Secure Payment Links and QR Codes

In Clio Manage, you can send secure payment links or QR codes so clients can pay a bill or your firm's bank account online. Send a link tied to a specific bill, share a link or QR code tied to a bank account, or embed a QR code on a downloaded bill, and clients pay with any accepted payment method. Bill-linked payments reconcile automatically, account-level payments link to a contact or matter, and the fast payment experience shortens your firm's collection time.

Send a bill payment link

A bill payment link shows the client the balance due when they open it. The client pays by credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or direct debit, and the payment applies directly to the bill. Once paid, the bill moves to a paid state.

1. In Clio Manage, click Billing, or click the Bills subtab in a contact or matter.
2. Optional: Select the Unpaid tab to view bills ready to share.
3. Click the down arrow next to Send and select Copy link to pay client balance.
4. Select the bank account where the funds deposit.
5. Click Copy link to send.
6. Share the link by text message, the client portal, or email.

Share a bank account payment link

A bank account payment link connects to your operating account rather than a bill, so it has no specified amount. Trust accounts do not support this type of link, as Australian trust accounting rules require a trust fund to be linked to a matter at the time it is received. You will need to send a trust request instead. Share the operating account link with a client by text messaging, the client portal, or email. After a client pays, link the payment to a contact or matter.

1. In Clio Manage, click Online payments > New charge.
2. Below the operating account to receive the funds, click Copy payment link.
3. Share the link by text message, the client portal, or email. The client can pay any amount after opening the link.

Share a bank account QR code

A bank account QR code also connects to your operating account rather than a bill, so it has no specified amount. Trust accounts do not support this type of QR code, for the same trust accounting reason as bank account payment links. After a client pays, link the payment to a contact or matter.

1. In Clio Manage, click Online payments > New charge.
2. Below the bank account to receive the funds, click Generate QR Code.
3. Click Print to save or print the QR code. You can also take a screenshot.
4. Share the QR code with your client by email or the client portal.

Link a payment to a contact or matter

When a client pays through a bank account link or QR code, link the payment to a contact or matter after it processes. You receive an email when the payment is made and again when it is processed and ready to link.

From the payment email

1. Open the email confirming that the payment has been processed.
2. Click Link to a client or matter.

From Clio Manage

1. In Clio Manage, click Online payments.
2. Optional: Click Filters to narrow your results.
3. Find the payment, and under the Client column, click Link.
4. Search for a contact or matter.
5. Click Link payment.

For a secure payment link payment

When a client pays by secure payment link, the payment already links to the correct client. You only need to link the payment to a matter.

1. In Clio Manage, click Online payments.
2. Optional: Click Filters to narrow your results.
3. Find the transaction and click Edit.
4. Choose the relevant matter for the payment.
5. Optional: Uncheck Apply payment to issued invoices automatically. When checked, the payment applies to the oldest invoice.
6. Click Save payment.

Unlink a payment

To move a payment to the correct client without issuing a refund, unlink and relink it.

1. In Clio Manage, click Online payments.
2. Optional: Click Filters to narrow your results.
3. Find the payment and click Edit.
4. Under Client, select the new client. After you select a client, you can choose a matter. A payment links to a client, and optionally a matter, but not to a matter alone.
5. Optional: Check Apply payment to issued invoice automatically to apply the payment to approved bills for this client.
6. Click Update payment, then click Yes, update payment to confirm.

Download a bill with a Payment QR code

When you download an approved bill as a PDF, the PDF includes a Payment QR code on a separate page. Clients scan the code on a printed copy or click the secure payment link in an emailed copy, and the processed payment connects to the bill automatically, so you get paid faster without linking payments manually.

1. In Clio Manage, click Billing, or click the Bills subtab in a contact or matter.
2. Optional: Check the box next to each approved bill to download several together.
3. Click the down arrow next to Send and select Download.
4. Select PDF as the output format.
5. Optional: To exclude the Payment QR code, toggle off Payment QR code on bill. Toggling it off applies to all bills in the same download.
6. Select the operating account where payment funds deposit:
   • For a single bill, if your firm has multiple operating accounts, select the account.
   • For multiple bills across different operating accounts, select each relevant account.
7. Check or uncheck Pay outstanding balance from oldest to newest:
   • Checked: the client sees their full outstanding balance when they open the link or scan the code.
   • Unchecked: the client sees only the downloaded bill's balance.
8. Click Download.

Up next

Manage Client Payment Actions: See how clients complete a payment from a link or QR code.