Payments and Stripe
Updated 2026-09-19
HighLevel takes payments through a connected processor such as Stripe, and its invoices, payment links, subscriptions and order forms all run through that connection. The processor charges its own fees; HighLevel's plan does not include payment processing as part of the subscription price.
The three layers
Think of a HighLevel payment as three layers stacked on top of each other. The processor, Stripe or PayPal as at September 2026, actually moves the money and charges its own transaction fee (source: help.gohighlevel.com, checked September 2026). HighLevel's own tools, invoices, payment links, recurring subscriptions, order forms and text-to-pay links, ask the customer for the payment and record that it happened. Your accounting tool, most often QuickBooks or Xero, then receives the record of that payment if connected (see QuickBooks and Xero). Each layer does its own job; confusing which layer owns which fee is where most billing questions start.
What connects and where it is used
Once Stripe is connected, it can be used across invoices, payment links, order forms, standard forms, an online store, calendars, courses and communities, so a single connection covers most of the ways a business collects money on HighLevel. Stripe's own subscription and payment history stay in sync with HighLevel's Subscriptions page, so canceling a subscription in Stripe reflects as canceled inside HighLevel as well.
Text-to-pay specifically
A text-to-pay link requires an active Stripe payments connection, an active phone number on the sub-account, and at least one product set up, and supports a range of payment methods including cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH direct debit, and several buy-now-pay-later options, as at September 2026. This is one of the more direct routes from a text conversation to a completed payment without the customer leaving the message thread.
Fees
Stripe and PayPal charge their own transaction fees, set and published on their own sites; HighLevel does not publish a separate platform fee on top of processor fees in the sources checked for this page. Check the current pricing page directly if a specific transaction-fee figure matters to your decision, since this is exactly the kind of number that changes independently of everything else here.
The one-invoicing-system rule
Whichever tool actually raises the invoice, HighLevel or your accounting software, keep that consistent across the business. Running both as active invoicing systems for the same work is what breaks reconciliation, regardless of which processor sits underneath either one.
Choosing between Stripe and PayPal
Most businesses already carry a preference from before they connected HighLevel, and reusing an existing account is simpler than opening a second one purely for this platform. Where neither is already in place, the practical difference for most small businesses is customer familiarity: Stripe integrates more broadly across HighLevel's own tools as at September 2026, while PayPal remains a checkout option some customers specifically look for. Check the current list of supported payment methods under each before committing, since options such as buy-now-pay-later services are tied to the processor, not to HighLevel itself.
Questions people ask
Does HighLevel take payments?
Yes, through a connected processor, Stripe or PayPal as at September 2026, feeding its invoices, payment links, subscriptions and order forms.
Does it work with Stripe?
Yes, natively, and Stripe is the more commonly connected of the two processors across the tools this page describes.
Can I sell subscriptions?
Yes, recurring payment products are supported through the same Stripe or PayPal connection used for one-off payments.
What are the fees?
Stripe and PayPal set their own transaction fees; check their current pricing directly. No separate HighLevel platform fee on transactions was found stated in the sources checked for this page.
Can I invoice from HighLevel?
Yes, and if you do, let that invoice be the one system of record rather than also raising a duplicate in your accounting software.