option then appears.
Cause 3: The emailed invoice has no payment link in it
If the invoice's public link shows the Pay now button correctly but the emailed copy has no link at all, the link isn't in your email template. Payment links aren't inserted into email templates automatically; the link is the invoice's public payment link, added by you.
Open the invoice and copy its public payment link.
Paste the link into your email to the client.
To make this repeatable, go to Workspace Settings > Templates > Emails and open your invoice template.
You can also send the invoice by SMS, which includes the payment link.
A client's card is declined
What you'll see
Wording passed through from Stripe, such as:
"Your card has insufficient funds."
"Your card was declined."
What causes it
The decline comes from the client's bank or from Stripe's fraud checks, not from splose. Common reasons are insufficient funds, an expired card, or Stripe assessing the transaction as high risk.
How to fix it
Ask the client to try the payment again with a different card. Stripe accepts most major credit and debit cards.
If the same card fails repeatedly, ask the client to contact their bank.
Stripe doesn't release the specific decline reason to your practice, so you won't be able to see why a particular card was blocked. Trying a different card is the practical remedy.
Only credit card is offered; other Stripe payment methods don't appear
What you'll see
You've enabled extra payment methods in your Stripe account, but splose invoices only offer card payment.
What causes it
splose invoices support card payments, saved cards, direct debit, and Stripe Terminal. Other methods enabled in your Stripe dashboard aren't offered on splose invoices. Buy-now-pay-later providers also commonly classify medical treatments and services as restricted, so eligibility for allied health sits with the provider regardless.
The payment went through in Stripe, but splose doesn't show it
The payment screen hangs, then the charge is reversed
What you'll see
You click Pay, the payment stays pending, and the charge appears in your Stripe dashboard but the invoice stays unpaid. If you close the dialog, the charge is reversed or refunded in Stripe.
What causes it
Closing the payment screen while a charge is in progress requests the payment and then reverses it. Nothing is taken from the client; the reversal you see in Stripe is that request being cancelled.
How to fix it
Retry the payment on the invoice, and leave the payment dialog open until it finishes.
If the charge appears in Stripe but the invoice is still unpaid after the dialog closes normally, don't charge the card again. Contact our support team with the invoice number and the Stripe payment reference.
A payment was taken and then automatically refunded
What you'll see
The payment shows as Void in splose, and your client receives a Stripe refund they didn't ask for.
What causes it
There are two causes.
An online booking clash. splose doesn't hold a timeslot between a client selecting it and completing payment. If someone else takes the slot first, splose rejects the booking and refunds the payment rather than double booking you. This is the common one.
An error while the payment was being processed. splose currently refunds a payment if anything goes wrong after the charge succeeds, not only when a slot has been taken. If the refund doesn't line up with a booking clash, contact our support team with the payment reference so we can check the logs.
Stripe's transaction fee isn't returned on a refund.
How to fix it
A refunded payment can't be retried. A refund is the end of that transaction, not a failed attempt. To collect the money, take a new payment:
Go to Payments and filter for void to find the affected payments.
Open the payment and go to the associated invoice.
Click Pay, choose Credit Card, and use the saved card on the client's profile.
The payment processes and the client receives a receipt.
Check the invoice hasn't already been paid another way before charging again. Because splose can store payment methods, you usually don't need to ask the client for their card details a second time.
An automatic refund like this is different from voiding a payment yourself. Voiding or refunding a payment in splose updates your records in splose only; it doesn't return money to your client.
An online booking was prepaid, but the invoice is still in draft
What you'll see
A client booked and paid online. The invoice sits in Draft, hasn't synced to your accounting software, and the payment isn't in the client's Payments tab.
What causes it
This is expected behaviour. When a client books and prepays online, the payment is held as a credit against the appointment. The invoice stays in draft until the appointment is marked as Arrived.
How to fix it
Open the Calendar and find the appointment.
Set the appointment status to Arrived.
The held credit is applied automatically and the invoice is finalised: Paid if the credit covers the full amount, or Awaiting Payment if it only covers part of it.
The invoice then syncs to Xero or QuickBooks, and you can send the finalised invoice to your client.
To trace the money, go to the client's profile, open the Payments tab, open the original credit payment, and click View next to Applied as credit to see which invoices it was applied to.
On the invoice you'll also see a $0.00 payment with no payment method and a different payment number. That's the record of the credit being applied, not a second charge. It doesn't sync to your accounting software, because no new money was collected.
