To be paid on the day, send the invoice with a payment link by SMS or WhatsApp before you leave the job, so the customer can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer from their phone. A reminder goes out automatically if the link isn't paid. Through Adfin each payment costs 20c + 1% at the standard price, and on bank transfer the 1% part stops at €2 while cards aren't capped, so a €420 job costs €2.20 by bank transfer and €4.40 by standard card.
In this article
The short version
- Send the invoice and a payment link by SMS or WhatsApp before leaving.
- Customers can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer.
- Through Adfin, a €1,250 job costs €2.20 by bank transfer and €12.70 by standard card.
- Household customers can't be surcharged for paying by debit or credit card.
- A VAT invoice must issue within 15 days of the end of the month.
What happens before you leave the job
Getting paid on the day depends a lot on timing. If the invoice reaches the customer while they're standing in the kitchen looking at the finished work, paying it takes a minute. If it arrives by post a week later, it's competing with every other bill they've got.
A simple routine for the end of each job runs in four steps.
- Agree the final amount with the customer before you pack up, including any extra parts or time, so the invoice holds no surprises.
- Raise the invoice on your phone or in the van, in your job software or in Xero or QuickBooks.
- Send a payment link by SMS or WhatsApp, or by email if the customer prefers, while you're still there.
- Let the customer choose how to pay from the link, whether that's card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer.
Offering bank transfer from the same link matters on bigger jobs, because it costs you less and the customer can pick it if they're happy to. Adfin sends links by SMS, WhatsApp or email, and there's no monthly fee, setup fee or contract to keep it running between busy weeks.
What a day of payments costs
Here's a day with four jobs, each paid from a link. The price is 20c + 1% of each payment. On bank transfer the 1% part can't go above €2, so anything from €200 up to €2,000 costs €2.20 that way. Cards have no cap.
| Job | Amount | Paid by standard card | Paid by bank transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call-out | €95 | €1.15 | €1.15 |
| Repair | €180 | €2.00 | €2.00 |
| Replacement part fitted | €420 | €4.40 | €2.20 |
| Installation | €1,250 | €12.70 | €2.20 |
| Day's total | €1,945 | €20.25 | €7.55 |
On the two smaller jobs the method makes no difference, because 1% is still under €2. The gap opens on the installation, where a standard card costs €10.50 more than bank transfer. If every customer pays by card, the day costs €20.25; if they all choose bank transfer, €7.55.
When the customer doesn't pay there and then
Some customers will say they'll sort it out tonight. A reminder by the same channel the next day, with the link in it, gives them a nudge without you having to remember. Adfin's free Essential credit control sends unlimited reminders by email, SMS and WhatsApp, and shows what each customer owes and for how long in an aged debtors view.
For household customers, the statutory late payment rules don't apply, because they only cover dealings between businesses or with public bodies. Being paid on the day, and a deposit on bigger jobs, are your main protection with them.
Business customers, such as main contractors, letting agents or facilities managers, may work on account terms instead of paying on the day. If one pays late, you're entitled to statutory interest under S.I. 580 of 2012, which is 10.4% a year from 1 July 2026 and is reset each January and July, plus €40 in fixed compensation on an invoice up to €1,000. Where no payment date was agreed, payment falls due 30 days after the later of receiving the invoice or the work being done.
Your books and the VAT invoice
Each payment taken through Adfin is marked paid in Xero or QuickBooks automatically, because it's a certified app for both with two-way sync. It works alongside your job software, as long as your invoices end up in one of those two.
If you're registered for VAT, Revenue expects a VAT invoice to issue within 15 days of the end of the month in which you did the work, so an invoice raised on the day is well inside that. It needs the details on Revenue's list, including the invoice date, a unique sequential number, your name, address and VAT number, the customer's name and address, a description of the work, the price before VAT, the VAT rate and amount, and the date of supply.
Common questions
How do I get a customer to pay before I leave the job? Send the invoice with a payment link by SMS or WhatsApp while you're still on site, so they can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer from their phone.
What does Adfin charge on a €180 job? €2.00 by standard card or bank transfer, which is 1% of €180 plus 20c. The cap on the 1% part only makes a difference above €200, and only on bank transfer and direct debit.
Can I add a charge when a household customer pays by card? No, surcharging consumers for paying by debit or credit card is banned under Regulation 86 of S.I. 6 of 2018. A charge on a commercial card is allowed, as long as it's no more than what accepting that card costs you.
Can I charge interest if a household customer pays late? The statutory late payment interest rules cover business customers and public bodies, not consumers. With household customers, taking payment on the day and a deposit up front are the practical protections.
How soon do I have to issue a VAT invoice? Revenue requires a VAT invoice to issue within 15 days of the end of the month in which the work was done.
Which payment method costs least on a bigger job? Through Adfin, bank transfer, because the 1% part is capped at €2 on bank transfer and direct debit. A €1,250 job costs €2.20 that way and €12.70 by standard card.
Sources
- Revenue - What is a VAT invoice? (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-records-invoices-credit-notes/invoices/what-is-vat-invoice.aspx
- Revenue - Information required on a VAT invoice (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.revenue.ie/en/vat/vat-records-invoices-credit-notes/invoices/information-required-vat-invoice.aspx
- Irish Statute Book - S.I. No. 580 of 2012, European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012 (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/si/580/made/en/print
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment - Late payment interest rate (accurate as of November 2026) https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/supports-for-smes/late-payments/late-payment-interest-rate-
- Oireachtas - Dáil written answer on card surcharging, 6 March 2018 (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2018-03-06/50/
