GoHighLevel payments: processors, where they work and what they cost

Which processors work where

HighLevel's provider matrix covers 15 payment areas, from order forms, form and survey payments and email checkout to stores, one-time and recurring invoices, payment links, courses, communities, SaaS Mode, calendars, the service menu and point of sale. Stripe cards work in all of them. Authorize.net and NMI cards are broadly supported. PayPal is not available for surveys, SaaS Mode or the service menu, and Razorpay does not support recurring invoices or communities. Card readers are limited to point of sale. A sub-account can also choose which provider handles each channel.

Stripe features

One Stripe account connects per sub-account, and test mode and live mode are configured separately, so you can run test purchases before going live. Through Stripe, HighLevel can offer cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, buy-now-pay-later through Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay, ACH Direct Debit, SEPA, iDEAL and Bancontact, Link and card readers, depending on the country and Stripe's approval. ACH works on one-time invoices, text-to-pay links and recurring invoices with auto-pay. HighLevel notes that Stripe's ACH fees differ from card fees and points to Stripe's pricing page for the rates.

Taking payments in person

Tap to Pay turns a phone into a contactless terminal through the HighLevel mobile app. It needs Stripe connected on the web app first, and works on NFC Android phones running Android 8 or later and on iPhone XS or later with iOS 16 or later in the US. It accepts contactless cards and wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Outside the US, HighLevel offers a beta. Businesses with a counter can also use the BBPOS WisePOS E and Stripe S700 internet readers with the mobile point of sale.

Passing card fees to customers

The processing charge setting adds a labeled percentage fee, such as a convenience fee, to stores, invoices and estimates, funnels, forms, surveys, payment links and services. It is calculated on the subtotal after discounts plus tax, and plus shipping on store orders. It does not work with PayPal or custom providers except on invoices. HighLevel states that it is your responsibility to follow surcharging laws, since some jurisdictions prohibit them. US card network and state rules on surcharges vary, so get advice from your processor or an attorney before switching it on.

Recurring billing gotchas

Subscriptions are where most setup mistakes happen. No provider can sell two different recurring products in a single checkout, so a second subscription needs an upsell step. Some payment methods only support one-time payments, so a customer who pays by one of them cannot start a subscription. Subscriptions can be paused and resumed, and workflow triggers fire on payments, subscription changes and refunds, which is how dunning messages and access removal are usually automated. Check the provider matrix before choosing a processor for a membership business.

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