If you're using Xero, the original credit payment does need a destination account: go to Settings > Integrations > Xero and set Default account for credits to a correctly configured Bank account.
The client has a Stripe receipt, but there's no payment or credit on their profile
What you'll see
The client paid at online booking and has a Stripe receipt, but the invoice you've raised sits at Awaiting Payment and you can't find the payment.
What causes it
The original online booking invoice was deleted or voided and a new one raised. That breaks the link between the held credit and the invoice.
How to fix it
Check the client's statement and check for archived credits; the credit is usually still there.
Recreate the invoice.
Apply the payment to it manually.
Payments were taken in Stripe during an outage and never reached splose
What you'll see
Payments appear in your Stripe dashboard, but the matching online bookings were never created in splose, and invoice payments haven't reconciled.
How to fix it
Log in to Stripe and review the payments received during the affected window.
For an invoice paid through Stripe that shows unpaid in splose: open the invoice, click Pay, apply a manual payment, and paste the Stripe payment reference into the payment note.
For a payment from an online booking that never created an appointment: either reverse the charge in Stripe, or create the appointment in splose manually, raise the invoice, and add the payment.
If you use Xero: reconcile the Stripe payments once the invoice exists in splose.
Stripe Terminal
"No terminal found", or Terminal isn't offered as a payment option
What you'll see
"No terminal found" when you try to take an in-person payment, or no Terminal option under Pay at all.
What causes it
splose matches your Stripe Terminal location to your splose location. If the name and address don't match exactly, splose can't find the reader.
How to fix it
In Stripe, go to More > Terminal > Locations and open the location your reader is registered to.
In splose, go to Settings > Locations and open the matching location.
Edit the Stripe location so its name and address match the splose location exactly.
Avoid slashes and other punctuation in the location name; these are known to break the match.
Retry the payment: open the invoice, click Pay, then choose Terminal under Stripe.
Make sure the invoice you're paying belongs to the location the reader is registered to. Each reader is tied to one Stripe location at a time.
If you work across several locations with one reader
You don't need a reader for every site.
In Stripe, create a Terminal location for each of your splose locations, with names matching exactly.
Move the reader between those Stripe locations depending on where you're working that day.
"Failed to connect with terminal"
What you'll see
"Failed to connect with terminal" after sending a payment to the reader, even though the reader shows as online in your Stripe dashboard.
What causes it
The reader can't complete its connection to Stripe. The usual causes are a low battery, a stale reader session, or your practice network blocking Stripe.
How to fix it
Work through these in order.
Check the battery. Charge the reader above 50%. Below that, it can't download the firmware and configuration updates it needs to connect.
Check the reader's own connection. Confirm it shows as connected to WiFi on its screen.
Restart the reader. A power cycle clears a stale Stripe session.
Run the reader's diagnostics. Swipe in from the left edge of the reader's screen, tap Settings, enter the passcode 07139, then open Advanced > Diagnostics and scroll to the Stripe connection result. It should show as passed.
Check your browser. Stripe Terminal depends on browser permission policies, so both the browser you use and its version matter. Update your browser to the current version, then retry. If you can, test in a different browser.
Test on a different network. Connect both the reader and the computer you're using splose on to a phone hotspot, then retry.
If the hotspot works, your practice network is blocking Stripe. Ask whoever manages your IT to allow outbound access to Stripe, and to check the computer's DNS settings. Corporate DNS filters, guest network logins, and firewall rules all block the reader's connection even when Stripe shows it as online.
If you've worked through all of these and the reader still won't connect, contact our support team; see Still failing? below. Some Terminal connection faults need Stripe's underlying error, which we can retrieve from the logs.
"Client is not created in Stripe. Create client in Stripe and add a card"
What you'll see
This message when you select Terminal as the payment method on an invoice.
What causes it
You should be able to take a Terminal payment by opening an invoice, selecting Pay > Terminal, and asking the client to tap their card, with no client record in Stripe and no stored card needed. If you're still being asked to create the client in Stripe first, your workspace hasn't had that improvement applied yet.
How to fix it
Contact our support team and ask us to enable it for your workspace. There's nothing to change at your end.
Direct debit
There's no AU Direct debit option when adding a payment method
What you'll see
Only the card option is offered when you add a payment method to a client's profile. AU Direct debit isn't there. There's no error message; the option is simply absent.
