CPACharge
Payment processing platform designed for accounting firms.
About CPACharge
CPACharge processes credit card and ACH payments for accounting and tax firms, with the trust accounting controls that generic processors ignore. When a client pays into a retainer or escrow account, CPACharge keeps those funds separated from operating accounts automatically—a compliance requirement that Square, Stripe, and PayPal simply do not address. Firms running CCH Axcess, Drake Tax, or Lacerte can sync payment records directly rather than manually reconciling deposits against invoices. It fits solo CPA practices and mid-size firms billing clients for tax prep, advisory, and bookkeeping work. If your firm collects retainers or holds client funds in trust, this is the processor to evaluate first. QuickBooks and Xero integrations pull payment data across without double-entry. The drawbacks are real: pricing runs higher than Stripe or Square on a per-transaction basis, and there is no free trial to test the workflow before committing. Firms that have no trust accounting obligations and already run a clean Stripe-to-QuickBooks setup will pay a premium for features they do not need. Customer support response times draw complaints in busy tax season, exactly when payment issues are most damaging.
Best for
Accounting and tax firms wanting compliant payment processing designed for their industry
Key Features
- Credit card and ACH payment processing
- PCI DSS compliant payment handling
- Trust accounting support for client funds
- Practice management software integration
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Automatically separates trust and operating account deposits, satisfying state bar and CPA licensing rules without manual intervention
- Direct integrations with CCH Axcess, Drake Tax, and Lacerte push payment records into the billing workflow accountants already use
- Accepts both ACH and credit card payments from the same client portal, reducing the back-and-forth over payment method
- PCI DSS compliant card handling means the firm never stores raw card data on its own systems
- Client-facing payment pages carry the firm's branding, not CPACharge's, which reduces client confusion at invoice time
- Recurring billing handles flat-fee monthly bookkeeping engagements without manual invoice generation each cycle
- QuickBooks and Xero sync matches payments to open invoices automatically, cutting reconciliation time at month end
Cons
- Per-transaction fees run higher than Stripe or Square—firms with high payment volume and no trust accounting needs will overpay
- No free trial or evaluation tier; you commit to a paid plan before testing the actual workflow with real clients
- Support quality degrades noticeably in January through April, which is precisely when a failed payment is most disruptive
- Lock-in is real: migrating stored payment methods to another processor requires clients to re-enter card details
- The practice management integrations cover the major platforms but exclude smaller tools like Canopy and TaxDome, requiring manual export for firms on those systems
- Reporting dashboards are functional but basic—firms wanting revenue analytics beyond payment confirmation need to export to a separate tool
Ledger Brief Take
CPACharge tackles the messy intersection of payment processing and trust accounting rules that generic processors like Square simply can't handle. The trust accounting features and practice management integrations address real compliance headaches for CPA firms, though you'll pay a premium over consumer-grade alternatives. This is purpose-built infrastructure rather than a trendy AI wrapper—exactly what accounting practices need for client payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions accountants ask about CPACharge.
How does CPACharge pricing work?
CPACharge does not publish a full rate card publicly. Credit card transactions carry a percentage fee plus a per-transaction charge; ACH payments are priced separately and typically cost less per transaction. There is no free tier. Request a quote directly, and compare the all-in cost against your current monthly payment volume before signing.
How does CPACharge connect to QuickBooks?
CPACharge syncs with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. When a client pays an invoice, the payment posts to the matching open invoice in QuickBooks automatically. The sync is not real-time on all plan tiers—confirm the sync frequency with CPACharge before assuming live updates.
Is CPACharge actually more secure than Stripe for a CPA firm?
Both are PCI DSS compliant, so raw card data storage risk is comparable. CPACharge's advantage is trust accounting separation, not encryption superiority. If your state licensing rules require segregated client funds, CPACharge enforces that at the transaction level. Stripe does not.
Does CPACharge work for solo practitioners or only larger firms?
Solo CPA and EA practices are a core segment. The platform does not require minimum transaction volume. A one-person firm collecting retainers for tax prep and advisory work gets full trust accounting functionality at the same pricing tier as a ten-person firm.
How does CPACharge compare to LawPay?
LawPay is the direct equivalent built for law firms; CPACharge is built for accounting practices. Both come from the same parent company, AffiniPay. The integrations differ: CPACharge connects to tax and accounting platforms like Drake and CCH Axcess, while LawPay connects to legal practice management tools. If you run a CPA firm, CPACharge has the relevant integrations.
Can clients pay without creating an account?
Yes. CPACharge generates a payment link the firm embeds in an invoice or emails directly. Clients click the link and enter payment details without registering for an account. This reduces friction for one-time tax clients who will not return for recurring work.