Stripe

Use the Stripe integration to:

• Add Stripe payment links to Sequence invoices
• Offer customers additional payment methods such as credit card or direct debits
• Automatically charge customers once a payment method is on file
• Automatically mark Sequence invoices as paid once payment is received
• Provide a self-serve payment experience to customers

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Start guide

Head to the Integrations page to connect to Stripe. This will take you to a Stripe onboarding flow to create a new connected Stripe account.

During onboarding, Stripe will request standard information about your business to verify your account. Ensure that you provide complete business information to avoid the risk of suspension or payment interruptions later on.

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Recommended Stripe account setup

• Enable payment receipts
• Set up payment methods
• Check Stripe account status

Create a transparent payment experience for your customers by enabling payment receipt notifications on Stripe (recommended). In your Stripe account, go to Settings > Business > More > Customer emails and enable email notifications for successful payments and refunds. Once enabled, your customers will receive a notification from Stripe each time a payment succeeds (see below). Payment receipts are helpful for customers who are charged automatically.

Example payment receipt from Stripe

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Collecting payments with Stripe

Collecting payments with Stripe is straightforward. To automate collections for a customer, enable Stripe payment links on the customer’s billing schedule, create one-time invoices with payment links or add a payment link to an existing draft invoice.

• Billing schedules
• One-time invoices
• Draft invoices
• Sent invoices

Create a billing schedule and enable Stripe payments to automate collections. Invoices created by the billing schedule will include a Stripe payment link (regular bank details are included as a fallback option).

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Example payment flow

1

Enable Stripe payments for a billing schedule

When the invoice is finalized and sent to the customer, a Stripe checkout payment link is generated. If a payment method is already on file, the customer is charged automatically.

2

Send an invoice with a payment link

Once an invoice has been sent, there are different options for your customer to view the Stripe checkout page and complete the payment.

• Invoice email
• Hosted invoice
• Invoice PDF

The email includes a Stripe checkout link to pay for the invoice. Clicking View invoice details will open the hosted invoice. The invoice is also attached as a PDF.

3

Stripe checkout

Clicking Pay using Stripe on any of the above touch points will open the Stripe checkout. If this is the first time the customer is paying via Stripe, they will need to enter their payment details as below. If a payment method is on file, the customer is charged automatically and will see a “Payment successful” page.

4

Payment successful

If the payment succeeds, or if a customer opens the link for an already completed payment, the below page is displayed. In Sequence, the invoice is automatically marked as paid.

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Charging customers automatically

Charge customers automatically once a payment method is on file (e.g. card details or a direct debit). Sequence initiates the payment when you send the invoice to the customer.

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Linking Sequence customers to Stripe

Once integrated with Stripe, Sequence will handle creating customers in Stripe. Customer details are pushed into Stripe when the first payment link is created. Login to your Stripe dashboard to view your customers. You can unlink Sequence customers from Stripe from the Sequence dashboard.

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Reconciling invoices

Invoices with Stripe as a payment method are automatically marked as paid in Sequence once the Stripe collection has taken place.

To reconcile payments against invoices in your Accounting system or ERP, use one of Stripe’s native Accounting or ERP integrations to sync in payment feeds.

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Dealing with failed payments

Sequence automatically charges customers with a payment method on file when you finalize an invoice with Stripe enabled.

Payments fail for a number of reasons, including expired card details and insufficient funds (learn more). When a payment fails, Sequence notifies you and your customer via email.

To make the payment, your customer needs to provide an updated payment method. Your customer can pay for the invoice by selecting the Pay using Stripe link from their invoice email notification or via their customer portal.

• Failure notification
• Making payment
• Tracking payments in Stripe

When a payment fails, Sequence sends an email to your business and customer.

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Charging self-serve customers

Collect customer payment information as part of your onboarding and charge customers automatically.

Add Stripe customers as part of your onboarding and collect payment details upfront:

1. Implement a Stripe onboarding user flow using the Stripe SDK. Your Sequence Stripe Connect account comes with API keys that you can use.
2. Use the Stripe SDK to collect the payment details of your customers.
3. You would then use the Stripe SDK to create a Stripe customer and associate the payment details with that Stripe customer. Once you have a Stripe customer ID, you can submit a request to Sequence via API. That request will associate the Stripe customer ID with the Sequence customer ID.
4. Going forward Sequence will then use the Stripe customer ID to charge the payment details you have collected during onboarding.
5. Decide whether to show or hide payment links on invoices and whether to issue receipts via Stripe.

Here is an example request that contains a Stripe customer ID in our API reference (a PUT request to update the customer and contains the following request body):

{
  "address": {
    "country": "GB",
    "line1": "Flat 1",
    "line2": "123 Fake Street",
    "postcode": "AB1 2EF",
    "town": "London"
  },
  "billingEmails": [
    "exampleCorpInvoices@example.com"
  ],
  "contactName": "John Doe",
  "customerAliases": [
    "b1c87177-088a-40ec-8917-9809343f3f9c"
  ],
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "externalIds": [
    {
      "key": "Xero",
      "value": "123456789"
    },
    {
      "key": "Stripe",
      "value": "cus_OCtCxqQDgu1uX9"
    },
    {
      "key": "HubSpot",
      "value": "123456789"
    }
  ],
  "label": "Example customer",
  "legalName": "John Doe",
  "taxStatus": "TAXED",
  "telephone": "02010001000",
  "url": "https://example.com/"
}

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Migrating existing Stripe customers

Copy your customers from your existing Stripe account into the Stripe Connect account associated with Sequence. Details can be found here: https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/data-migrations/pan-copy-self-serve.

The Stripe Connect account will receive all of the Stripe Customers and associated stored payment details from your original Stripe account.

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Frequently asked questions

If we already have a Stripe account, do customers need to enter their details again?

You can migrate existing customers into the Stripe Connect account associated with Sequence (see above).

Our customers cannot open their payment links. What's going on?

Check your Stripe account status to confirm there are no outstanding tasks or missing information that may result in a restricted Stripe account.

What payment methods can we use via your Stripe integration?

Stripe provides a wide range of global payment methods. Go to Settings > Payments > Payment methods.

How do we disconnect from Stripe?

Login to your Stripe dashboard, head to settings and disconnect from Sequence.

How do I refund a payment?

Log in to your Stripe dashboard and locate the payment you want to refund. Next, refund the payment via the button shown below.