BUSINESS FLOW, WITHOUT THE CHAOS.
FlowMotive
11 sections visible0 matching topics
No help topics matched that search.

Try a broader keyword like invoice, billing, SMS, Stripe, payout, onboarding, or clear the business-type filter.

Help centre

Paying a customer invoice through FlowMotive.

A multi-business operations platform for bookings, jobs, clients, invoicing, reminders, and day-to-day service workflows. This page explains how FlowMotive invoice payments work so businesses can onboard customers more clearly and support teams have a cleaner public reference to share.

Start
Getting started and onboarding guidance
Billing
Subscription and customer payment help
Support
Troubleshooting, email, SMS, and Stripe guidance
What this guide covers
A simple public-facing explanation of the FlowMotive payment journey.
Invoice help
Use this page for
  • Getting started and onboarding answers
  • Customer-facing invoice payment help
  • Email, SMS, and Stripe setup guidance
  • Troubleshooting common business support questions
Getting started

How to understand FlowMotive quickly

These are the first things most businesses want to understand before they commit: what FlowMotive is, who it fits best, and how a rollout usually begins.

Getting started
What FlowMotive is

FlowMotive is a business operations platform built for repair businesses, appointment services, and field-service teams that need day-to-day workflow, invoicing, customer history, and communication to stay connected.

  • One platform for jobs, clients, invoices, notes, and reminders
  • Different workflow modes for different service businesses
  • Built to feel practical for real operators, not generic software
Business fit
Who it is for

FlowMotive fits teams replacing scattered tools with a calmer operational flow. It works best when the business wants a clearer daily system before adding more complexity.

  • Repair shops and front-counter workflows
  • Appointment-led clinics and service teams
  • Contractors and field teams managing work orders and billing
Launch path
How onboarding works

Most teams start by choosing the right workflow mode, narrowing the visible modules, shaping branding and billing defaults, then launching into the core daily operating view first.

  • Choose repair, appointment, or field-service mode
  • Configure branding, billing, messaging, and access
  • Go live with the board, calendar, or work-order flow that matters most
Billing and subscriptions

How tenant billing works

FlowMotive supports tenant subscription billing separately from customer invoice payment collection. This section helps businesses understand where those workflows start and what the next step usually is.

Tenant billing
Starting a FlowMotive subscription

Tenants usually start their subscription from the Billing page once self-serve checkout is ready for that workspace.

  • Open Admin Billing
  • Confirm billing contact details
  • Start Stripe checkout when subscription setup is ready
Self-serve control
Billing portal and renewals

After a subscription is active, eligible tenants can open the billing portal to manage card details, invoices, and ongoing subscription changes.

  • Review next renewal timing
  • Update card details in the billing portal
  • Manage subscription and billing receipts
Billing support
Trials, failed payments, and cancellation questions

If checkout is not ready, payment fails, or a tenant needs help understanding trial or renewal behaviour, the Billing page should guide them toward the next action or support path.

  • Trial and renewal states may appear on the Billing page
  • Past-due or blocked states may require support follow-up
  • Subscription-specific help can be escalated to FlowMotive support
Step by step

How a customer pays an invoice

FlowMotive keeps the payment path clear: open the invoice, review the amount due, choose the payment method, and use the invoice reference if paying manually.

01
Open the invoice link

Businesses may send a FlowMotive invoice by email, SMS, or direct link. Opening it takes the customer to the secure public invoice page.

02
Review the payment summary

The invoice page shows the total, any amount already paid, the remaining balance, and the payment reference for bank transfer or PayID.

03
Choose the payment method

Depending on the business setup, the customer may pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank transfer, or PayID.

04
Complete secure checkout

If online card payment is enabled, the customer is sent through secure checkout and then returned to the invoice page.

05
Use the payment reference for manual payments

If paying by bank transfer or PayID, the customer should use the invoice reference exactly as shown so the business can match the payment correctly.

06
Confirm updated payment status

After payment, the invoice can show paid in full, deposit paid, or an updated remaining balance depending on the business workflow.

