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.

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Simple, transparent pricing

Get competitive processing rates* with no hidden fees. Clio never passes on card brand network fees, so you’ll always know exactly what you’re paying. Complete a complimentary assessment to understand your processing rates with Clio Payments.

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

Better for your clients. More efficient for you.

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 standard cards and 3.5% for American Express*—with no per-transaction fees. Surcharging is also supported in eligible states. 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.
Pay Later Included for all transactions. 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. Not supported. Pay Later with Affirm is not supported.
eCheck & Direct ACH payments Included for all transactions. 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. Not available. eCheck and Direct ACH are not supported.
In-person payments Multiple options to get paid quickly and easily. 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. Manually record payments. In-person payments must be keyed in manually.
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.

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

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

  • 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

  • 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

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See What Law Firms Are Saying About Switching to Clio Payments

We spoke to Clio customers about their experiences switching to the new Clio Payments. Here’s what they had to say.

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 only supports card payments, while Clio Payments supports a wider range of options, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, direct ACH, eCheck, and Pay Later with Affirm. Offering more choices helps your firm collect payments faster.

Do Clio Payments and LawPay have the same fee structure?

No. LawPay adds a per-transaction fee, and typically passes on 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 IOLTA 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?

Signing up is simple. 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.