How to Configure Payment Gateways in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Gateway credentials are held per company, so each account uses its own merchant account.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Gateway credentials are held per company, so each account uses its own merchant account.
Overview
Payment gateways let your clients pay invoices and orders online from the branded public document link, instead of paying by manual transfer only. CrmLeaf supports several processors and also supports offline methods such as bank transfer, cash and cheque. Every payment, online or offline, is recorded centrally and linked to the invoice, order, credit note or project it belongs to.
How It Works
An Administrator enters the credentials for one or more gateways in the account's payment gateway settings. Once a gateway is active, the public invoice and order pages present it as a payment option. The client pays on the gateway's page, the gateway returns the result to CrmLeaf through a callback, and the gateway also notifies CrmLeaf through a webhook so the payment is captured even if the client closes the browser. CrmLeaf then records the payment and updates the document status.
Obtain merchant credentials → Configure gateway → Client pays on public page → Callback and webhook confirm → Payment recorded
- Supported processors are Stripe (using Cashier), PayPal (including recurring payments and IPN), Razorpay, Paystack, PayFast, Mollie, Authorize.net, plus Flutterwave and Square on documents. Each has its own public payment, callback and webhook routes.
- Offline methods (bank transfer, cash, cheque) are configurable and support an approval step, so a claimed offline payment can be reviewed before it is accepted.
- Recording a payment moves an invoice from
unpaidtopartialorpaid, depending on the amount received. - Payments made against orders feed the configured order dispatch workflow, which can create the dispatch on payment.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Enter and maintain gateway credentials for the company.
- Enable or disable individual gateways and offline methods.
- Review and approve offline payments where approval is used.
Configuration is available only to Administrators. Users record payments against documents where their role allows it; see How to Record Payments and Configure Payment Gateways.
Prerequisites
- Administrator access to CrmLeaf.
- An active merchant account with each payment provider you want to offer, with administrator rights in that provider's dashboard so you can create and view API credentials.
- The currencies you intend to charge in configured in CrmLeaf, and the currencies supported by the provider confirmed on the provider's side.
- Company details and branding configured, because the public payment page carries them.
For Administrators
Step 1: Create credentials in your provider's dashboard
What to do: Sign in to the payment provider and generate the API credentials for your merchant account, for example an API key and secret. Note whether you are using test or live credentials, and keep them secure.
What to verify: The merchant account is active and able to accept payments in the currencies you will invoice.
Step 2: Enter the credentials in CrmLeaf
What to do: Open the settings for the gateway you are configuring, enter the credentials you obtained, and enable the gateway. Complete every mandatory value before saving, then select Save.
What to verify: The gateway is shown as enabled for the company after saving.
Step 3: Register the gateway's webhook with the provider
What to do: Each gateway has a webhook route in CrmLeaf that receives payment notifications. Configure that endpoint in the provider's dashboard so the provider can confirm payments independently of the client's browser session.
What to verify: The provider reports successful delivery to the endpoint, and a test payment is recorded in CrmLeaf without manual intervention.
Step 4: Configure offline payment methods
What to do: Enable the offline methods you accept - bank transfer, cash or cheque - and decide whether offline payments require approval before they are treated as received.
What to verify: The offline methods appear as options when a payment is recorded, and any approval step behaves as intended.
Step 5: Test a real payment end to end
What to do: Send a small invoice to a test client, open its public link, and pay it using each gateway you enabled.
What to verify: The payment appears against the invoice, the invoice status changes to partial or paid, and the transaction also appears in the provider's dashboard.
Expected Result
Enabled gateways appear as payment options on public invoice and order pages. Client payments are recorded automatically against the correct document, the document status updates, and the transaction is visible in both CrmLeaf and the provider's dashboard.
Service Organisation Context
Collection time is working capital for a service organisation, where revenue is almost entirely invoiced fees rather than goods sold. Offering a payment option on the branded public invoice link shortens the gap between a client accepting delivered work and the money arriving, and removes the manual transfer step that a client's accounts team often lets slip to the end of the month. Because every payment, online or offline, is recorded against the invoice it settles, fee collection is visible in the same place as the billing it relates to. The same benefit applies to any CrmLeaf account taking customer payments, including order payments in product businesses.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Gateway credentials belong to your company. CrmLeaf does not process payments on your behalf; funds settle into your own merchant account.
- The gateways used for CrmLeaf's own subscription billing are configured at platform level and are separate from the gateways your clients use to pay you.
- Switching from test to live credentials is a change on your side. Repeat the end-to-end test after any credential change.
- Offline payments still need to be recorded in CrmLeaf, otherwise the invoice remains
unpaid.
Common Scenarios
Example: one gateway per region. A company invoices in two currencies and enables two providers so each client pays through the processor that supports their currency. Both gateways stay enabled and the client chooses on the public invoice page.
Example: cheque payments with review. A company accepts cheques but wants finance to confirm clearance. Offline payment approval is enabled, so a recorded cheque payment is reviewed before the invoice is treated as paid.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| No online payment option appears on the public invoice page | No gateway is enabled for the company, or credentials were not saved | Open payment gateway settings, complete the credentials and enable the gateway |
| A client reports a successful payment but the invoice is still unpaid | The gateway webhook is not registered with the provider, so the confirmation never reached CrmLeaf | Register the gateway's webhook endpoint in the provider's dashboard and record the payment manually in the meantime |
| Payment is declined for a specific currency | The merchant account does not support that currency | Confirm supported currencies with the provider, or enable an additional gateway |
| An offline payment does not clear the invoice | The payment is awaiting approval | Approve the offline payment, or disable approval if it is not needed |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I enable more than one gateway at the same time?
Yes. Each enabled gateway is offered on the public payment page, so clients can choose.
Does CrmLeaf hold my clients' card details?
Payment is taken through the provider's own payment flow, and CrmLeaf records the resulting transaction against the document.
Can clients pay only part of an invoice?
Partial payment is supported; the invoice status becomes partial until the balance is settled.
Do orders support online payment too?
Yes. Orders can be paid online or offline, and payment can be the step that triggers dispatch, depending on the dispatch workflow you configure.