What You Need to Know
The Shepherd Pay toggle must be enabled on the payment screen before card payment options appear.
If the toggle is off, Shepherd Pay will not be available for that transaction.
You can collect a partial payment or the full balance.
Use the payment amount field to specify the amount being collected if the client is not paying in full.
Text-to-Pay requires Shepherd Texting to be enabled in addition to Shepherd Pay.
If Shepherd Texting is not active, the Text-to-Pay option will not appear.
Only one active Text-to-Pay link can exist per client at a time.
Sending a new link deactivates any previously sent link for that client.
Text-to-Pay links expire after 7 days.
If the link is not completed by the client before it expires, a new one must be sent.
Surcharge fees, if enabled, are calculated and displayed before the client confirms payment.
The client sees the surcharge amount on the terminal before approving. See Shepherd Pay: Surcharge Fees for setup details.
Video Walkthrough
Taking a Payment
Open the client's invoice and click Take Payment
2. In the Payment Amount section:
Toggle on Pay All Invoices to apply payment across all outstanding invoices, or
Enter a specific amount in the payment field to the right of the Pay All Invoices toggle
3. In the Payment Type section, toggle on Use Shepherd Pay
4. In the Payment Method section, select how the card will be processed:
Swipe Card — for USB swiper
Manual Entry — to type card details by hand
Send Payment Link — to send a Text-to-Pay link via SMS
(If an EMV terminal is connected, it will appear as an option here)
5. Complete the transaction using the selected method
6. Click Check Out in the right sidebar to finalize
⚠️ The Total will look correct — check the Credit Amount and invoice rows instead.
When using Pay All Invoices, the Total matches whatever is in the box on the right top of the “Payment Amount” middle panel and appears as expected. The issue is hidden: if an invoice row is unchecked, its balance silently shifts into the Credit Amount field in the right panel. The client is charged the full Total, but that portion is banked as a credit balance rather than applied to the invoice.
Before clicking Check Out: scan the Credit Amount line in the right panel and the Payment Amount column on each invoice row. If Credit Amount shows an unexpected value, review the invoice rows — do not rely on the Total alone to confirm the payment is set up correctly.
Payment Methods
EMV Terminal (Chip or Tap)
Use this method when the client is present with their card or a contactless payment device.
Select the registered terminal from the dropdown
Click Charge
The terminal will prompt the client to insert their chip card, tap, or swipe
Once the client approves the transaction on the terminal, the payment is confirmed in Shepherd automatically
The terminal must be powered on and connected before it will appear in the dropdown. If your terminal is not listed, verify it is registered in Shepherd and connected to the network.
USB Swiper
Use this method when swiping a card using the USB card reader connected to the checkout computer.
Select Swiper as the payment method
Click into the card field
Swipe the card through the USB reader
Card data populates automatically — confirm the amount and complete checkout
Mac users: If a double space appears after the card number, see [Shepherd Pay: Hardware and Equipment] for the fix.
Manual Entry
Use this method to enter card details by hand, either in person or over the phone.
Select Manual Entry as the payment method
Enter the card number, expiration date, and CVV
Enter the billing zip code if required
Confirm the amount and complete checkout
Manually entered cards are eligible for autosave if Autosave Client Credit Cards is enabled in Shepherd Pay settings. You will be prompted to save the card at the time of payment.
Saved Card on File
Use this method when the client has a card already saved to their profile.
Select Saved Card as the payment method
Choose the card from the client's saved cards on file
Confirm the amount and complete checkout
Clients can have more than one card saved. Confirm the correct card is selected before processing.
Text-to-Pay
Use this method to send the client a secure payment link via SMS. The client completes payment from their phone without needing to be physically present at checkout.
Requirements:
Shepherd Pay must be active
Shepherd Texting must be enabled
The client must have a valid mobile number on file
To send a Text-to-Pay link:
Select Text-to-Pay as the payment method
Confirm the mobile number the link will be sent to
Confirm the amount
Click Send Link
The client receives a text message with a secure link to complete payment. Once the client pays, the invoice is automatically updated in Shepherd.
Important behaviors to know:
Only one active link can exist per client at a time. Sending a new link cancels any existing unsent or unpaid link for that client.
Links expire after 7 days. If a link expires before the client pays, you will need to send a new one.
You can check whether a link has been paid from the invoice screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Shepherd Pay toggle is not appearing on the payment screen — what do I do?
Shepherd Pay must be fully connected and enabled in Admin settings before the toggle appears at checkout. Navigate to Admin > Clinic Settings > Financial Settings > Shepherd Pay and confirm that credentials are saved and the Enable Shepherd Pay toggle is on. If the toggle is on but still not appearing at checkout, contact merchant@shepherd.vet.
What does the Shepherd Pay toggle do?
When enabled, the payment is processed through Shepherd Pay. When disabled, the payment is only recorded in Shepherd and is not processed through Shepherd Pay.
Can I split a payment between Shepherd Pay and another payment method?
Yes. Enter the partial amount you want to collect via Shepherd Pay, complete that transaction, and then apply the remaining balance using a different payment method on the same invoice.
A payment went through on the terminal but Shepherd did not update — what happened?
If the terminal shows an approved transaction but Shepherd did not register it, do not attempt to charge the card again. Contact merchant@shepherd.vet to verify the transaction status before taking any further action.
The client's Text-to-Pay link expired before they paid — what do I do?
Return to the invoice and send a new Text-to-Pay link. The expired link is automatically deactivated when a new one is sent.
Can I see whether a Text-to-Pay link has been opened or paid?
You can check the payment status from the invoice screen. Fully paid invoices reflect the payment automatically. For more detail on link status, check the client's Activity Log.
Does sending an invoice also send a payment link?
No. Sending an invoice and sending a payment link are separate actions. If you want the client to pay online through Shepherd Pay, use the Send Payment Link option from the invoice/payment workflow. This sends the client a link they can use to pay the balance online.
Can clients pay through the Pet Portal?
Yes. If your clinic uses Shepherd Pay, clients can pay eligible balances through the Pet Portal. This allows clients to make payments online without your team manually entering the card in Shepherd.