What causes it
BECS Direct Debit isn't an active payment method on your Stripe account. splose only offers AU Direct debit once Stripe has approved BECS Direct Debit for your account, and that approval is separate from connecting Stripe in the first place.
These are not the cause, so don't spend time on them:
Your Stripe connection. Practices already taking card payments through Stripe still hit this.
Your browser. Trying a different browser or an incognito window makes no difference.
Your region, if you're in Australia.
How to fix it
Both steps happen in your Stripe dashboard, not in splose.
Complete any outstanding identity checks on your Stripe account. Stripe emails you when it needs more information.
Open your payment method settings, find BECS Direct Debit, and click Request access.
Complete Stripe's verification. This can include photo ID.
Once Stripe approves it, AU Direct debit appears in splose when you add a payment method.
This is more likely to affect you if your workspace was set up with an older or custom Stripe payment profile.
If BECS Direct Debit is approved in Stripe and the option still doesn't appear in splose, contact our support team.
A direct debit payment is sitting at "processing" or has failed
What you'll see
The payment shows as processing and the invoice stays at Awaiting Payment, or the payment fails with no further attempt.
What causes it
Direct debit is not instant. It takes around two business days to clear, and the invoice remains at Awaiting Payment until it does. If a direct debit fails, splose does not retry it automatically.
How to fix it
Wait two business days before treating a processing payment as a problem.
If it failed, check the invoice's side panel and its change log for the failure.
Contact the client to arrange payment, then take the payment again — by direct debit, by card, or on a saved card.
Connection and account status
You can't connect Stripe, or your Stripe account has been rejected
What you'll see
An error when you try to connect Stripe or continue setting up your Stripe profile, sometimes including "the account has been rejected". This can happen after you've been approved, and even after you've already taken payments.
What causes it
Stripe has paused or rejected your connected account, almost always because it has asked you for more information and hasn't received it. Stripe's approval happens in two stages: it approves you to collect payments fairly quickly, then runs its full verification checks before approving you to receive payouts.
How to fix it
Check your inbox for emails from Stripe. Stripe contacts you directly when it needs more information.
Log in to your Stripe dashboard and complete the outstanding tasks on your account.
Retry the connection in splose.
Nothing in splose can unblock a Stripe account. If you can't find what Stripe is asking for, contact our support team. We receive an alert when a connection attempt fails and can often see the reason.
splose won't let you connect your existing Stripe account
What you'll see
The connection flow only offers to create a new Stripe account.
What causes it
This is deliberate. New practices connecting Stripe create a new Stripe account through splose, which is what enables the full set of payment features.
How to fix it
If you have a specific reason to connect an existing account, contact our support team to discuss it.
Clients' saved cards have disappeared from their profiles
What you'll see
Saved cards no longer appear on client records, and the Stripe integration asks you to complete your profile.
What causes it
Your Stripe connection was disconnected and reconnected, which created a new Stripe account. Saved payment methods live in Stripe rather than in splose, so they don't carry across to the new account.
How to fix it
Contact our support team. We may be able to reconnect your original Stripe account. There's no fix at your end.
Payouts and reconciliation
Your Stripe payout is smaller than the invoices it covers
What you'll see
The amount deposited into your bank doesn't match the total of the invoices your clients paid.
What causes it
This is expected. Transaction fees are deducted before the money reaches your bank account. splose marks the invoice as paid for the full amount the client paid, so the fee never appears on the invoice or inside splose.
For current transaction rates, see the pricing information on the splose website.
You can't work out which payments are in a payout
How to fix it
Download the payout report from your Stripe dashboard. It lists every payment included in the deposit that landed in your bank account, which is what you need to reconcile that deposit in Xero or QuickBooks.
Stripe payments are going to the wrong account in Xero
What you'll see
Card-paid invoices land in your general bank feed instead of your Stripe clearing account, or your Stripe clearing account doesn't appear in splose's Xero settings at all.
What causes it
splose only lists Xero accounts of type Bank in its payment account dropdowns. Stripe clearing accounts are often set up in Xero as Current Asset.
How to fix it
In Xero, go to Accounting > Chart of Accounts and open your Stripe clearing account.
Change the account type from Current Asset to Bank, then save.
In splose, go to Settings > Integrations > Xero.
Set Default Xero account for invoice items to your sales or revenue account.
Set Default Xero account for payments to your Stripe clearing account, which is now selectable.
Set Default Xero account for credits to a Bank account as well.
