OWED

We get this question a lot. The honest answer is: Owed is built for bank-to-bank payments, not card payments. Here's why that's actually better for you and easier for your clients than it sounds. Your clients already pay from their bank account constantly — every time they use Zelle, Venmo, or pay a bill online. Owed works the same way, just built for invoices. When your client gets your invoice, they click Pay, connect their bank (a 30-second process most people recognize), and approve. Done. For clients who genuinely won't pay any other way, we recommend this: let them know that your new payment system saves you money and that savings lets you keep your rates where they are. Most clients, when they understand it helps you, are happy to try it. And once they try it, they prefer it — no card number to type, no expiration date to find, just approve and it's done.

Here's exactly what your client sees: 1. They receive your invoice by email with a Pay Now button. 2. They click it and land on a clean payment page. 3. They click 'Pay with your bank' and a secure bank selector appears — the same kind they've seen on apps like Robinhood, Coinbase, and thousands of others. 4. They pick their bank, log in securely (Owed never sees their login — it goes directly to their bank). 5. They select their checking account and approve the payment. 6. You get paid. In seconds. No card number. No CVV. No expiration date. No waiting 3 days. The whole thing takes about 90 seconds the first time and 30 seconds after that.

Seconds. Not hours, not business days — seconds. Traditional payment processors route your money through card networks that settle on a batch schedule. Your money sits in a queue, sometimes for 2 to 3 business days, before it reaches your account. Owed routes payments through bank-to-bank infrastructure that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — including weekends and holidays. When your client approves the payment, it moves. By the time you refresh your bank app, it's there. This matters more than people realize. If you invoice on a Friday afternoon with a traditional processor, you might not see that money until Wednesday. With Owed, you see it Friday afternoon.

Because the percentage model was never fair to service businesses. Here's what's actually happening when you use a card-based processor: every time a client pays with a card, Visa or Mastercard charges a percentage of the transaction. The processor passes that cost to you. On a $2,000 invoice that's $58. On a $5,000 invoice that's $145. The more successful you are, the more you pay. Owed bypasses Visa and Mastercard entirely. We route payments directly between bank accounts through infrastructure that charges a flat fee per transaction regardless of amount. So we charge you $1. That's it. Whether the invoice is $100 or $10,000 — $1. At $8,000 a month in invoices, that's roughly $2,700 a year back in your pocket.

This is the right question to ask and the answer should give you and your clients real confidence. The bank connection process uses the same technology that powers apps your clients already trust — Venmo, Cash App, Robinhood, and thousands of others use identical infrastructure. When your client connects their bank, they log in directly on their bank's own secure server. Owed never sees their username, password, or login credentials at any point. Owed also never holds your money. The moment your client approves a payment, it goes from their bank to your bank. It does not pass through Owed's accounts. We are the instruction, not the vault. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We comply with bank-level security standards.

Every major US bank is supported — Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, and thousands of community banks and credit unions. In the rare case a client's bank doesn't support instant payment, Owed automatically falls back to ACH bank transfer, which settles the next business day. Still no percentage fee. Still just $1. Still faster than waiting 3 days for a card payment to clear. We're continuously expanding bank coverage and will notify you of any updates.

Bank-to-bank payments actually have stronger dispute protections than card payments for business owners. With card payments, a client can file a chargeback with their card issuer weeks after paying, and the money is pulled from your account while the dispute is investigated — often with a $15 chargeback fee on top. This is a major pain point for service businesses everywhere. Bank-to-bank payments work differently. Once a client approves a payment and it settles, the transaction is final. Refunds are handled directly between you and your client, just like a check — you choose whether to issue one. No automatic reversals, no chargeback fees, no money disappearing from your account unexpectedly.

Most service business owners tell us this was easier than they expected. Here's what works: Frame it as a benefit to them: 'I switched to a new payment system that's faster and more secure. You'll get your invoice by email and can pay directly from your bank in about 90 seconds. Most of my clients prefer it once they try it.' Lead with the speed: clients actually like getting things done in one click. When they realize they don't have to find their card, type 16 digits, and wait for a receipt email — they appreciate it. For longtime clients who push back: you can note that the old system's fees were something you were absorbing, and this change helps you keep your pricing stable. That's honest and most clients respond to it well. The reality is that pay-by-bank is already normal. Your clients just might not have used it for invoices yet. Owed makes it the obvious choice.