Collect Payments and Signatures Easily with SignNow
Collect Payments and Signatures Securely with SignNow
Allow a signer to make a payment while signing your document. Easily collect payments and signatures when sending an invitation to sign and fill your document.
Understanding how to collect payments and signatures together
Collect payments and signatures refers to a combined digital process where a signer completes an electronic signature and pays a required fee within the same transaction flow. This approach places a payment field or gateway inside the document or signing workflow so the payer signs and settles payment without switching systems. It reduces manual reconciliation, preserves a single audit trail for the payment and signature events, and supports common payment methods such as credit card or ACH through integrated processors like Stripe. Implementations must follow applicable U.S. laws and data protection practices.
Why collect payments and signatures in a single workflow
Combining payments and signatures streamlines customer experience, reduces processing time, and centralizes records for auditability and compliance within a single transaction record.
Common challenges when collecting payments and signatures
Ensuring PCI-compliant handling of card data while preserving a verifiable signature audit trail across systems and records.
Coordinating payment confirmations and signed documents so both are recorded atomically to avoid reconciliation gaps.
Providing seamless mobile payment and signing experiences without compromising authentication or increasing abandonment rates.
Meeting industry-specific privacy and record-retention rules, such as HIPAA requirements for healthcare payment records.
Representative users and roles
Office Manager
An office manager configures payment-enabled templates, sets reminders, and reviews reconciliation reports. They coordinate with finance to ensure documents and payments align with accounting entries and retention schedules.
Compliance Officer
A compliance officer verifies that payment collection and signature capture meet regulatory requirements such as ESIGN and HIPAA where applicable, manages BAAs, and reviews audit trails for forensic and retention needs.
Typical organizations that collect payments and signatures
Organizations across sectors use combined payment-and-signature flows to speed transactions and keep legal and payment records together.
Real estate agents and brokerages processing earnest money or fees with contracts.
Healthcare practices accepting patient consent forms together with copayments or service fees.
Professional services and consulting firms collecting retainers when executing engagement letters.
The approach scales from small merchants to enterprise teams that need consistent records and regulatory controls.
Additional capabilities that improve payment-plus-signature workflows
Beyond core features, consider these capabilities to support scale, automation, and integration with business systems.
Template Library
Reusable templates with embedded payment fields speed recurring transactions, reduce setup errors, and allow consistent application of terms, payment amounts, and billing details across similar documents.
Bulk Send
Bulk Send allows sending identical documents with payment requirements to many recipients at once while tracking each transaction and payment outcome separately.
CRM Integration
Two-way sync with CRM platforms maps signer and payment data to customer records, automating invoicing and reducing manual reconciliation across systems.
Webhook Notifications
Real-time webhooks report signature completion and payment settlement events to downstream systems, enabling automated fulfillment or accounting entries.
Conditional Logic
Conditional fields display payment options or alternate clauses based on signer choices, improving clarity and personalizing the transaction flow.
Reporting and Exports
Prebuilt and custom reports provide transaction-level detail for finance, compliance, and audit teams, and export formats support bookkeeping and record retention.
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Core features to look for when you collect payments and signatures
Selecting a solution for combined payment-and-signature workflows should focus on security, compliance, integration, and user experience to minimize friction and maintain legal validity.
Integrated Payments
Support for payment processors such as Stripe or equivalent so payers submit card or ACH details securely within the signing session, minimizing redirection and simplifying reconciliation with a single transaction identifier.
Audit Trail
Comprehensive logging of signing events, payment authorizations, IP addresses, timestamps, and document hashes to provide an immutable record needed for legal enforceability and dispute resolution.
Authentication Options
Multiple signer verification choices including email, SMS OTP, knowledge-based verification, and ID check services to meet varying assurance levels for both signatures and payment authorizations.
Data Handling Controls
Role-based access, encrypted storage, and configurable retention policies so organizations can align document and payment data practices with regulatory obligations such as HIPAA or state privacy laws.
