How Clients Add a Card in SimplePractice
By George Ruan • October 7, 2026
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026.
Clients add a card in SimplePractice by signing in to the Client Portal and going to Billing & Payments > Payment Methods, or by completing the Credit card information form you send them. Online Payments has to be turned on for your account first. Do not take card numbers by email or photo; have the client enter the card, or enter it yourself in their billing settings.
Sections
Turn on Online Payments first
Cards are saved and charged through SimplePractice’s Online Payments. On a new account it is often not switched on yet, and then the card simply will not save, from the portal or from your side. SimplePractice support can confirm whether it is active. The processing fee is SimplePractice’s own rate, taken from each charge.
SimplePractice’s online-payment instructions cover setup and charging.
Two ways the client can add a card
From the portal. The client signs in, opens Billing & Payments > Payment Methods > + New Card, enters the card, chooses whether it is the default, and saves.
From a form you send. Share the Credit card information form. The client opens it under Documents in the portal, enters the card, and selects Save Credit Card. If you cannot find the form, check Settings > Documentation > Shareable documents (see the intake-sharing guide).
SimplePractice’s client billing guide documents both routes. Once saved, the client’s billing shows the card type, last four digits, and expiration; the full number is not visible to staff, per the card-collection reference.
Questions practices ask us
“A client emailed me their card. Can you charge it?” We do not use card details sent by email or photo. We ask that the client add the card in their portal, or that the practice enter it in SimplePractice. Often there was nothing to charge anyway: the balance had already been collected from the card on file.
“The card won’t save.” Check Online Payments first. If payments already work for other clients and one card still fails, that is a SimplePractice payments question for their support. Meanwhile the client can try adding it from their own portal.
“Do I need to tell my biller about a new card?” Not if your biller works inside SimplePractice. A new card appears once it syncs. If the card on file failed, the balance can be collected again once the replacement is added.
Saving a card is not permission to charge it
The card form has no signature box. Get the client’s payment authorization through your normal consent process, and be clear about what will be charged and when. If the client is on AutoPay, SimplePractice can charge the default card for the full invoiced balance overnight, so check the default whenever a new card is added.
If someone does send full card details by email, do not forward them or paste them into notes. Follow your practice’s process for handling exposed card data. To give your biller its own SimplePractice login, see how to add Bomi as your biller in SimplePractice.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I save a client’s card in SimplePractice?
Usually Online Payments is not turned on for the account yet. If it is on and other cards work, ask SimplePractice support about that specific card.
Can a client just email a photo of their card?
They should not. Card numbers in email or photos are not secure. Send the card form or point them to Payment Methods in the portal.
Does adding a card pay the open balance?
No. Saving a card does not charge it. The balance is charged separately, or overnight by AutoPay if the client is enrolled.
Sources
SimplePractice Client Help: Billing in the Client Portal
SimplePractice: Processing online payments
SimplePractice: Sending intake forms
Planning a private practice?
Use Bomi's free Build resources to plan the business, provider identity, payer setup, and billing workflow before you see clients.
Use Build resources
About Bomi
Founded by George Ruan, Dax Earl, and Andrey Goder, Bomi helps independent therapists and group practices with insurance billing, credentialing, and payer follow-up. Bomi grew out of Dax’s experience helping his mother with her therapy practice, with a clear purpose: reduce the administrative burden of insurance while keeping practice owners in control.
Meet our founders