PaySec + FreshBooks: Get Paid Faster Without Losing Money to Processing Fees
How freelancers and small business owners using FreshBooks are eliminating credit card processing fees with PaySec's Network Offset Pricing integration.
FreshBooks makes invoicing and getting paid simple. But simple doesn't mean free — FreshBooks Payments charges 2.9% + $0.30 on every credit card payment and 1% on ACH ($1 minimum). For a freelancer or small business collecting $10,000-$50,000/month through invoices, that's thousands of dollars per year vanishing into processing fees.
PaySec's FreshBooks integration gives you the same easy invoicing experience with one crucial difference: your effective processing cost drops to zero.
What FreshBooks Payments Costs You Today
| Monthly Invoice Collections | Card Rate (2.9% + $0.30) | Annual Processing Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $8,000 | $256/mo | $3,072 |
| $15,000 | $458/mo | $5,496 |
| $30,000 | $895/mo | $10,740 |
| $60,000 | $1,770/mo | $21,240 |
For a freelance developer billing $15,000/month, that's nearly $5,500/year — the equivalent of giving away an entire project's worth of revenue to payment processing.
How PaySec Integrates with FreshBooks
Payment Collection
PaySec replaces FreshBooks Payments as your payment processor while maintaining the same invoicing workflow:
- Create invoices in FreshBooks as you always do
- PaySec's integration adds a payment link with dual pricing
- Your client sees: ACH price (invoice amount) or Card price (invoice amount + offset)
- Client pays, invoice is marked paid in FreshBooks automatically
What Your Clients See
For a $5,000 web development invoice:
| Payment Method | Amount |
|---|---|
| ACH/Bank Transfer | $5,000.00 |
| Credit/Debit Card | $5,200.00 |
Clear, professional, no surprises. Most clients either don't comment on the difference or simply choose ACH to pay the lower amount.
Accounting Sync
- Payments recorded in FreshBooks when received
- Revenue categorized correctly
- No "processing fees" expense category needed
- Bank deposits match FreshBooks records cleanly
- Late payment tracking and reminders still work normally
Why This Matters for Freelancers
Freelancers and solopreneurs feel processing fees more acutely than larger businesses:
- Every dollar counts — you don't have scale to absorb fees
- Clients already expect to pay by card — you can't just refuse cards
- Raising rates to cover fees makes you less competitive
- Time is money — you'd need to work extra hours just to cover processing costs
The "Extra Hours" Perspective
If your effective hourly rate is $150:
| Monthly Collections | Annual Fees | Hours Worked Just for Processing |
|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | $5,496 | 37 hours/year |
| $30,000 | $10,740 | 72 hours/year |
| $60,000 | $21,240 | 142 hours/year |
With PaySec, those hours go back into your life — or back into billable work.
FreshBooks Features That Still Work
| Feature | Status with PaySec |
|---|---|
| Online invoicing | Works normally |
| Recurring invoices | Supported with NOP |
| Automatic payment reminders | Still active |
| Expense tracking | Unaffected |
| Time tracking | Unaffected |
| Client portal | Payment links updated |
| Estimates → Invoices | Supported |
| Multi-currency invoicing | USD supported |
| Mobile app | Fully compatible |
| Reports | Enhanced (no fee deductions) |
Use Cases
Freelance Developers and Designers
Billing $3,000-$15,000 per project. At these amounts, 2.9% per payment is $87-$435 per invoice — meaningful money that PaySec keeps in your pocket.
Marketing Agencies
Monthly retainers of $2,000-$10,000 per client. Across 10-20 clients, processing fees total $580-$2,900/month. With PaySec: zero.
Accountants and Bookkeepers
Processing client payments for tax prep, monthly bookkeeping, and advisory services. Ironic to pay processing fees when you're the one tracking expenses.
Creative Professionals
Photographers, videographers, writers billing for projects. Inconsistent income makes every dollar retained more important.
Switching from FreshBooks Payments
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Sign up for PaySec | 10 minutes |
| Connect FreshBooks integration | 5 minutes |
| Configure payment page | 10 minutes |
| Send first invoice with PaySec | Immediate |
| Disable old payment provider | When ready |
Total setup time: Under 30 minutes.
There's no contract lock-in with FreshBooks Payments, so you can switch immediately. Run both in parallel during transition if you prefer.
Getting Started
PaySec offers merchant accounts designed for freelancers and small businesses — no minimum volume requirements, no long-term contracts, and no monthly minimums.
- Apply for a PaySec account (approved in 24-48 hours)
- Connect your FreshBooks account
- Start sending invoices with zero-fee payment options
- Keep every dollar you earn
PaySec's FreshBooks integration is built for freelancers and small businesses who use FreshBooks for invoicing and want to stop paying 2.9% on every client payment.