How To Decide If HubSpot Payments Is Right For Your Business

HubSpot launched its Payments program in 2021. Many people thought it would be the answer to their problems when selling products using Stripe with HubSpot. 

But despite the anticipated launch, HubSpot payments doesn't solve many of the problems it hoped to solve. 

This article will break down the HubSpot payment platform, why you should or shouldn't use it, and an alternative. 

By the end of this article you should have enough information to make a decision on what your business should use.

HubSpot Payments Explained 

When HubSpot payments launched, the idea was to bring e-commerce and digital selling tools onto HubSpot. 

Streamline B2B buying with CRM-powered payments.

That's the headline used by HubSpot to position HubSpot payments. 

HubSpot continues to say:

Payments bring the buying journey inside your CRM platform, combining your commerce data with your customer data. This powerful combination creates a delightful purchase process for your customers and your internal teams.

HubSpot payments are built directly into HubSpot. Customers can easily take payments without using third-party integrations. 

Your account needs to be a premium edition of HubSpot, with advanced functionality in Sales Hub for quotes.

The solution is meant for HubSpot customers selling non-physical goods (ex: software, services, events, courses, content, donations, etc.). It's less suitable for those shipping physical goods, as HubSpot does not calculate taxes or shipping fees at this time.

HubSpot payments are only available to businesses or organizations located in the U.S. that have a U.S. bank account and are using a paid version of HubSpot.

It's also important to note that to use HubSpot payments, all customers must apply. 

By applying, HubSpot can dictate who gets to use the payments platform and who doesn't. 

Depending on your business and application, you may have to wait before getting accepted into the program. 

What role does Stripe provide for HubSpot payments?

HubSpot connects with Stripe to take the payments. 

Stripe provides the underlying infrastructure for payment features that are built into HubSpot. That means payment data will be here in your CRM. You'll simplify your process with one less tool and make it easier for your team to support customers.

Important note: If you plan on using HubSpot payments, you can not use your existing Stripe account. 

You will have to create a new account with HubSpot. 

So if you have products already created, you won't be able to import those products into HubSpot. 

How Much does it cost to use HubSpot payments? 

If you want to use the Credit/Debit card function, it will cost you 2.9% of the transaction amount.

If you plan on using ACH payments, you pay 0.5% of the transaction amount, capped at $10 per ACH transaction.

HubSpot Payments Features 

Some of the HubSpot payment features include:

• The ability to collect one-time and recurring payments 
• Syncing customer sales data in the HubSpot CRM 
• Embeddable payment links
• Bring the front and back offices together with a single source of truth for customer and commerce data
• Invoice creation

Things HubSpot Payments Can't Do

Unfortunately, there are some things HubSpot payments do not do well, which include:

• You can't use your current Stripe account.
• You can't import past Stripe products into HubSpot payments.
• You can't use PayPal or other payment processors '
• You have to live in the United States to use HubSpot payments 
• It doesn't allow for donation creation.
• It doesn't have a customer  portal 
• You can't offer discount/coupon codes 
• You can't customize the payment links to match your brand 
• You can't offer order bumps.
• You can't provide one-click upsells 
• You can't offer add-ons.
• You can't offer product variants. 

What is Cartfuel, and how does that compare to HubSpot Payments?

Cartfuel is a third-party HubSpot integration and payments tool. 

Cartfuel allows B2B sellers to create embeddable payment forms that work on any website. 

Meaning you can collect payments for one-time or recurring products, including:

• Ticket sales
• Donations 
• Membership/Membership Dues
• Consulting/Coaching 
• Courses 
• Events 

When a successful transaction is complete, you can track and manage all sales from your CRM. 

Cartfuel streamlines the buying process like HubSpot payments, so there is a 360-degree view of your customers in the CRM.

But unlike HubSpot payments, Cartfuel has more features that most B2B digital sellers need in today's modern world. 

When to Use Cartfuel vs. HubSpot Payments 

HubSpot payments or Cartfuel? Which one should you use? 

It depends on your goals, buying procedure, and marketing funnel. 

If you don't have the intention of maximizing your customer's average order value through things like:

• One-click Upsells
• Order Bumps
• Add Ons
• Donations 
• Accepting payments with PayPal
• Brand customization

Then HubSpot payments may be enough for you and your business. 

