StudioPay is our custom payment solution designed to bring you reliable, integrated payment processing with lower fees, higher limits, and shorter processing time.
Jump to:
- Getting Started
- Login, Password, and Support
- Approval and Limits
- Fees
- Refunding Clients
- Accepted Financial Institutions
- Processing International Funds
- Batching and Withdrawals
- General Questions
Getting Started
Where can I sign up for StudioPay?
Sign up directly from the Studio Designer app. Head to Settings > My Company > Payment Defaults and click Create/Connect StudioPay Account.
For more information on signing up, click here.
What do I need to sign up for StudioPay?
For each of your company's owners (individuals who own 25% or more of the business), you'll need:
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Physical Address (P.O. Boxes not accepted)
- Ownership %
- Business Title
You'll also need:
- Your company's EIN
- Business Establishment Date
- Annual processing volume
- Average transaction amount
- A checking or savings bank account to connect
Pro Tip: Bank accounts can be connected either by securely logging in to your online banking application through Plaid, or by manually entering information. For faster processing, we recommend authenticating with Plaid.
If you're entering information manually, you'll need to upload a voided check. Otherwise, you can skip this step.
Will applying for StudioPay result in a credit check?
StudioPay applications incur only a soft credit check, so your credit score is not affected when applying.
How long does it take to be verified by StudioPay?
In most cases, approval for StudioPay happens almost immediately after your application is submitted. If you haven't received approval within the typical time period, reach out to support@studiodesigner.com to learn more about your status.
How can I activate StudioPay ACH?
StudioPay ACH is automatically activated once an account has been approved. Unlike other payment processors, no additional steps need to be taken outside of Studio Designer itself.
Once your StudioPay account has been approved, head to Settings > My Company > Payment Defaults and click Enable Payments for all Clients/Projects. This will enable both ACH and credit card payments for all clients.
If you've enabled payments for all clients but want to accept only one of either ACH or credit cards, uncheck the box for the payment type you do not want to accept under Projects > Clients > (Edit Client) > Payments.
Login, Password, and Support
Where do I log in to the StudioPay Dashboard?
To log in to your existing StudioPay account and access the StudioPay Dashboard, head to Settings > My Company > Payment Defaults and click Access StudioPay Dashboard or visit https://studiopay.studiodesigner.com
How can I reset my StudioPay password?
Click here to access the StudioPay Dashboard, then click Forgot Password. Enter the email or username you signed up with. In a new window, check your email inbox (and Spam folder) for a reset code. In the StudioPay Dashboard window, click I have the code and enter the code, your username, and your new desired password to reset it.
Should I use my Studio Designer login credentials for StudioPay?
For added security and privacy around your sensitive financial details, do not use your Studio Designer credentials for StudioPay. StudioPay has its own login for which you'll need to create a new username and password. Treat StudioPay like you would treat a banking application.
How can I get help with StudioPay?
All your StudioPay questions and concerns are handled directly by the Studio Designer Support team.
Approval and Limits
What are the limits for transactions processed through StudioPay?
Limits are flexible based on the needs of your company.
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For transactions exceeding $10,000 or an annual volume in excess of $600,000, you'll need to submit three months of processing or bank statements
- No additional documentation is required for lesser transactions and volume
How long does approval for higher limits take?
Approval for accounts with an annual volume of under $600,000 happens same-day in most cases. You can always view the status of your account in your StudioPay dashboard. Approval for higher limits requires additional review.
For faster approval, include supporting documents for your desired limit level when registering for StudioPay based on your business needs. If you've missed this step during sign up, email them ASAP to support@studiodesigner.com so that our team can expedite the process.
Note: If the limit is exceeded during a transaction, the payment will still be processed; however, it will be held by our bank and the Studio Designer team will reach out to you to help get it released.
How will I know if a payment has been held?
In the event of a held payment, Studio Designer support will reach out to you by email and work to get it released ASAP. You can also configure additional notifications in your StudioPay Dashboard.
