Clio Payments vs LawPay Integration: Which Is Better for Law Firms?
Clio Payments provides the same online payment experience your clients love. Plus, get access to new features, more payment methods, and added flexibility.
Better for your clients. More efficient for your law firm.
Switch to Clio Payments to unlock more ways for clients to pay and for you to get paid. More flexibility for your clients, more confidence for your firm.
| Feature | Clio Payments | LawPay Integration |
|---|---|---|
| All-in-one practice management | Already built into Clio. Built by Clio and included with your Manage subscription, Clio Payments lets you manage your clients, matters, billing, reporting and payments from one place. Payments are automatically recorded against the correct matter and synced to your accounting platform. | Third-party platform. Requires managing payments and client information in two different places. |
| Debit and credit card processing rates | Transparent, flat rate for all card types. Pay one low rate of 2.95% for all credit and debit cards—with no per-transaction fees. | Variable rates and additional fees for every card type. Foreign cards cost extra and per transaction costs are charged on all cards. |
| Card network fees | No card network fees. Clio doesn’t pass on card network fees when you run a card. Always know what you’re paying with one simple, flat rate per transaction and no hidden fees. | Additional fees may apply. Additional card network fees are typically applied to most transactions. |
| Text to Pay | Built-in capabilities to text bills to clients. Send instantly-payable bills, trust requests, and client balances to clients by text—so you collect faster. | Not available. No ability to send bills, trust requests, and client balances to clients by text message. |
| Google Pay & Apple Pay | Included for all transactions. Let clients pay online instantly using stored cards on Apple Pay or Google Pay. By removing the need for a physical card, you make it possible for clients to pay the moment they see your invoice. | Not supported. Clients must manually type in card numbers, expiry dates, and CVVs for every bill. |
| On-the-spot payments | Multiple ways to get paid quickly and easily. Collect in-person payments right away via QR codes. Post them in your office, add them to printed bills, or generate them on the Clio Mobile App. Clients pay instantly, and Clio records the transaction automatically. | Manually record payments. Payments made in your office or on the go must be manually keyed in and recorded in Clio. |
| Mobile-friendly client portal | Share bills and get paid with Clio for Clients. Share bills and get paid through Clio’s secure, mobile-friendly client portal. | Not available. Client portals are not supported. |
| Payment plans | Multiple plans per client. Total flexibility for you and your clients. Easily manage multiple plans across different matters and accept both cards and eChecks. Clio lets you edit active plans on the fly or set up recurring payment schedules for ongoing work—keeping your cash flow steady without the admin rework. | One payment plan per client. Create only one payment plan per client, without the ability to accept eChecks. No ability to edit payment plans after they’re live. |
| Payment storage | Securely store multiple payment methods, at any stage of the process. Easily request and store payment methods at intake, over the phone, or by sharing a secure link. Save payment information with the highest level of PCI compliance at any time during your client’s case. | Securely store credit card information. Payment information can only be stored when clients are making a payment. No ability to request payment information separate from a bill, or at intake. |
| Autocharge | Collect payments automatically, on your terms. Set your trigger (e.g. bill approval or due date) and Autocharge charges a client’s stored payment method automatically. No manual steps, no chasing. | Not supported. Supports recurring payment schedules only—no ability to automatically charge a stored payment method based on set triggers. |
| Chargeback support | Easily navigate and handle chargebacks. Get notified about chargebacks by email. Handle the chargeback process and view your progress right in Clio Manage. | Managed in LawPay. Chargebacks can only be managed by logging into the LawPay portal. |
| Ability to choose how processing fees are incurred | Choose daily or monthly. It’s up to you when fees are incurred: per transaction, or in one lump sum each month. | Monthly only. Processing fees are billed and deducted monthly. |
| Refund management | Full refund flexibility. Manage all of your accounts with ease. Issue full or partial refunds for both trust and operating payments directly within Clio—without any workarounds. | Operating account refunds only. No support for refunding IOLTA (trust) transactions, meaning you can only refund operating payments. |
A legal payment solution you can rely on, built directly into Clio
Industry-compliant trust accounting
Full protection of your trust accounts so you remain compliant with all IOLTA rules. Includes built-in support to issue trust refunds, if required.
Fast, unlimited support
Get support from one team, instead of two—by phone, email, or live chat.
Secure, PCI-compliant payments
Safely accept, process, store, and client payment information.
Thousands of legal professionals have already made the switch to Clio Payments
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The set-up was fast and I now have one integrated place for everything in a platform that works outstandingly … It’s increased my revenue because I’m able to be a lot more efficient using this software over any of the other platforms that I’ve tried.
Carl D. Berry Esq, Managing Attorney, The Strategic Legal Group, PLLC
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I never knew what that fee was going to look like because I never knew what my client was going to use as a card … So the fact that now I have a consistency in the fees, I can predict budgetarily what my bills should look like, which is convenient for me.
Sarah Gold Owner, Gold Law
The Clio Payments Advantage
Why is a built-in legal payment system better than an integration?
Built-in payment systems keep billing, matters, reporting, and transactions in one workflow, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reconciliation.
Does the LawPay integration offer the same payment methods as Clio Payments?
No. The LawPay integration supports credit and debit card payments, while Clio Payments supports a wider range of options, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and payment via QR code. Offering more choices helps your firm collect payments faster.
Do Clio Payments and LawPay have the same fee structure?
No. LawPay typically uses variable rates and additional card network fees. Clio Payments offers transparent, predictable pricing with one standard rate for each card type and no per-transaction fees, making it easy for firms to forecast their costs.
Trust & Compliance
How does Clio Payments ensure trust compliance?
Clio Payments is purpose-built for legal professionals. It ensures IOLTA compliance by strictly separating trust and operating funds. Any processing fees or chargebacks are exclusively deducted from your operating account, ensuring client trust funds remain protected at all times.
Is Clio Payments PCI compliant?
Yes. Clio Payments meets the highest level of certification available in the payments industry. The processing, transmission, and storage of all card data are handled securely to ensure your firm remains fully PCI compliant.
How does Clio Payments reduce accounting errors?
Since Clio Payments is built-in, payments are automatically recorded against the correct matter and synced with your firm’s records in real-time — keeping your books accurate.
Making the switch
Is switching from LawPay to Clio Payments difficult?
Making the transition is easy. Since Clio Payments is already a part of Clio Manage, you can activate it without disrupting your existing billing workflows. Your invoices and collection processes will remain consistent throughout the transition.
How will my clients be impacted if I switch?
Clients will gain more ways to pay, with zero disruption to your firm. The only required update is swapping any “permanent” payment links on your website with your new Clio Payments links.
How do I sign up for Clio Payments?
Navigate to the Switch to Clio Payments tab within Clio Manage and follow the prompts. If you’d prefer a guided experience, you can book a call with our team, and one of our experts will walk you through the setup.
Ready to get started?
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