# How payments work

URL: https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/how-payments-work
Applies to: Shopify

Follow Pay Online by Card, Pay by Invoice and Pay on Account from checkout to payment on Shopify, and choose which to offer each customer group.

> **Quick summary**
>
> - SparkLayer has 3 payment methods. With **Pay Online by Card**, the customer pays at the Shopify checkout. With **Pay by Invoice** and **Pay on Account**, they order now and pay you later.
> - You choose the methods for each customer group in its **Payment methods** rule at **Customers > Groups** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/groups)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers > Customer groups** in the Shopify app.
> - Pay-later orders arrive in Shopify as draft orders, or as unpaid orders if **Auto-complete draft orders** is on. Card orders arrive paid.
> - [SparkLayer Invoices](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/invoices.md) needs the Growth plan or above. The [Xero](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations/accountancy/xero.md) and [QuickBooks Online](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations/accountancy/quickbooks.md) integrations need Pro or above.

Every B2B order is paid one of 3 ways. In the guide below, pick the options you use, such as how you send invoices or whether a customer has a credit limit, and each flow shows what the customer, SparkLayer, Shopify and your accounting software do.

**Interactive guide: how payments work** ([open the interactive guide](https://docs.sparklayer.io/guides/payment-methods/index.html)). For each of the 3 payment methods, a flow you can change shows each step from checkout to payment, with how to set it up, a credit limit example and which set-up suits which customers. The same information is in the sections below and the pages they link to.

## The 3 payment methods

Customers choose a method on the **Review & Pay** step of the [My Cart](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/interfaces/my-cart.md), from the methods their customer group allows. Quotes aren't a payment method: with the [Quoting Engine](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/quoting.md), the customer chooses how to pay when they complete the quote.

| Payment method | Pay Online by Card | Pay by Invoice | Pay on Account |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **The customer pays** | At the Shopify checkout | After you invoice them | By their due date, for example Net 30 |
| **The order arrives in Shopify as** | A paid order | A draft order, or an unpaid order with auto-complete on | A draft order with payment terms, or an unpaid order with auto-complete on |
| **In the customer group rule** | **Card at checkout** | **Pay by invoice** | **Payment on account** |

### Pay Online by Card

The customer pays in full at your Shopify checkout, and the order arrives paid. In SparkLayer, card is simply on or off for each customer group. When a sales rep [orders for a customer](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/sales-ordering/order-for-a-customer.md#how-the-order-and-payment-work) and chooses card, the customer is emailed a link to pay.

### Pay by Invoice

The customer orders without paying, and you invoice them. Send the invoice from the Shopify draft order, with [SparkLayer Invoices](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/invoices.md), or through [Xero or QuickBooks Online](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations/accountancy.md). Shopify's **Send invoice** is only on draft orders, so use it with **Auto-complete draft orders** off. See [Choose how to send invoices](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/credit-net-terms-and-invoicing.md#choose-how-to-send-invoices).

### Pay on Account

The customer orders within their credit limit and pays on their net terms. You set both on the customer, in the **Credit Limit and Account Balance** metafield. By default, Pay on Account is turned off for an order over the credit limit. With Xero, payments on the invoice reduce the customer's balance automatically; QuickBooks Online doesn't send payments back. See [Credit limits and net terms](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/credit-net-terms-and-invoicing.md).

## Next steps

- [Payment methods](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/payment-methods.md): Choose each group's methods, and rename or reorder them at checkout
- [Let trusted customers pay later on Net 30](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/net-terms.md): Set up Pay on Account with credit limits and payment terms
- [Process your B2B orders in Shopify](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/process-orders-in-shopify.md): Complete drafts, take payment and send invoices