> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Payment Methods
> Payment Methods stores customer cards and bank accounts for future payments, while Payment Health helps teams find expired, unverified, or failing methods before an order gets blocked.
**Stored payment methods require Stripe**
Arcus uses Stripe-hosted entry fields for saved cards and bank accounts. Manual payments
such as cash, check, wire, terms, and external payments can still be recorded without a
stored payment method.
## Open an Account's Payment Methods
1. Go to **Accounts**.
2. Open the customer account.
3. Select the **Payment Methods** tab.
4. Review cards or bank accounts already on file.
5. Use **Add Method** when the customer authorizes a new stored method.
## Add a Card or Bank Account
The add method modal supports card entry and bank account entry. Card fields are rendered
through Stripe-hosted secure elements, so full card numbers are not stored in Arcus.
1. Click **Add Method**.
2. Choose **Card** or **Bank Account**.
3. Enter the required customer-authorized details.
4. Save the method.
5. Confirm the method appears on the account before using it on an order.
**Only save authorized methods**
Save a payment method only when the customer has authorized future use. If a payment later
fails because authentication is required, the customer may need to verify the method again
through a customer-facing payment flow.
## Use a Stored Method on an Order
Stored methods are most useful when recording a customer payment from an order or invoice.
The payment screen can use the saved method when it is valid, verified, and allowed for
the payment type.
* **Card**: good for immediate customer payments when the card is usable.
* **Bank account**: useful for ACH-style workflows when setup is enabled.
* **Default method**: helps teams pick the expected method quickly when more than one exists.
* **Manual method**: use cash, check, wire, external, or terms when no stored method should be charged.
**Review the payment result**
After charging or recording a payment, review the order payment summary and email receipt
behavior before moving the order into fulfillment.
## Monitor Payment Health
Payment Health is the account-level dashboard for saved-method issues. It helps teams
identify expired methods, methods expiring soon, methods needing verification, payment
failures, and resolved failure history.
## Payment Health Filters
| Filter | Meaning | What to do |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Expired | A saved card is past its expiration date. | Ask the customer for an updated card before charging new work. |
| Expiring Soon | A saved card is close to expiration. | Update the card proactively, especially for active customers. |
| Needs Verification | A bank account needs ACH verification. | Complete instant verification or micro-deposit verification before using it. |
| Failures | Recent payments failed or require review. | Open the failure, confirm reason, and decide whether to retry or use another method. |
## Set Or Remove Defaults
* **Set default**: use when one saved method should be offered first for future customer payments.
* **Remove method**: use when the customer revokes authorization, the method is bad, or the account should stop using it.
* **Removing the default**: Arcus can promote another active method to default when available.
* **Removed methods**: they should not be used for new charges, but payment history remains available for audit review.
## ACH Timing
ACH payments are not the same as card payments. Bank accounts may need verification before use,
and ACH settlement can take several business days. Fulfillment may be held while ACH is still
processing, depending on the order and entity rules.
Do not treat an initiated ACH payment as settled cash. Review payment status before releasing high-risk orders to fulfillment.
## Common Blocks
* **Add Method is missing**: check your permissions and Stripe setup.
* **Card fields do not load**: check Stripe connectivity, browser blockers, and network access.
* **Payment method is not selectable**: it may be expired, unverified, removed, or not allowed for that payment type.
* **ACH is unavailable**: confirm bank-account setup and entity payment settings.
* **ACH verification failed**: remove the bank account and add it again when the verification session is no longer valid.
* **Default method changed unexpectedly**: review whether another user removed the prior default or set a new default.
* **Payment fails**: review the failure reason, retry rules, customer authentication, and whether a different method is needed.
## Related Articles
Create customer and vendor accounts with terms, addresses, and preferences.
Keep billing, shipping, and contact details clean for each account.
Understand what happens to payment methods when duplicate accounts are merged.
Record cash, card, ACH, check, wire, external, terms, or credit payments.
Configure payment terms, payment automation, processing fees, AP check printing, and deposit slip layout.
Connect Stripe, marketplaces, shipping, email, and other services.