Clio Payments

Clio Payments is a law-firm payment processor built into Clio Manage. It is best suited to firms already using Clio that want client collections tied to billing and accounting. Its workflow integration and trust-account handling are useful strengths, but transaction fees and regional limits deserve a close look.

Overview

Clients can pay by card, eCheck, digital wallet, or Pay Later with Affirm, through a firm website, secure client portal, text, tap to pay, or QR code. Firms can also arrange payment plans and recurring payments, giving clients options beyond a single payment at invoice time.

Payments are associated with client bills, recorded in Clio, and synced to the firm's accounting platform. That connection can reduce manual matching for firms working in Clio Manage; firms outside that system have less reason to choose a processor built around its workflow.

Key features

Automated collections: Firms can store client card and eCheck details and set Autocharge triggers based on fee agreements. This is useful for recurring work and agreed schedules, though it makes the stored-payment workflow central to the firm's collection process.

Trust-account handling: Clio says payments can be directed to the right trust or operating account, earned and unearned fees remain separate, and processing fees are not debited from IOLTA accounts. These controls address consequential law-firm accounting requirements.

Connected billing and accounting: Automatic bill association and accounting-platform syncing help keep payment records connected to the firm's existing Clio workflow, rather than treating collection as a separate task.

Security: Clio says Payments is PCI compliant and that card data processing, transmission, and storage meet the payments industry's highest available certification level.

Pricing

Clio Payments costs nothing as an included feature in all Clio Manage subscriptions; transaction fees apply. The listed rates are 1% for eCheck and ACH, 2.95% for credit and debit cards (3.75% Amex), and 4.95% for Pay Later with Affirm. The fixed rates make the fee structure straightforward, but card and Affirm payments carry materially higher rates than eCheck and ACH.

It includes Clio Manage, online card, eCheck, Apple Pay, and Google Pay payments, with processing fees applying. This is the relevant entry point for firms seeking Clio Manage alongside payments, while firms that already subscribe to Clio Manage get online payments included and should compare transaction charges rather than treating the processor as a separately priced plan.

A 7-day trial is offered, and there is no free plan. Firms outside the United States should also account for eCheck's US-only availability when estimating how useful the lower 1% rate will be.

Platforms

Clio Payments is available on web, iOS, and Android, with an API platform also listed. Clio's mobile app is included across its plans. The product is offered in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Puerto Rico, but eCheck is limited to US customers.

Who it's for

This is a strong fit for law firms using Clio Manage that want client payments, bill records, accounting sync, and trust-account handling connected in one workflow. Firms with recurring matters can make use of payment plans and fee-agreement-triggered Autocharge. It is less compelling for firms outside the Clio ecosystem or for non-US firms that specifically need eCheck.

Pros and cons

Pro: Payments connect directly to Clio billing. Automatic bill association and accounting sync reduce the gap between collecting a payment and recording it.

Pro: Trust-account safeguards address legal accounting needs. Account routing, separation of earned and unearned fees, and the IOLTA fee rule are tailored to law-firm requirements.

Pro: Multiple collection methods and channels. Clients can pay through digital and in-person routes, and firms can arrange recurring payments.

Con: Transaction fees remain on top of the subscription. Card rates are 2.95% (3.75% Amex), and Affirm is 4.95%, which can add up for firms processing substantial volume through those methods.

Con: eCheck is US-only. Firms in other supported countries cannot rely on that payment method or its 1% rate.

Con: The product is tied to Clio Manage. Firms not using Clio get less benefit from its billing and accounting integration.

Alternatives

8am MyCase is worth considering for firms seeking a broader case-management package with time entry, invoicing, and trust accounting; its MyCase Basic plan is $50 a month billed annually, and it has a free plan.

CaseFox may suit a solo or small practice prioritizing a free starting point: its Solo plan is free and covers four cases and two users.

LawGro is an option for firms comparing a wider platform footprint and a yearly-billed Starter plan at $29 a month, which includes three team members, 15 hours of time per week, and three custom rules.

LeanLaw is a direct alternative for firms that want time and expense tracking, e-payments, reporting, and trust accounting in its Core plan at $55 a month per user.

CosmoLex may fit firms looking for online payments and trust accounting alongside time tracking and invoicing; its Launch plan is $49 a month per user, billed monthly.

Orion ePay is another paid payment option to compare.

BQE CORE is another paid option to compare.

Bill4Time may suit firms looking for a free plan and a client portal, with its Time & Billing plan at $49 a month billed monthly.

See also Legal Payments Software for more options in this category.

Verdict

Choose Clio Payments if your firm runs on Clio Manage and wants collections, billing, accounting sync, and trust-account controls connected in one legal workflow. Its strongest reason to choose it is that integration; its clearest reason to look elsewhere is the combination of transaction charges and the US-only eCheck option, particularly for firms that do not already use Clio.