Payment Processing for Cleaning Businesses
Quick answer: Cleaning businesses should use a mobile Bluetooth terminal (Clover Go or PAX A920) for on-site card payments, card-on-file tokenization for recurring clients, and invoicing with payment links for commercial accounts. With interchange-plus pricing, most cleaning businesses save 15-30% compared to Square.
Whether you run a residential maid service, commercial janitorial company, or specialty cleaning business, accepting card payments is essential. Customers expect it, and card-paying clients tend to book more frequently and spend more per visit than cash-only clients.
Payment Methods for Cleaning Companies
Mobile terminals for residential
A Clover Go clips to your phone and accepts chip, tap, and swipe payments at the client's door. Card-present transactions qualify for the lowest interchange rates — saving money on every house call.
Recurring billing for repeat clients
Most residential cleaning is recurring (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly). Card-on-file tokenization lets you charge clients automatically on their scheduled cleaning day. No invoicing, no chasing payments — just automatic billing with pre-charge notifications.
Commercial invoicing
For janitorial contracts and commercial cleaning, send professional invoices with payment links via email. Clients pay online using credit card or ACH (lower fees on large invoices). Net-30 terms with automatic follow-up reminders.
Text-to-pay
Send a payment link via text after completing a job. The client pays from their phone within minutes. Great for one-time deep cleans and move-out cleanings.
Why Interchange-Plus Saves Cleaning Businesses Money
A residential cleaning company charging $150/visit, processing $12,000/month:
- Square: $322/month (2.6% + $0.10)
- Interchange-plus: $220-260/month
- Annual savings: $744-1,224
For commercial cleaners processing $30K+/month, annual savings reach $2,000-4,000.
Setting Up Recurring Billing
1. Collect the client's card at the first visit (or via online booking) 2. Store it securely as a card-on-file token 3. Set the billing frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) 4. Client receives a pre-charge notification before each charge 5. Payment processes automatically — no manual billing needed 6. Card updater service automatically updates expired cards
This eliminates the #1 pain point for cleaning businesses: chasing payments.
Handling Tips
Cleaning services increasingly receive tips. Your payment processing should support:
- Tip line on receipts (paper or digital)
- Digital tip screen on terminal
- Tip option in text-to-pay links
- Per-cleaner tip tracking for payroll
Contact Unison for cleaning business payment processing, or see contractor payment solutions.