How to pay invoices with a credit card

A supplier’s invoice usually gives you two things: an amount and a set of bank details. If you want to put that invoice on a credit card, the route depends on one question: does the supplier take card payments?

Route 1: the supplier takes cards

Some suppliers send a payment link with the invoice, or take cards over the phone. Then you can pay by card directly, and nothing else is needed.

Look for a surcharge before you pay. UK law bans card surcharges, but the ban does not cover commercial cards. A commercial card is a card issued to a business for business expenses. If you pay with one, the supplier can add a surcharge. The law caps any surcharge at the supplier’s own cost of taking that card.

Route 2: the supplier wants a bank transfer

If the invoice gives only a sort code and an account number, the supplier expects a bank transfer. You cannot put a card number into a bank transfer. The way round this is a bill payment service:

1. You give the service the invoice and the supplier’s bank details.
2. The service charges your card for the invoice amount plus its fee.
3. The service pays the supplier for you.

The supplier gets paid, with the reference that you give. The supplier does not need to take cards or sign up to anything.

How to pay an invoice by card with dozo

dozo is a bill payment service for UK small businesses. Here are the steps for one invoice.

1. Attach the invoice. This step is optional, and it keeps the invoice with the payment. A PDF, JPG or PNG is fine.
2. Add the supplier’s bank details. Enter the account name, sort code and account number from the invoice. For a business account, use the registered business name or the trading name on the account.
3. Let dozo check the name. Before any money moves, dozo runs a Confirmation of Payee check on each new payee. If the name matches, you can go on. If the check gives a close match or no match, dozo does not pay. Check the details with the supplier and try again. If the check cannot run, dozo tells you, and you choose whether to continue.
4. Enter the amount, the reference and the payment-out date. Copy the invoice number into the reference, so that the supplier can match the payment. dozo references take up to 18 characters: letters, numbers, spaces and hyphens. The payment-out date is the earliest day that dozo pays the supplier. The earliest date that you can choose is 5 days after today, not counting bank holidays in England and Wales.
5. Pay by card. You pay on a secure Stripe payment page, with any UK debit or credit card, personal or business. The card fee is added to the invoice amount, so the supplier gets the full amount. Your card is charged when you pay, not on the payment-out date.
6. dozo pays the supplier. dozo pays the supplier on the payment-out date, once your card payment has reached dozo. If your card payment reaches dozo later, the payment goes later. The supplier’s bank can also take longer to show it. Create the payment at least 5 working days before the invoice is due.

To use dozo, you must be 18 or over and live in the UK. Before your first payment, dozo checks your identity. You upload a passport, driving licence or national ID, and a proof of address. You also need a dozo plan.

What it costs

With dozo you pay a monthly or yearly plan, and a card fee on each card payment. A bank transfer from your own account has no card fee.

dozo prices, checked on 12 October 2026.

	£29 plan	£79 plan
Card payments each month	Up to £10,000	£10,000 to £150,000
Plan price	£29 a month, or £290 a year	£79 a month, or £790 a year
Card fee on each payment with a UK card	2.5%	2.3%
Fee on a £1,000 invoice	£25.00	£23.00
Your card is charged	£1,025.00	£1,023.00
The supplier receives	£1,000.00	£1,000.00

The fee is rounded to the nearest penny, and it is fixed when you create the payment, so a later plan change does not change it. Full pricing is on the dozo home page.

When paying by card makes sense

The fee is a real cost, so the card route needs a reason. Three reasons can apply.

• Your cash comes in after the invoice is due. The supplier can be paid by the due date if you create the payment at least 5 working days early. You pay the card bill later, on your card’s own statement cycle.
• You want to avoid late payment charges. If you pay a business invoice late, the supplier can charge statutory interest at 8% a year plus the Bank of England base rate, unless your contract sets a different rate. The supplier can also charge a fixed sum for debt recovery: £40 on a debt under £1,000, £70 up to £9,999.99, and £100 on £10,000 or more.
• Your card terms reward the spend. Some cards give points or cashback. Ask your card provider whether a payment through a bill payment service counts. The answer depends on your card.

The card route makes less sense in one case. If you cannot clear the card balance, the card provider charges interest on it. That interest comes on top of the card fee.

What to check before you pay

• Your credit limit. It must cover the invoice plus the fee.
• The payment limits. Each dozo payment can be from £1 to £20,000. From 26 October 2026, each new payment must be at least £100. dozo also refuses a payment that takes your month over the plan’s limit of £10,000 or £150,000.
• Changes after you pay. After you pay by card, you cannot cancel the payment or change its payment-out date in the app. Email hello@dozopay.co as soon as possible.
• The bank details. If a supplier emails new bank details, call them on a number that you already have before you pay. The name check helps, but a call is the surest check.
• Your card protection. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can cover goods or services with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000, bought on a credit card. It needs a clear agreement between you, the supplier and your card provider. A chargeback lets you challenge a card payment in some cases. Ask your card provider whether these rules cover your card, especially a business card, and how they apply when a service pays the supplier for you.

Related questions

Does the supplier know that I paid by card? dozo pays the supplier, with your reference. It does not receive a card payment.

Can I pay an HMRC bill the same way? Read how to pay HMRC with a credit card. It covers HMRC’s card rules, bank details and deadlines.

Is a card better than a bank transfer? It depends on your cash and the fee. See credit card vs bank transfer. For regular bills that you pay by Direct Debit, see credit card vs Direct Debit.