# Save a card and charge it after the job

Source: https://help.mucka.ai/invoices/save-a-card-and-charge-it-after-the-job
Category: Invoices
Last updated: 2026-10-19

> Save the customer's card when you book the job, then take payment once it's invoiced. They agree to it up front, the invoice tells them when, and you approve every charge.

Plenty of firms take a card when the job's booked, do the work, then take the money a day or two after the invoice. Mucka does the same thing, without anyone writing a card number down.

You need [card payments with Stripe](/settings/money/payments#set-card-payments) connected first. It isn't available with SumUp.

## Save the card

Open the job and find **Card on file**. There are two ways in:

- **Email them the link.** The customer gets an email with a link to save a card for that job.
- **Open it here.** Opens the same page on your screen, for when the customer is on the phone reading their card number out.

Either way, the page shows exactly what they're agreeing to: that you can charge the card for that job once it's done, after you've sent the invoice, and that they can ask you to remove it any time. The card itself goes into Stripe's own page. Neither you nor Mucka ever sees the full number, and the card sits in your own Stripe account.

Once it's saved, the job shows the card, like **Visa ending 4242**.

## When the invoice goes

The invoice email and its online page tell the customer when the card will be charged: "We'll take £240.00 from your Visa ending 4242 today, unless you pay another way first."

If you charge on the same day, a card appears at the top of your Actions, under Urgent, as soon as the invoice goes; with a delay, it appears on the day: **Take £240.00 from Sam's Visa ending 4242 for INV-0312?** Tap **Take payment** and it's done. The invoice marks itself paid and the receipt goes out, the same as a Pay link payment.

**Nothing is ever taken without your tap.**

## When to take it

In [**Settings → Money → Getting paid**](/settings/money/payments#set-card-on-file), under **Card on file**, choose when the card comes up: the day the invoice goes (the default), or 1, 2, 3 or 7 days after. If you tell customers "we'll take payment a couple of days later", set it to 2 days.

## If the card doesn't go through

Sometimes the customer's bank wants them to confirm the payment themselves, or the card is declined or has expired. Nothing is taken, and Mucka tells you which it was. Send them the invoice's pay link and they can pay it there. If the card came back declined, you can try the charge again later.

## Offer it when they book or accept a quote

Two more switches in the same place, both off until you turn them on:

- **Offer it on your booking page.** After someone books online, they're offered "Save a card with you" to pay after the job.
- **Offer it when a quote is accepted.** After accepting a quote online, they're offered the same, and the invoice that quote turns into is charged to it.

## Remove a card

On the job, tap **Remove** next to the card. It's removed from your Stripe account too. Do this whenever a customer asks.

## Good to know

- A card only pays the job (or quote) it was saved for. For a later job, save it again.
- A part-paid invoice is charged what's left, and a paid one isn't charged at all.
- The usual card fees apply, the same as a Pay link payment.