{"id":9915,"date":"2023-05-24T00:04:11","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T23:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/?p=9915"},"modified":"2026-02-27T22:27:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:27:43","slug":"law-firm-card-processing-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/law-firm-card-processing-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Law Firm Credit Card Processing and Debit Card Processing Provider"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to accepting card payments, firms that leverage plastic as a payment method win. According to <\/span>Clio\u2019s 2019 Legal Trends Report<\/span><\/i><\/a>, firms that accept card payments get paid faster\u201457% get paid the same day they are billed, and 85% get paid within a week. Debit and credit card payments are convenient for clients, and they\u2019re easy to set up and track, meaning that firms who accept them provide more client satisfaction while spending less time on administrative tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>as recently as 2017<\/span><\/a>, only 15% of solo and small firms were accepting card payments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Law firm credit card processing and debit card processing does come with challenges. Firms need solutions that integrate with their billing and accounting processes, and lawyers are bound by strict compliance regulations\u2014especially for client accounting. But with the right law firm credit card processing provider, the benefits far outweigh the risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyers who accept debit and credit cards and other online payments save valuable time otherwise spent tracking down payments and processing cheques. And not only is it more efficient\u2014many consumers expect to purchase anything and everything online. Requiring clients to physically appear in person to hand over their payment, or buy a stamp and put a cheque in the post, can harm client satisfaction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you can start accepting online card payments, you\u2019ll need to pick a law firm credit card processing and debit card processing service for your firm. Ideally, you would choose one that specialises in card payment processing for lawyers. Here\u2019s how to choose the best one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can law firms charge card processing fees?<\/b><\/h2>\n

In some jurisdictions, it\u2019s permissible for lawyers to pass on card processing fees to clients. However, in the UK, <\/span>it is not permissible for businesses to charge fees when someone uses a particular debit or credit card<\/span><\/a>. A reversal of previous ethics opinions has happened. It\u2019s best to accept these fees as the cost of doing business.<\/span><\/p>\n

Debit Card and Credit Card Processing for Law Firms \u2014 4 Things to Consider\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

1. Ethics rules for client accounting<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t