Payment methods

What customers may see on the invoice page

Available options depend on how the business has configured payments. FlowMotive supports both secure online checkout and manual-payment guidance.

Card and digital wallets

If the business has online payments enabled, customers may see card entry, Apple Pay, and Google Pay automatically on supported devices and browsers.

  • Secure checkout experience
  • Manual card entry always supported when card checkout is enabled
  • Apple Pay and Google Pay appear only on supported devices and browsers
Bank transfer and PayID

Some businesses prefer or also offer manual payment options. FlowMotive can show the payment reference together with bank and PayID details on the invoice page.

  • Reference is visible on the public invoice
  • Customers can copy the payment reference before sending funds
  • Useful for deposits, staged payments, or manual reconciliation
Deposits and staged payments

Businesses can ask for a deposit first, then collect the remaining balance later. The invoice page reflects progress clearly so the customer knows what is still due.

  • Deposit-first invoices supported
  • Paid-so-far and remaining balance visible
  • Customers can return later to complete payment if needed
Customer payment FAQ

Common invoice payment questions

These are the questions most businesses end up answering when they first roll out public invoice payments.

Why does the invoice show a deposit instead of the full amount?

Some businesses use deposit-first billing. In that case, the invoice will ask for the deposit now and then show the remaining balance for later payment.

Why do Apple Pay or Google Pay not always appear?

Digital wallets only appear when the business has enabled online payments and the customer is using a supported device and browser.

What should the customer do if they prefer bank transfer?

They should use the bank or PayID details shown on the invoice and include the payment reference exactly as displayed so the business can match the payment correctly.

What if the payment does not show as complete straight away?

The customer can refresh the invoice page after a moment. If the payment still looks wrong, the business that issued the invoice is the best contact for invoice-specific support.

Can a business issue a refund through FlowMotive?

Refunds depend on the payment path the business used. Stripe-backed card payments should be reviewed through the invoice payment history and refund workflow available to the business.

Why can payment status lag briefly after a card payment?

The customer may return from checkout before the updated payment status finishes syncing back into the invoice view. Refreshing the invoice after a short moment usually resolves this.

How are manual payments reconciled?

Manual transfers and PayID payments should always include the invoice reference. Staff then confirm the funds arrived and reconcile or update the invoice inside admin.

Messaging and notifications

SMS, reminders, and message delivery help

Messaging is a practical part of the platform, so support material should explain how reminders, invoice SMS, replies, and failed sends are expected to behave.

Notifications
SMS reminders and invoice messages

FlowMotive can support appointment reminders, invoice SMS, quote SMS, and manual customer messaging depending on the tenant setup.

  • Appointment reminders can be driven from calendar workflows
  • Invoice and quote links can be sent through customer communication flows
  • Manual SMS is available for follow-up when staff need direct contact
Replies
How replies are handled

Replies can flow back into communication timelines and Crazytel review workflows so the team can see customer responses in context.

  • Inbound SMS can be reviewed and linked to the right customer
  • Staff can reply from communication surfaces in the workspace
  • Follow-up states can be tracked where the workflow supports it
Delivery issues
What happens if a message fails

A failed SMS usually means the provider rejected delivery or the gateway setup needs review. Businesses should check their messaging settings and review the communication record.

  • Check SMS gateway readiness
  • Review send status and customer number format
  • Use provider review tools if gateway configuration is incomplete
Email setup

Understanding sender identity and SMTP

Email support gets much easier when the Help Centre explains platform delivery, reply-to behaviour, advanced SMTP, and the most common sender errors in plain language.

Platform delivery
Platform email vs tenant-owned SMTP

By default, FlowMotive can send through the platform mailbox while still using tenant-friendly reply-to behaviour. More advanced tenants can opt into their own SMTP delivery.

  • Platform mailbox handles the actual send
  • Tenant details can still shape reply-to and identity copy
  • Advanced SMTP is for tenants who want their own delivery path
Email identity
From address vs reply-to

The visible sender identity and the mailbox that actually sends the email are not always the same thing. This matters for deliverability and support expectations.