Click Save.
Stripe payments then post to your Stripe clearing account rather than your default bank account, which makes reconciliation considerably faster.
Things to Note
All Stripe payments in splose are recorded against the built-in Credit Card payment method. There's no longer a setting to choose a different default, and this payment method can no longer be renamed. If you deactivate it, splose reactivates it the next time a Stripe payment comes in. To reconcile, use the payout report from your Stripe dashboard rather than looking for a payment method named "Stripe".
Your clients' saved cards are stored in Stripe, not in splose. That's why disconnecting Stripe loses them.
One splose workspace connects to one Stripe account. If you run multiple entities in a single workspace, use Locations to separate where payments are recorded; all payments still flow through the one Stripe account.
To change the email address on your Stripe account, do it in Stripe. It won't affect your splose connection, and splose doesn't need to make the change for you.
splose doesn't support passing card fees on to your clients as a surcharge.
Transaction fees never reach splose. Your invoice is marked paid for the full amount, and the fee is deducted before the payout lands in your bank account.
A Pay now payment can't be set to a partial amount. If you need to take a deposit and the client's card is saved, process a payment for the deposit amount against the saved card instead.
Clients can't cancel a direct debit authority themselves. To stop future direct debits for a client, delete the stored payment method from their profile.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
I want to stop paying transaction fees. How do I disconnect Stripe?
I want to stop paying transaction fees. How do I disconnect Stripe?
There's no disconnect button in splose, it's a manual request to our support team, and it can take a few days. In the meantime, turn off online payments at Settings > Finances > Payments by switching Enable online payment off. That removes the Pay now button from your invoices, so no further card payments (and no further fees) can be taken while we process your request.
Can I take a payment without asking the client for their card details again?
Can I take a payment without asking the client for their card details again?
Yes, if their card is saved on their profile. Open the invoice, click Pay, choose Credit Card, and select the saved card. Saved cards live in Stripe, and you can turn automatic saving of payment methods on or off in your settings.
My client paid, but the payment isn't in Stripe at all. Where is it?
My client paid, but the payment isn't in Stripe at all. Where is it?
Only payments processed through the integration appear in Stripe. If the payment was recorded manually in splose, marked as paid by cash, bank transfer, or a manual card entry, it won't be in your Stripe dashboard. If it was taken with Pay now or a saved card and still isn't in Stripe, contact support.
Should I disconnect and reconnect Stripe to fix a problem?
Should I disconnect and reconnect Stripe to fix a problem?
No. There's no evidence it resolves anything, and it costs you your existing Stripe account and every saved client card. Work through this guide, then contact support.
Why can't you tell me why a client's card was declined?
Why can't you tell me why a client's card was declined?
Stripe assesses each transaction and doesn't release the decline reason to your practice. Ask the client to try another card, or to contact their bank.
Why isn't a client's direct debit retried after it fails?
Why isn't a client's direct debit retried after it fails?
splose doesn't retry failed direct debit payments automatically. The failure appears on the invoice's side panel and in its change log, and you'll need to arrange the payment again with your client.
Still failing? When to contact support
Some Stripe problems can't be fixed from your settings. Contact our support team if you've worked through the steps above and still see any of the following:
Payments recorded as paid by Stripe in splose that don't appear in your Stripe dashboard or your bank account
Payments incorrectly declining as "insufficient funds" across several clients
"Client is not created in Stripe" when selecting Terminal as the payment method
Stripe Terminal that still won't connect after checking the location name, battery, reader diagnostics, and network
Saved client cards missing from client profiles after a Stripe disconnection
A request to disconnect Stripe, or to reconnect a previous Stripe account
Online booking payments that won't sync to Xero or QuickBooks
Invoices reconciled in your accounting software that still show as unpaid in splose
A Pay now button missing from your invoice PDF while the invoice link works correctly
Voided payments you need identified, or invoices that return a page-not-found error
What to send us
Include the exact error text, the invoice number or numbers affected, the client's name, the date and time of the attempt, and a screenshot of what you're seeing. For Terminal issues, add the reader model and whether the reader's Stripe connection diagnostic passed. This lets us check the payment logs and resolve it in one pass rather than several.
📝 Want to set Stripe up, or learn more about what it can do? See Set up Stripe, Setting up in-person credit card payments with the Stripe Terminal, Set up a direct debit, Securely link a credit card with a client record through Stripe, and Refund a client's Stripe payment.