Take a payment with a virtual terminal.

Follow the steps below to start using and making the most of your virtual terminal

When it comes to taking a payment, we’ve done all the hard work for you, so all you need to do is enter a few details and we’ll take care of the rest.

In this guide, we’re going to take a look at how you can quickly and securely take a payment using the Blink platform.

Whether you need to take a one-off payment or set up a repeat payment, we’ve got you covered in our easy-to-follow step-by-step guide below.

A virtual terminal.

The take a payment section on your Blink platform is your virtual terminal and allows you to take payments over the phone.

Through the Blink platform, you can manually process transactions by entering your customers\' card details or charging them via an existing Direct Debit mandate.

So, let’s take a look at how to take a payment on the Blink platform.

How to take a payment.

Step 1: Select transaction type

On the left-hand side of your navigation bar, you’ll find the “Payments” tab. Under this, click “Take a payment”.

You then have three options from the drop-down menu:

Sale: An immediate payment transaction

Pre-auth card: Confirms the customer has sufficient funds available, no funds are taken or ringfenced. You have 30 days to capture the payment

Verify: Confirms the card’s authenticity and can be used as an anti-fraud check

Step 2: Select payment type

With “Sale” selected as the payment option, you have three options: a one-off payment, a repeat payment with a variable schedule, or a repeat payment with a fixed schedule.

One-off card payments.

For a one-off card payment, simply select the Merchant ID (MID), select “Sale”, choose the payment method and enter the required amount.

After this, enter the customer’s name, their e-mail address and a reference if required. You can then choose whether to take an instant payment or delay capture for up to 30 days.

Once you’ve had a quick look over the details just click “Charge”.

Yes, it\'s that simple!

One-off Direct Debit payment.

All you need to do here is choose the MID, then type of transaction, select one-off payment and then “Direct Debit”.

Finally, just choose the customer from the customer list.

You can only accept one-off Direct Debit payments from customers with an existing mandate. To establish a new mandate, select the \"New Direct Debit customer\" option.

Repeat payment on a fixed schedule (card payment).

To setup a repeat card payment on a fixed schedule, it’s very similar to taking a one-off payment.

All you need to do is choose the MID, then transaction type, select “Fixed schedule” and then “Card payment”.

Just like before, simply enter the customer’s details and a transaction reference if needed.

Once you’ve done this, pick your start date for the first payment, frequency, and amount per payment.

The last step is to enter the total number of payments to be taken in this schedule, then enter the card details and click “Charge”.

Repeat payment on a fixed schedule (Direct Debit payment).

This is almost the same as taking a one-off Direct Debit payment.

Once you’ve selected the MID and type of transaction, select “Fixed schedule” and then “Direct Debit”.

From here, pick the required customer, enter the amount to be charged and a transaction reference.

Then, select the date you’d like the payment to be taken on.

You can also select whether you’d like a set number of payments to be taken, or to let it run on a recurring basis until further notice.

Finally, select the mandate and click “Charge”.

Repeat payment on a variable schedule.

This function allows you to charge a customer different payment amounts on different dates. The process is exactly the same as a one-off payment.

Select the MID, type of transaction, choose “One- off payment”, and the customer’s details.

Once you’ve entered this first schedule, click the “plus” icon to set up an additional payment, and then repeat the steps accordingly based on the number of variable payments.

Then, enter the card details and click “Charge”.

Credit payments.

If you need to make a credit payment to a customer, under the payment type drop down, select “Credit” and enter the customer’s name, e-mail address and reference for the payment.

There’s an option to add a note if required, and then simply enter the amount you’d like to pay. Finally, enter the card and address details and click “Pay”.

You will be asked to confirm the payment, and then both parties will receive a receipt.

The credit payment feature is not a default function and will need to be enabled by our Support team.

Troubleshooting & FAQs.

I can’t set up a Direct Debit for a customer

You can only set up Direct Debit payments for customers with an existing mandate. Choose the “New Direct Debit customer” option to create a new mandate.

Then, you can send an invite e-mail to your customer to set up a mandate with you, or you can request a one-off payment and mandate.

The latter option will take you to the “Request a payment” page, where a customer can be sent a payment link to make a payment and set up a mandate simultaneously. The mandate will then be set up, and the payment will be processed.

Do my customers receive a Direct Debit confirmation?

Yes, the customer will receive a confirmation from GoCardless upon scheduling a new Direct Debit.

How do I take payments in a different currency?

When taking a payment, regardless of whether it is a one-off or repeat, you can choose your currency by clicking on the currency symbol and choosing from the drop-down list before clicking “Charge”.

Summary.

So there we have it, taking a payment with Blink really couldn’t be easier. Just select your transaction type, choose your payment type (one-off or repeat), enter the customer and payment details, and click “Charge.” That’s it.

It really is as simple as it seems!