How small businesses can accept payments
June 25, 2026
Many guides on how small businesses can accept payments assume you've already invested in a point of sale (POS) system, hired a developer, or built an ecommerce website. For many founders, freelancers, and service businesses, that's simply not the case.
If you're starting from scratch or looking for a simpler way to get paid, it helps to first understand small business payment processing and the different ways businesses can accept payments. This guide covers four practical ways to start accepting payments, from taking card payments over the phone to sending payment links and creating an online checkout, so you can choose the option that best fits your business.
How businesses can accept payments
There are four practical ways to start accepting payments without investing in a traditional POS system. The right choice depends on how you sell and how your customers prefer to pay.
Accept payments over the phone
If you take bookings or orders by phone, a virtual terminal is one of the simplest ways to accept card payments. A virtual terminal is a secure web-based dashboard where you manually enter a customer's card details to process a payment. There's no card reader, no dedicated hardware, and no app to install.
It's a practical option for service businesses, consultants, healthcare providers, tradespeople, and anyone who collects payment after completing a job or while speaking with a customer by phone. Finix's virtual terminal runs in any browser, requires no coding, and can often be set up the same day, making it easy to start accepting payments without investing in a traditional POS system. If you'd like to learn more, explore how a virtual terminal works and when businesses use one.
Send payment links to customers
Payment links let you generate a secure URL in seconds and send it to customers by text message, email, WhatsApp, or almost any other messaging platform. The customer clicks the link, pays through a secure checkout page, and you're done. There's no website to build, no card reader to purchase, and no need to meet in person.
This approach works particularly well for freelancers, consultants, remote service providers, and businesses that invoice after completing work. Finix payment links are a no-code solution that can be created and shared almost instantly, making them an easy way to collect payment from customers wherever they are. You can also learn more about payment links and how businesses use them in practice.
Set up an online checkout without a website
If you want to start selling online but don't have a website, a hosted checkout page offers a simple alternative. With Finix, you can create a branded checkout page that lives at its own URL and share it anywhere, whether that's in your social media bio, an email, or a message to a customer. There's no website to build, no developer to hire, and no ecommerce subscription required.
Unlike a payment link, which is typically generated for a single transaction, a hosted checkout page stays live permanently until you choose to change it. That makes it ideal for businesses selling a single product or service, collecting deposits, or launching online quickly without investing in a full storefront. Finix hosted checkout pages are mobile optimized, brandable, and can be set up in minutes.
Accept payments on the go
If your business doesn't operate from a fixed location, mobile payments let you accept card payments wherever your customers are. Using a smartphone or tablet together with a payment app or a compact Bluetooth card reader, you can process transactions without a traditional countertop terminal or full POS system.
This approach works well for market traders, pop-up retailers, tradespeople, delivery businesses, and event vendors who need flexibility throughout the day. Finix's mobile payment solution works from virtually any compatible device, with every transaction appearing alongside your other payment methods in the same dashboard for easier reporting and reconciliation. While you'll typically need a small Bluetooth card reader to accept chip and contactless payments in person, it's a one-time investment that's far less complex than installing a full POS setup.
Method | Best for | Setup time | Website required | Hardware required | Finix tool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Virtual terminal | Phone payments | Same day | No | No | Virtual terminal |
Payment links | Remote billing and invoices | Minutes | No | No | Payment links |
Hosted checkout | Online selling | Minutes | No | No | Hosted checkout page |
Mobile payments | In-person sales | Same day | No | Bluetooth reader only | Mobile payments |
Which payment method is right for your business?
Business situation | Recommended method | Why | Finix feature |
|---|---|---|---|
I take bookings over the phone | Virtual terminal | Process payments while speaking with customers | Browser based dashboard |
I invoice customers after completing work | Payment links | Send secure payment requests instantly | Shareable payment links |
I want to sell online this week | Hosted checkout | Launch without building a website | Hosted checkout page |
I sell at markets and pop ups | Mobile payments | Accept card payments anywhere | Mobile payment solution |
I run a home service business | Payment Links | Collect payment after each visit | Instant payment requests |
I operate across several channels | Combination of all five | Keep everything under one account | Unified payment management |
Most small businesses begin with a single payment method and expand over time. The advantage of Finix is that every option lives within the same account and reporting environment, making it easier to add new channels without changing providers.
How much does it cost to accept payments as a small business?
The cost of accepting payments depends on both the payment method you choose and the pricing model offered by your payment processor.
Card-not-present transactions, such as virtual terminal payments or payment links, generally have slightly higher payment processing fees than in-person transactions completed with chip or contactless payments. Mobile payments using a Bluetooth reader typically benefit from lower card-present rates.
It's also worth understanding the difference between flat-rate pricing and interchange-plus pricing. Flat-rate pricing bundles all costs together into a single percentage, which can simplify billing but offers less transparency. Interchange-plus pricing separates the underlying card network costs from the processor's markup, giving businesses greater visibility into exactly what they're paying.
Finix operates on a $250 monthly subscription model with transparent interchange-plus pricing. For businesses processing less than around $5,000 per month, other solutions may be more economical. Once payment volume increases, interchange-plus pricing often becomes a more cost effective option.
When is it time to upgrade to a full payment setup?
Many businesses start with a single payment collection method and gradually discover they need more. A common milestone is consistently processing more than $5,000 each month, where transparent interchange-plus pricing can become financially advantageous compared with flat-rate providers.
Growth can also introduce operational challenges. Perhaps you're collecting payments through multiple apps and manually reconciling reports, or subscriptions and recurring billing have become part of your business model. Manual reporting may begin consuming hours each week that could be spent serving customers instead.
Reaching this stage is a positive sign that your business is expanding. When it happens, Finix offers a small business payment solution that brings every payment method together on a single platform with transparent pricing and dedicated support from day one.
Why small businesses choose Finix to accept payments
One platform. Every way your customers want to pay.
As your business grows, your payment setup should grow with it. Instead of managing separate tools for phone payments, online checkouts, payment links, and mobile transactions, Finix brings every method together under a single account with no developer work required for these no-code solutions. Many merchants can be up and running in less than a day.
Finix also offers transparent interchange-plus pricing, so you can see the exact card network cost and Finix's markup for every transaction rather than relying on a blended monthly statement. That level of visibility makes it easier to understand your payment costs as volume increases.
Support is designed around real people, too. Finix is rated 4.7 out of 5 overall and 4.8 out of 5 for customer service on Capterra, with dedicated account managers, phone and Slack support, and an average support ticket resolution time of around five hours.
And when you're ready to scale, you won't need to change providers. Finix is one of only three processors globally, alongside Stripe and Adyen, offering true unified omnichannel capabilities. AgVend, for example, reduced fund failure notifications by 75% after integrating Finix.
Ready to grow with a small business payment solution that scales with you? Start accepting payments or see pricing to learn more.