Most small businesses end up with a card terminal from one company, bank transfers from another, invoices from a third, and a spreadsheet to tie it together. Flow is one account for all of it.
Confirmed in seconds, for deposits, bookings and quick sales.
Lower cost for rent, large invoices and recurring bills.
A short link or QR code for a fixed or open amount. Once or forever.
Your customer picks the date on a calendar. Flow collects it on the day.
Weekly, every two weeks or monthly, with one retry and a notice to you both if it fails.
Every payer has a history, saved method label and upcoming payments.
Line items, a printable page, a pay link and reminders before, on and after the due date.
Full or partial, from the payment page, with the customer told right away.
One deposit per payout and the list of payments inside it.
Create payments, check status, refund and receive signed notices with one small file.
Every Dark Water product already speaks Flow. Your own software can in an afternoon.
Pay page, receipt and statement carry your business name.
We do not name competitors, because their pricing and features change. This compares Flow with a typical standalone card processor and with taking bank transfers directly.
| Flow | Typical standalone processor | Bank transfer only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly software fee | None | Often $0 to $50+ | None, but bank fees per file |
| Card payments | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bank payments | Yes, same account | Sometimes, separate setup | Yes |
| Payment links | Yes | Sometimes | No |
| Scheduled payments | Customer picks a date | Rare | Manual |
| Recurring collections | Weekly, two-weekly, monthly | Subscription products only | Manual or separate service |
| Invoices with a pay link | Yes | Sometimes, extra fee | No |
| Customer account | Emailed sign-in link, no password | Varies | No |
| API and webhooks | Yes, one file to integrate | Yes, developer-heavy | No |
| Branded checkout | Your name and colour | Usually processor branded | Not applicable |
| Software integrations | Every Dark Water product, plus your own | Varies | No |
| Payout reconciliation | Every payment inside each deposit | Varies | Manual |
"Typical" describes common offerings as of October 2026; check any provider's current terms before relying on this table.
Dark Water Ventures, Inc. is a technology provider. Payment processing is performed by Stripe. Money settles to your own payment account and pays out to your bank.
Card payouts commonly become available sooner than bank-debit payments. Timing varies with account history, processor review, weekends, bank holidays and payment method.
Financial regulations require payment platforms to verify businesses and individuals accepting payments. That check happens inside Flow, once.
Create your account, connect your bank, send your first payment link. No monthly fee. No long-term contract. Clear transaction pricing.
by Dark Water