ElevateStudio Features Payments & Contracts
ElevateStudio feature
Make it easy for clients to spend money with you, and they will .
Stripe payments, payment plans, contracts, e-sign, and invoices. One booking flow, one link.
Most lost photography bookings die in the friction between yes and signed. The client agrees to the package, you send a contract from one tool, an invoice from another, a payment link from a third, and they get pulled into a meeting before they finish any of it. Combining payments, contracts, and invoicing into a single flow is one of the highest-leverage upgrades a studio can make.
What it does
Inside Payments & Contracts.
One link, one flow
Contract, e-sign, deposit, and full payment plan all in a single page the client clicks once. Sign and pay in under two minutes. No login required for the client.
Payment plans and saved cards
Split a wedding into a deposit plus monthly installments. Save the card on file with Stripe. Auto-charge on the date, retry on failure, notify the client and you on any issue.
Real digital contracts
Drafted from your studio's contract templates with merge fields for client name, session date, venue, and package. Legally binding e-signatures, full audit trail, downloadable PDF on completion.
Invoices and standalone payment links
For mini-session days, print orders, or one-off charges. Invoice the client in 20 seconds, they pay in two clicks. Receipts and payment confirmations send automatically.
Why it matters
What this actually changes.
Friction at checkout is the single biggest leak in most photographer pipelines. A lead who took the consult and said yes will still slip away if signing and paying takes more than a couple of minutes or requires opening three apps. Collapsing that flow into one link is where the real money is.
Combining payments with contracts also fixes the contract-but-no-deposit problem. Most studios have a folder of signed contracts where the deposit never landed. When signing and paying are the same action, the contract being signed means the money cleared.
Pairs with
Calendar & Online Booking
Two-way calendar sync, consult bookers, session-type templates, and automated buffer time.
Visual Automations
If-this-then-that workflows for your whole business, described in plain English.
Pipelines & Opportunities
Visual pipeline for every lead. Drag deals from inquiry to consult to booked.
FAQ
Common questions.
Do you use Stripe or your own processor?
Stripe under the hood, with no markup on processing fees. You pay Stripe's standard rates, ElevateStudio takes nothing on top.
Can I run payment plans?
Yes. Split any booking into a deposit plus any number of monthly installments. Card is saved on file, auto-charged on the date.
Are the e-signatures actually legal?
Yes. The platform complies with the U.S. ESIGN Act and UETA. Each signed contract carries a full audit trail (IP, timestamps, identity confirmation) and a downloadable PDF.
What about sales tax?
Sales-tax handling is configurable per session type and per region. The platform calculates and records tax on each invoice for clean bookkeeping.
Founding waitlist open
Ready to put Payments & Contracts to work?
Payments & Contracts is one of fifteen-plus tools ElevateStudio bundles into a single login. Lock in $197 a month for life as one of the first 50 founding studios.