How getting paid works
Every invoice can be paid two ways. Send a card / Apple Pay link the customer taps to pay, and the money goes into your own connected account. Or, for the folks who’d rather just send it over, get paid fee-free straight to Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or PayPal — no processor in the middle.
There’s no merchant account for you to apply for and no monthly gateway fee. Customers can add a tip on the payment page, and when you need the cash today, "get paid now" pushes a card balance to your debit card in about half an hour (a 1% fee, shown up front). And if an invoice goes unpaid, SideWRK sends friendly email reminders — it never texts your customer for you.
What you can use it for
Get paid however they pay
Some customers want to tap a card, some only use Venmo or Zelle. Offer both and you don’t lose the sale over how somebody likes to pay.
Skip the merchant account
No application, no underwriting, no monthly gateway bill. You start taking card payments without becoming a payments company.
Keep more on cash apps
Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and PayPal go straight from customer to you with no processing cut — the fee-free lane for the jobs where it fits.
Get the cash today
Waiting days for a card payout is rough when payroll is you. Instant payout moves the money to your debit card in about 30 minutes for a small, disclosed fee.
How to collect a payment
- 1
Send the invoice
From a finished job, send the branded invoice with a card / Apple Pay link the customer can tap.
- 2
They pay by card — or you request it to an app
The customer pays by card or Apple Pay, or you send a request they pay to your Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or PayPal.
- 3
The job flips to paid
When the balance is covered, the job marks itself paid. Card money lands in your own connected account.
- 4
Cash out fast if you need to
Use instant payout to move a card balance to your debit card in about 30 minutes for a 1% fee — otherwise it settles on the normal schedule.
- 5
Let reminders do the nagging
If an invoice sits unpaid, SideWRK emails polite reminders with a pay link so you’re not the one chasing it — and it never texts your customer.
Why "no merchant account" is the point
A solo operator shouldn’t have to set up a merchant account, pass underwriting, and pay a monthly gateway just to take a card. SideWRK gets you paid by card without any of that — and keeps the fee-free apps in the same place, so you’re not juggling three tools to collect one payment.
The money is yours the whole way. Card payments land in your own connected account and cash-app payments go straight to you — never held in a platform wallet. For more on that, see your money.
And after all of it — the card links, the instant payout, even financing on the big jobs — plain cash still works. Take the bills, record the payment on the job in a tap, and it flips to Paid with your profit math intact. None of this replaces cash money; it’s just there for the customers who don’t carry it.
Getting paid — common questions
Do I need a merchant account?
No. There’s nothing to apply for. You connect a payout account, and you can take card and Apple Pay right away, alongside fee-free Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and PayPal.
What are the fees?
Card and Apple Pay carry the standard card processing fee. Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and PayPal go straight to you with no processing cut. Instant payout is an optional 1%, shown before you use it.
Where does the money go?
Into your own accounts. Card payments settle to your connected account; cash-app payments go directly from the customer to you. Nothing is held in a SideWRK wallet.
Can customers leave a tip?
Yes. There’s a tip option on the payment page, so a happy customer can add to what they owe.
Can I just take cash?
Always. Take the cash, record the payment on the job, and it flips to Paid like any other payment — the Money tab and your year-end totals stay right. You don’t have to connect anything to run on cash; the card and app options are there when you want them.