  • From address affects what the customer sees
  • Reply-to controls where responses should go
  • Using reply-to properly is often safer than forcing a mismatched sender
Troubleshooting
Common SMTP and sender errors

The most common mail issues are relay restrictions, invalid secure/port combinations, or using a sender address the mailbox is not allowed to send as.

  • 553 relay errors usually mean the sender does not match the allowed mailbox
  • Wrong SSL/TLS combinations often cause connection failures
  • Tenant-owned SMTP should use sender details that mailbox is permitted to send as
Stripe and payouts

How customer charges and payouts differ

Stripe support is clearer when businesses understand that charge readiness and payout readiness are related but not the same thing.

Customer charges
Charging customers vs receiving payouts

A business can sometimes be ready to charge customers before it is fully ready to receive payouts. These are separate parts of Stripe readiness.

  • Charge readiness controls whether customer card payments can be taken
  • Payout readiness controls whether funds can be paid out properly
  • Both states should be reviewed when enabling customer payments
Connect setup
Stripe Connect onboarding

Businesses may need to complete identity, bank, and business details inside Stripe before payouts are fully available.

  • Complete KYC and verification requirements
  • Finish bank-account setup
  • Review any missing onboarding steps inside Stripe
Blocked payouts
Why payouts may still be blocked

Payouts may remain blocked even when customer charges are live if Stripe still needs more verification or payout details.

  • Missing identity or business verification
  • Bank-account setup incomplete
  • Stripe account still under restricted or pending review
By business type

Questions different businesses usually ask

Different tenants care about different things. These summaries help the Help Centre feel more relevant to repair, appointment, and field-service businesses.

Repair business
Common repair-business questions

Repair businesses usually care about customer history, job flow, quote follow-up, ready-for-pickup communication, and invoice settlement before handover.

  • How deposits work before repair starts
  • How invoice payment ties into pickup
  • How customer history and photos stay linked to jobs
Appointment services
Common appointment-service questions

Appointment-led teams usually ask how clients, reminders, session outcomes, and invoices all stay connected across the service flow.

  • How appointment reminders are sent
  • How a client is linked from the appointment workflow
  • How invoices and payment status appear back on appointments
Field services
Common field-service questions

Field teams often focus on work orders, deposits, site detail, materials pressure, and closeout billing after work is completed.

  • How deposits and remaining balances are tracked
  • How work orders and invoices stay connected
  • How site history is preserved on the customer record
Troubleshooting

Common issues and what to check first

A strong Help Centre should help businesses narrow down the problem before they open a support request.

I cannot log in or the code never arrives

Check whether email 2FA is enabled, whether the verification inbox is correct, and whether the browser was previously trusted. If needed, the business should check their account and 2FA setup.

The payment button is not showing on the invoice

The business may not have customer card payments enabled yet, or the invoice may currently be manual-payment only. In that case, the customer should use the bank or PayID details shown instead.

Invoice email failed to send

The most common causes are sender relay restrictions, incorrect SMTP settings, or mismatched sender identities. Businesses should review their email setup or advanced SMTP settings.

SMS failed to send or reply handling looks wrong

Review the messaging gateway setup, sender readiness, and customer number formatting. Businesses using Crazytel should also review the inbound and delivery logs.

The customer payment completed but the invoice still looks unpaid

Refresh the invoice after a short moment. If it still looks wrong, the business should review the invoice payment history and Stripe webhook/payment-status sync path.

What information should be included in a support request?

The fastest support requests include the business name, invoice number or customer name, what action failed, any error message, and whether the problem happened during email, SMS, login, or payment.

Support

Need more help?

Businesses can use this page as reference material, and customers should still contact the invoicing business for payment-specific issues.

For businesses using FlowMotive

Use this guide as help-centre copy, onboarding support material, or a customer-facing payment and setup explainer when rolling out FlowMotive.

For customers receiving invoices

The business that sent the invoice remains the best contact for payment-specific questions, while FlowMotive provides the invoice and checkout experience.

When to contact FlowMotive

Contact FlowMotive support when the issue is clearly platform setup, subscription billing, email delivery configuration, payout readiness, or another product-level workflow problem.