I am writing to bring your attention to some significant process issues related to payments on invoices that I've encountered after using the Stripe service for just one month with only two transactions. As a new user, I believe these issues warrant your immediate consideration to improve the service for all your customers.
ACH Payment Process Concerns
Overpayment Issues
One of the main problems I've encountered is related to overpayments when using the ACH process to receive payments from our customers. The current system does not seem to account for outstanding balances beyond the single invoice being paid, which can lead to complications.
Example Scenario
Let me illustrate with an example:
- A client is billed $250 monthly
- The payment link only allows for a $250 payment
- The client owes a total of $750 and wishes to pay the full amount
- When paying $750 through Stripe, only $250 is applied to the invoice
- The remaining $500 sits in the Stripe account, unallocated
This situation creates unnecessary complications and additional fees for both the business and the client.
Suggested Improvements
To address these issues and potentially save businesses significant amounts in fees, I propose the following enhancements:
1. Include Current Balances: Display the current total balance owed within the invoice payment links, not just the single invoice amount.
2. Allow Flexible Payment Amounts: Enable clients to pay any amount up to their total balance due, rather than limiting to a single invoice amount.
3. Automatic Application of Funds: Develop a system to automatically apply excess payments to outstanding invoices in Xero, rather than leaving funds sitting in Stripe.
Current Workaround and Its Drawbacks
The current workaround involves creating a new invoice in Stripe to allocate the excess funds. However, this solution is far from ideal:
- It incurs additional fees (0.50% of the total amount)
- It results in duplicate invoicing (in both Xero and Stripe)
- It creates unnecessary administrative work
Impact on Businesses
This issue is likely affecting many of your clients, potentially costing them millions in unnecessary fees. It also creates inconvenience for both businesses and their customers, as they must now pay each individual invoice link separately to avoid these complications.
Call to Action
I strongly urge you to prioritize addressing this issue. Implementing a system that shows current total balances and allows for more flexible payment amounts would significantly improve the user experience and demonstrate that Xero is looking out for its clients' best interests.
In the meantime, I find myself in the unfortunate position of having to advise my clients to pay each individual invoice link separately, which is inconvenient and time-consuming for all parties involved.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to seeing improvements in this area that will benefit all Xero users.
MICHAEL JOSEPH
shared this idea
·
I am writing to bring your attention to some significant process issues related to payments on invoices that I've encountered after using the Stripe service for just one month with only two transactions. As a new user, I believe these issues warrant your immediate consideration to improve the service for all your customers.
ACH Payment Process Concerns
Overpayment Issues
One of the main problems I've encountered is related to overpayments when using the ACH process to receive payments from our customers. The current system does not seem to account for outstanding balances beyond the single invoice being paid, which can lead to complications.
Example Scenario
Let me illustrate with an example:
- A client is billed $250 monthly
- The payment link only allows for a $250 payment
- The client owes a total of $750 and wishes to pay the full amount
- When paying $750 through Stripe, only $250 is applied to the invoice
- The remaining $500 sits in the Stripe account, unallocated
This situation creates unnecessary complications and additional fees for both the business and the client.
Suggested Improvements
To address these issues and potentially save businesses significant amounts in fees, I propose the following enhancements:
1. Include Current Balances: Display the current total balance owed within the invoice payment links, not just the single invoice amount.
2. Allow Flexible Payment Amounts: Enable clients to pay any amount up to their total balance due, rather than limiting to a single invoice amount.
3. Automatic Application of Funds: Develop a system to automatically apply excess payments to outstanding invoices in Xero, rather than leaving funds sitting in Stripe.
Current Workaround and Its Drawbacks
The current workaround involves creating a new invoice in Stripe to allocate the excess funds. However, this solution is far from ideal:
- It incurs additional fees (0.50% of the total amount)
- It results in duplicate invoicing (in both Xero and Stripe)
- It creates unnecessary administrative work
Impact on Businesses
This issue is likely affecting many of your clients, potentially costing them millions in unnecessary fees. It also creates inconvenience for both businesses and their customers, as they must now pay each individual invoice link separately to avoid these complications.
Call to Action
I strongly urge you to prioritize addressing this issue. Implementing a system that shows current total balances and allows for more flexible payment amounts would significantly improve the user experience and demonstrate that Xero is looking out for its clients' best interests.
In the meantime, I find myself in the unfortunate position of having to advise my clients to pay each individual invoice link separately, which is inconvenient and time-consuming for all parties involved.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to seeing improvements in this area that will benefit all Xero users.