How to Build a Streamlined Payment Process From Day One.

01 · The ChallengeFinding the Correct Tool

Before Anchor, Natalie had looked at other payment processors and found them either too expensive, charging a percentage of every transaction that added up fast, or structured around monthly subscription fees that continued even when a firm was still building its client base. Beyond the cost issue, she had heard from colleagues what the alternative looked like: chasing clients for payment after work was already completed, managing engagement letters on one platform and payment collection on another, and following up manually when clients did not move through each step on their own. She wanted to avoid all of it before it started.

"I love being able to have clients sign engagement letters and give me their payment details in one application. It makes things so much easier and streamlined, and I'm happy I can collect payments up front."
Natalie Kutat, CPA LLC, Owner

02 · The SolutionWhy Anchor

Two things made Anchor the clear choice. The first was the pricing model. Anchor is free to use and only charges when a payment is processed, which meant no monthly overhead while her client base was still growing. The second was Anchor's reputation for responsive customer support, which mattered to a solo owner without a billing team to fall back on.

Anchor also offered something her other options did not: a single workflow that combined the engagement letter and payment setup. Clients could sign the agreement and enter their payment details in one session, on one platform, without being handed off to a second tool.

Getting set up on Anchor was straightforward and the services library made it simple to build out her service offerings. When she ran into questions, Anchor support was available to help.

"The customer support is phenomenal. It's nice knowing there is always someone able to help."
Natalie Kutat, CPA LLC, Owner
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03 · The ResultsFlexibility from day one

The core change has been structural. Payment details are now collected before any work begins. Clients don’t need to be prompted twice - once for the engagement letter and again for payment. Both happen in a single flow.

The services library and split payment functionality gave Natalie additional flexibility from the start. When one engagement called for a different payment structure, she used split payments to collect half upfront and the remainder after the completed return was reviewed and approved for filing.

She has not had to chase a client for payment. With plans to expand into recurring bookkeeping engagements, she is already looking ahead to using Anchor's auto-annual price increase feature to keep rates current without renegotiating each agreement manually.