Buy now, pay later FAQ (Beta)

Not sure how Affirm and Klarna work in TaxDome? This FAQ will help you.

1. What is buy now, pay later in TaxDome?

It lets your individual clients split an invoice into installments through Affirm or Klarna at checkout, while your firm is paid in full upfront and carries none of the repayment risk.

2. Who can use it?

Firms on TaxDome Payments. If your firm connects Stripe directly instead, you can also offer it after turning on Affirm and Klarna in your own payment settings, subject to Stripe’s approval.

3. Do I need to sign up for anything?

No. There are no credit checks on your firm, no separate merchant financing account, and no contracts with Affirm or Klarna.

4. Is it on by default?

On TaxDome Payments, yes—each provider is switched on automatically once Stripe has activated it for your account. If your firm connects Stripe directly, you turn on Affirm and Klarna yourself in Settings > Integrations > Payments. Either way, you control it like every other payment method, firm-wide and per invoice, and you can switch it off entirely.

5. Can I choose which payment methods my clients see?

Yes. In Settings > Integrations > Payments, you set what your firm accepts overall—bank debit, debit cards, credit cards, Amex, and buy now, pay later. At invoice level, you choose which of those to offer on any individual invoice.

6. Why don’t I see Affirm as an option?

Most often your account still has an outstanding verification requirement, such as proof of identity or business website details—completing it activates Affirm automatically. Affirm’s availability also depends on your Stripe account’s Merchant Category Code (MCC). The main ones it’s available for: 8931 (Accounting, Auditing & Bookkeeping), 7276 (Tax Preparation Services), and 8111 (Legal Services)—Klarna is unaffected either way.

7. Which clients can use it?

Individual clients. Options for business clients are planned for later.

8. What invoice amounts are eligible?

Affirm covers invoices from $50 to $30,000. Klarna’s range depends on the client’s location and the specific installment option Klarna offers them. Either way, the invoice must be paid in full—no partial payments against it. If an invoice is outside a provider’s range, that provider simply isn’t shown.

9. Does it work for recurring invoices, proposals, deposits, or prepayments?

No—one-time invoices only, paid in full, and one at a time, so Affirm or Klarna isn’t offered when paying several invoices together. Splitting a larger engagement into staged invoices still works: each one-time invoice can be paid with buy now, pay later.

10. Can I use this to invoice larger amounts?

Yes. Splitting a larger engagement into a deposit and a balance, or staging invoices across a project, is how a lot of firms make a bigger number easier for a client to take. With buy now, pay later you can invoice the whole thing and collect all of it now, while your client spreads it on their side.

11. Can my team pay with Affirm or Klarna on a client’s behalf?

No. The provider underwrites the client in real time, so only the client can complete it, from the invoice they open.

12. Where do clients see it?

When they open an eligible invoice—in the client portal, on the guest payment page, on the Tax Return Delivery page, when unlocking a locked document, and in the client mobile app—Affirm and Klarna appear next to card and bank debit.

13. What does my client pay, and can I change the promotional text?

That’s between the client and the provider. At checkout, Affirm or Klarna shows the plans it can offer for that invoice, and the client picks the one that suits them; some options are interest-free. The estimate shown under each option (such as “4 interest-free payments of $X”) is generated by Stripe from the invoice amount and provider terms and can’t be edited—it’s regulated credit advertising.

14. Does applying affect my client’s credit?

It depends on the plan. Short interest-free options normally use a soft check, which leaves the credit score untouched; longer plans follow the provider’s own process.

15. What happens if my client isn’t approved?

Approval is decided in real time by Affirm or Klarna using their own underwriting. If declined, the client is prompted to pay another way. Your firm doesn’t receive the reason for the decision.

16. Can my client apply account credits and pay the rest with Klarna?

No. Buy now, pay later always covers the full invoice; selecting it turns credits off for that payment. The credits stay available for other invoices.

17. When do I get paid, and who takes on the repayment risk?

As soon as the client completes the payment, the full invoice amount minus the processing fee goes into your normal payout schedule—the same flow as cards and bank debit. Affirm or Klarna then collects from the client over time and carries the repayment risk—if the client stops paying, your firm has already been paid in full and keeps the money.

18. What are the fees?

4.95% + $0.30 per transaction, deducted before payout, with no cap. The payment technology fee can’t be applied to buy now, pay later, and no surcharge can be added. If your firm connects Stripe directly instead of using TaxDome Payments, the rate is set by Stripe.

19. Will I see my client’s payment plan?

No. Once approved, the provider manages repayment directly with the client. You don’t track or chase installments.

20. How do refunds work?

Refund from TaxDome as usual, in full or in part, within 120 days (Affirm) or 180 days (Klarna) of the payment. The refund shows a Pending tag in the refunds table until the provider confirms it, usually within minutes; a failed refund shows a Failed tag and can be issued again. The processing fee isn’t returned.

21. How are disputes handled?

Affirm and Klarna handle disputes in their own systems. You may be asked to provide supporting information, such as the invoice or proof the service was delivered, within about 15 days.

22. Where do I see BNPL transactions?

In your normal TaxDome payment reporting—Payments list (filter by Affirm or Klarna), payment sidebar, CSV export, and payout reconciliation report.

23. Does it sync to QuickBooks?

Yes. The full amount posts as a payment; the fee posts as an expense if you have fee sync enabled.

24. Who do clients contact with questions?

Financing terms, approval, and repayment schedule— Affirm or Klarna directly. Invoice amount, services, and refunds—your firm. Payment settings or checkout problems—TaxDome support.

25. Will Affirm or Klarna be available on the card terminal?

Card terminal support is planned for a future release.

26. If I turn off Affirm or Klarna, will TaxDome turn it back on automatically?

No. Once you turn a provider off, it stays off, even if TaxDome later reruns its eligibility check. You can turn it back on yourself anytime in Settings > Integrations > Payments.

27. Does Klarna need anything besides the Stripe capability?

Yes—Klarna also needs credit or debit card payments to be active on your account. If Klarna doesn’t activate even though Affirm does, this is the most likely reason.

28. Can my client save Affirm or Klarna for future payments?

No. Both are one-time payment methods and can’t be saved for future use.

29. Are other buy now, pay later providers, like Afterpay or PayPal, supported?

Not currently. Affirm and Klarna are the only buy now, pay later options TaxDome offers.