Fees
What are the fees for credit card and ACH transactions through StudioPay?
The fees for StudioPay transactions are:
Credit Card: 3.0% + .60 cents per transaction
ACH: 1% up to $10
How can I pass these fees on to my clients?
At this time, you can pass fees on to clients by including the fee in the final proposal or invoice amount; for more information, click here.
Future versions of StudioPay will include a simpler way to quickly and easily present fees to clients. Look for an official communication from us once this is live.
How can I record the above fees via Money Out?
To handle recording fees, you'll need to record a Cash Receipt for the full client payment, then record a Cash Disbursement for the fees to StudioPay. For step-by-step directions, click here. As we continue to expand StudioPay, we will be introducing a workflow to post these entries automatically upon payment to eliminate manual entry.
Pro Tip: You can easily pull a report containing all your transactions and fee amounts by opening StudioPay > Reports and running a Transaction Details report.
Refunding Clients
How can I process a refund to my client through StudioPay?
Refunds can be issued from within your StudioPay Dashboard when a payment has a status of Captured; if the payment status is Approved, the payment must instead be voided or canceled. For detailed instructions on how to process a refund, click here.
When processing refunds, do I get back the fees associated with the transaction?
Yes, fees associated with the transaction charged by StudioPay will be refunded in the event of a refund.
Accepted Financial Institutions
Which banks and credit unions are accepted through StudioPay?
StudioPay accepts most major financial institutions but processes transactions in USD only. The designer's bank account on file should be US-based.
Does the designer's connected bank account have to specifically be a checking or a savings account?
Both checking and savings accounts are valid for signing up.
Processing International Funds
How does StudioPay handle foreign (non-US) funds?
At the moment, we can only charge clients in USD. Even if your StudioPay account is set up with another currency, any payment made through Studio Designer Client Portal, or invoice/proposal Pay Now links will charge the amount in USD.
We are working on updating our integration to allow for additional currencies.
Batching and Withdrawals
My client made a payment through StudioPay but I don't see the funds in my StudioPay Dashboard, how long will it take for the money to show up?
ACH and credit card transactions will typically take 2 business days to process.
Note: The very first batch will take 5-7 business days to process.
Need your funds faster? We'll work with you to set up next-day withdrawal. Reach out to support@studiodesigner.com for more information.
Does StudioPay deposit in actual batches like other payment processors?
Yes, StudioPay batches all payments settled on the same day together. Designers have the ability to withdraw 100% of their available funds on a daily basis.
Batches occur daily at 9:30 pm ET.
What is the batch process like on the banking side?
All settled transactions, regardless of whether they are ACH or credit card, are batched together into a single withdrawal.
What kind of reports are available surrounding batching?
The Transaction Details report offers line-by-line lists of fees per transaction, as well as additional transaction specifics. The withdrawal schedule is visible from the main dashboard view, and withdrawal details are available via StudioPay's Admin > Withdrawal Details > Withdrawal History view.
General Questions
Can I have both StudioPay and Stripe enabled at the same time and accept funds through both?
If both payment platforms are connected, Studio Designer will prioritize StudioPay over Stripe when the options for ACH and Credit Card are checked under StudioPay. However, ACH and Credit Card payments are independent of one another. For instance, if you want to accept ACH through StudioPay and Credit Card through Stripe, uncheck the Credit Card check box under Studio Pay and check Credit Card under Stripe.
How will I be notified if my client has made a payment?
New payment alerts are always visible at the top-right corner of your StudioPay Dashboard.
My client made a payment through StudioPay but the proposal/invoice isn't showing as paid in Studio Designer, why?
You will still need to post a Money In entry in Studio Designer when a payment is made. Click here for a guide on how to record your StudioPay transactions for accounting purposes.
Can my client pay via ACH wire?
Wire transfers are not supported by StudioPay.