But if you're looking for a bit more functionality, read on. 

Here's the complete list of reasons why you may want to use Cartfuel instead of HubSpot payments:

• Want to use your Current Stripe account 
• Want to import past Stripe products
• Want to use PayPal or other payment processors '
• You live outside of the United States (HubSpot Payments is currently only available in the U.S.). 
• You are a non-profit organization and need to accept donations.
• You want a customer portal 
• Want to take discount/ offer coupon codes 
• Want to customize the payment links to match your brand 
• Want offer order bumps
• Want to offer one-click upsells 
• Want to offer add ons
• Want to offer product variants 
• Want to connect to other third-party integration(s)

If you want to learn how to start using Cartfuel with HubSpot, then continue reading as we break it down step by step. 

How to use Cartfuel with HubSpot

If you want to use Cartfuel, you must connect your Hubspot account to Cartfuel. 

Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Go to HubSpot marketplace and install Cartfuel (it comes with a free 14-day trial)
2. Connect your Stripe account to Cartfuel
3. Create a payment form with your one-time or recurring product 
4. Embed the payment form on your website

Installing Cartfuel to your HubSpot account

Installing the Cartfuel app is as easy as clicking the install app button in the HubSpot app marketplace. 

Connecting Stripe to Cartfuel

When your HubSpot account is connected to Cartfuel, you can connect your Stripe account. 

Note: Cartfuel uses Stripe to process payments. But unlike HubSpot, Cartfuel doesn't need you to create a new Stripe account. 

Creating A Payment Form In Cartfuel

Once you have your Stripe account connected to Cartfuel, then you'll be able to create your first payment form. 

Creating a payment form in Cartfuel requires these steps:

1. In your Cartfuel account, click on 'New Payment Form' in the top navigation menu.
2. Then proceed to select if you want to use Stripe or PayPal. 
3. Enter Your payment form name 
4. Click on the purple 'Add new product' button. 
5. In the popup, enter your product details, including the product name, price, and if you want to have a one-time or recurring product. 
6. Add additional features like add-ons, charging taxes, adding quantity fields, or variants. 
7. After adding a product, you can decide to add even more features to your payment form, like adding a countdown timer, charging additional fees, adding coupons, order bumps, and more.

Embedding Cartfuel on Your Website 

After creating your payment form, you can embed it on your website or landing page. 

All you need to embed your new payment form is the code snippet Cartfuel provides you. 

No need to worry; you don't need any coding knowledge.

The code for your payment form needs to be added wherever you want it to appear on your website.

HubSpot, for example, requires both HTML and Embed elements to be added to your site.

Here's an example of what it will look like once embedded:

Once the payment form is on your site and linked to HubSpot, you can see customer data as purchases are made through the checkout form. 

Here's a video explaining this process in depth. 

How much does Cartfuel cost? 

Cartfuel costs a flat fee of $97/mo. There are no additional transaction fees, and each account comes with a 14-day trial. 

The Verdict? 

It depends on your goals and what you want to offer your customers. If you want something simple, live in the United States, and don't mind using a new Stripe account, HubSpot payments may be the best option. 

If you want something that has more functionality, is easy to use, and sends the transaction data into HubSpot - then Cartfuel may be the best option. 

Both sync with HubSpot data to help B2B companies make more money.

Regardless of what you choose, you should try out Cartfuel for at least 14-days since it's free. No strings attached. 

If you're interested, and want to learn more you can sign-up here. 

FAQ

How do you connect Stripe to HubSpot?

There are a few different ways to connect your Stripe account to HubSpot.

You can use the native HubSpot Stripe integration.

You can use HubSpot payments.

Or you can use a third-party integration like Cartfuel. 

Here's an article explaining how you can do that

Who is eligible to use the HubSpot payments tool?

Payments are only supported in the U.S. for now. 

Customers must  have a premium edition of HubSpot, with advanced functionality in Sales Hub for quotes

Does PayPal integrate with HubSpot payments?

HubSpot payments does not connect with PayPal. If you want to use PayPal with HubSpot, you will need to use a third-party tool like Cartfuel or Depositfix. 

If you want to try Cartfuel checkout our Free 14-Day Trial.