Alternatives
Stripe on its own alternatives for auto repair shops
Auto repair shops usually move off Stripe on its own for one of three reasons: they want payments in an account in their own name, they need deposits, packages and memberships without paying per feature, or they need per-location and per-staff visibility. Enterprise Pay Gateway is software on top of Stripe that covers all three — a monthly subscription plus a platform fee of 0.20%–0.75%, with Stripe's processing fees billed separately by Stripe.
Last updated 9 September 2026
Why auto repair shops look past Stripe on its own
- Stripe is the processor, not the software: checkout pages, storefronts, staff access and reporting are yours to build.
- Managing products, invoices and subscriptions from the Stripe dashboard gets slow once a team is involved.
- There is no per-location view, no staff logins with limited access, and no import from other platforms.
You keep your existing Stripe account, your history and your rates — we sit on top of it as software.
What auto repair shops actually need from payments
Parts bought before payment
Ordering parts on the strength of a verbal approval puts the shop's cash at risk on every job. A deposit at approval removes it.
Estimate creep causes disputes
When the final bill exceeds the phone quote, the argument happens at the counter. Written approval plus a card charge against the agreed number settles it in advance.
Collection blocks the bay
A vehicle waiting for payment occupies space. Paying by link before arrival turns collection into a handover.
No repeat-visit mechanism
Most shops have no reason for a customer to return until something breaks. A service plan creates a scheduled relationship.
How the switch works
- 1
Parts deposit
Send a deposit link when the estimate is approved, sized to cover parts cost.
- 2
Additional work approval
Send a separate checkout link for extra work found mid-repair, so approval and payment happen together.
- 3
Collection balance
Charge the remaining balance by link before the customer arrives, so pickup is just handing over keys.
- 4
Service plan
Bill a monthly plan covering routine servicing and priority booking, with automatic retries.
What would you pay here?
Move the slider to your monthly card volume. Stripe keeps billing you its own processing rates directly — this is only what Enterprise Pay Gateway adds on top.
$15,000
Recommended plan
Starter
- Subscription
- $49 / mo
- Platform fee (0.75%)
- $113 / mo
- Total added by us
- $162 / mo
- Effective rate on volume
- 1.08%
Stripe's processing fees are separate and billed to you by Stripe under your own account.
Common questions
- Can a repair shop take a deposit for parts?
- Yes. Create a deposit product sized to the parts cost and send the checkout link when the estimate is approved. The deposit is credited against the final bill.
- How do we handle extra work found during a repair?
- Send a separate checkout link for the additional work so approval and payment happen at the same moment. Each charge then maps to a specific written approval, which is what wins disputes.
- Can customers pay before collecting the vehicle?
- Yes. Send the balance link by text and the customer pays on their phone, so collection is only a handover.
- What does it cost?
- Stripe's processing fee plus a platform fee. Enterprise Pay Gateway charges $49 to $199 a month plus 0.75% down to 0.40%, with negotiated 0.20%–0.35% pricing for groups.
Stripe-powered payments
Card processing runs on Stripe under your own Stripe agreement.
PCI handled by Stripe
Checkout pages are hosted by Stripe, so card numbers never reach our servers.
We never hold your money
Stripe pays out straight to your bank on its standard schedule.
Per-merchant data isolation
Every record is scoped to your business and enforced at the database level.
Other options for auto repair shops
Third-party features and pricing are typical published figures and change often — verify with each provider before deciding.