How a combined payment-and-signature transaction proceeds
This sequence outlines the typical flow from document creation through signature and payment settlement.
Create: Author document and insert payment field.
Send: Deliver to signer with clear payment terms.
Sign and pay: Signer authenticates, signs, and completes payment.
Confirm: System records audit trail and posts payment receipt.
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Quick steps to set up a payment-enabled signature workflow
Follow these concise steps to configure a document that collects both payment and signatures in a single process.
01
Prepare document: Add signature fields and designate payment field location.
02
Connect payment processor: Link Stripe or approved gateway to the account.
03
Set authentication: Require email, SMS, or ID verification as needed.
04
Test and deploy: Run a live test transaction before sending broadly.
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Why choose airSlate SignNow
Free 7-day trial. Choose the plan you need and try it risk-free.
Honest pricing for full-featured plans. airSlate SignNow offers subscription plans with no overages or hidden fees at renewal.
Enterprise-grade security. airSlate SignNow helps you comply with global security standards.
Recommended configuration for payment-enabled signing workflows
Use these configuration settings as a baseline when enabling payment capture inside signature workflows to ensure consistent processing and recordkeeping.
Setting Name for Workflow Configuration
Default values and configuration examples
Reminder Frequency and Escalation Intervals
Every 48 hours for three reminders
Payment Provider and Transaction Settings
Stripe with card and ACH options
Authentication Method and Verification Options
Email OTP plus optional SMS verification
Document Retention and Storage Rules
Signed PDFs retained seven years
Auto-Fill and Data Mapping Behavior
Map form fields to CRM automatically
Platform and device considerations for collecting payments and signatures
Ensure the signing environment supports secure payment fields, modern browsers, and mobile-friendly layouts before deploying payment-enabled documents.
Desktop Browsers:Chrome, Edge, Safari supported
Mobile Devices:iOS and Android native apps
API and Webhooks:REST API with webhook callbacks
Test across target devices and networks, confirm tokenized payment flows, and verify receipt generation and audit logging on each platform configuration.
Security controls for combined payment-and-signature flows
Encryption:TLS and at-rest encryption
PCI compliance:Tokenized payment fields
Access controls:Role-based permissions
Audit logging:Immutable event records
Authentication:Multi-factor options
Document sealing:Tamper-evident signatures
Two industry examples of collecting payments and signatures
Practical examples show how payment-enabled signing reduces steps and creates a single auditable transaction record for both signature and payment.
Medical Consent and Copay
A clinic sends a treatment consent form that includes a payment field for the patient copay, embedded in the same signing session so the patient signs and pays using a secure card tokenization process
Payment field uses Stripe integration
Payment posts to the practice's merchant account and posts to billing software
Resulting in a single signed document and a matched payment record for easier claims and audits.
Closing Fee with Real Estate Contract
A brokerage sends a purchase agreement that requires an earnest money deposit and signature prior to contract acceptance, with an embedded payment processor collecting funds during signing
Payment collection supports ACH and card options
The signed contract and transaction ID are stored together in the transaction folder
Leading to faster closings and a consolidated audit trail for title and escrow reconciliation.
Best practices when you collect payments and signatures
Adopt clear procedural and technical safeguards to reduce risk and improve the signer experience while maintaining legal and payment compliance.
Use clear payment disclosure language and itemization
Present the payment amount, purpose, refund policy, and billing descriptor clearly in the document so signers understand charges before they authorize payment and sign, reducing disputes and chargebacks.
Keep payment processing PCI-compliant and separate from stored documents
Use tokenization and a PCI-compliant payment provider to handle card data, and avoid storing raw card details in document repositories to reduce breach exposure and scope of compliance.
Maintain a single audit trail linking signature to payment
Ensure the system stores a unified transaction record that links the signed document, transaction ID, timestamps, and signer authentication so reconciliation and legal review are straightforward.
