Clio Payments vs LawPay Integration: Which Is Better for Law Firms?

Requires managing payments and client information in two different places.

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.

Foreign cards cost extra and per transaction costs are charged on all cards.

Pay one low rate of 2.95% for all standard cards and 3.5% for American Express*—with no per-transaction fees.

Surcharging is also supported in eligible states.

*Firms switching from the LawPay Integration to Clio Payments qualify for a 3.5% American Express processing fee.

Additional card network fees are typically applied to most transactions.

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.

No ability to send bills, trust requests, and client balances to clients by text message.

Send instantly-payable bills, trust requests, and client balances to clients by text—so you collect faster.

Clients must manually type in card numbers, expiry dates, and CVVs for every bill.

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.

Pay Later with Affirm is not supported.

Give your clients the flexibility to Pay Later with Affirm while your firm gets paid the full amount upfront (net of fees). You choose whether to offer it, allowing clients to break large bills into smaller, monthly instalments.

eCheck and Direct ACH are not supported.

Accept direct ACH and eCheck payments for just 1% per transaction. Offer both methods, so clients can choose to pay via Plaid or pay directly into your bank account, through the ACH network.

In-person payments must be keyed in manually.

Turn your phone into a payment terminal. Collect in-person payments in seconds via QR codes, or directly from your phone using Tap to Pay. With no extra hardware required, you can settle bills on the spot and get on with your day.

Client portals are not supported.

Share bills and get paid through Clio’s secure, mobile-friendly client portal.

Create only one payment plan per client, without the ability to accept eChecks. No ability to edit payment plans after they’re live.

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.

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.

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.

Chargebacks can only be managed by logging into the LawPay portal.

Get notified about chargebacks by email. Handle the chargeback process and view your progress right in Clio Manage.

Processing fees are billed and deducted monthly.

It’s up to you when fees are incurred: per transaction, or in one lump sum each month.

No support for refunding IOLTA (trust) transactions, meaning you can only refund operating payments.

Manage all of your accounts with ease. Issue full or partial refunds for both trust and operating payments directly within Clio—without any workarounds.