Confirm retention and BAA requirements in advance
Abide by retention schedules and execute business associate agreements when handling protected health information paired with payments, and document the policies and access controls implemented for audits.
FAQs and troubleshooting for collecting payments and signatures
Answers to common questions and practical troubleshooting steps for payment-enabled signature workflows, focused on configuration, compliance, and failure modes.
Payment failures can occur due to card authorization declines, mismatched billing details, or gateway connectivity issues. Verify the payment gateway settings, check the transaction ID in gateway logs, confirm the signer entered correct billing information, and retry the transaction with a different payment method if needed.
Ensure your platform stores both a signed document and the payment transaction identifier in the same case file or record. Use the platform's export or reporting features to produce a PDF with embedded audit trail and include the payment receipt or transaction ID for reconciliation with merchant statements.
For high-value transactions, require stronger signer verification such as multi-factor authentication, ID verification services, and strict email or SMS validation. Combine authentication with clear payment disclosures and require explicit signer acknowledgement before processing the payment.
If the document or payment process involves protected health information, a Business Associate Agreement is typically required. Confirm with legal counsel, and execute a BAA with the eSignature and payment vendors to align with HIPAA obligations and limit liability.
Establish a documented refund and dispute policy and reflect it in the signed document. Track refund authorizations in the same system, link refund transactions to the original signed record, and coordinate with your payment processor for chargeback responses using stored audit evidence.
Check webhook endpoint health and authentication, review retry logs with the provider, validate that the event types (signature completed, payment succeeded) are subscribed, and confirm firewall or routing rules allow inbound callbacks from the vendor's IP range.
Feature comparison when you collect payments and signatures
High-level capability comparison across eSignature providers relevant to payment-enabled signing workflows in the U.S. market.
Pricing and plan notes for payment-capable eSignature platforms
Pricing and plan features vary; this table summarizes entry-level availability and common attributes relevant to collecting payments and signatures.
Plan or Package Name
signNow (Recommended)
DocuSign
Adobe Sign
Dropbox Sign
PandaDoc
Free trial or free tier availability
Yes, trial available
Yes, trial available
Yes, trial available
Yes, limited free tier
Yes, trial available
Entry-level plan includes payments
Included with Business plans
Available on select plans
Available via add-on or integration
Via integration only
Included on Business plans
API access at entry level
Available on API plans
Available via developer account
Available on enterprise plans
Available via API plan
Available on Business plans
HIPAA / BAA support offered
Available with BAA
Available with BAA
Available with enterprise BAA
Contact sales for BAA
Available with enterprise plan
Typical customer support level
Email and priority support options
Tiered support and phone
Enterprise support tiers
Email support and help center
Email and dedicated support options
How to collect payments with airSlate SignNow
airSlate SignNow allows recipients to make payments while they sign. As an Organization Admin (“Super Admin”) of your airSlate SignNow account, you can connect your merchant account to accept payments from signers upon document completion. To do so, you’ll need a valid payment system account.
Connect a payment system
Log in to airSlate SignNow using your Organization Admin account credentials. Then, click the My Organizations button at the bottom left corner of the dashboard.
Go to the My Organizations tab and click Go to Admin Panel. You will be redirected to the Organization Admin Panel.
In the Merchant Accounts tab, select your payment system and click Connect. airSlate SignNow allows you to receive payments via Stripe and CardConnect.
Enter your account name, payment system credentials, and select your preferred currency. Then, click Connect.
Once your payment system account is connected, you can request payments using one of the following methods.
Method 1: Request payment using fillable fields
Open a document and create a text field. Then, turn it into a payment field using the menu on the right (Advanced > Make this payment field). Specify Validation Type, Pre-filled Text, and other parameters if needed.
Method 2: Request payment when sending a document for signature
Choose the document you need to send for signature and click Invite to Sign.
Click the Actions on Completion button and toggle the Request a Payment option to on. Select the payer from the dropdown and enter a payment amount. Then, click Apply.
Your payment request is now active and you can send your signing invite.
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