Legal Services
★★★★★
5.0 · The highest-rated payments team in Tampa Bay
Compliant payment processing
for law firms — without the
bundled software margins
Accept client payments, preserve trust accounting workflows, and reduce unnecessary processing costs without disrupting how your firm already operates. Built for legal, not bolted on.
No system changes required · No contracts · Local Tampa Bay setup & support
IOLTA-aware setup
ACH for high-ticket payments
2 merchant accounts when needed
Keeps your current systems
IOLTA
Trust-aware routing
ACH
High-ticket friendly
2
Merchant accounts often needed
$0
Cancellation fees
Built for Law Firms
Law firms have different payment rules than most businesses
The issue is usually not just taking a payment. It's how funds are routed, how fees are handled, and how trust and operating workflows stay clean. Tampa Bay Pay helps firms build a payment structure that supports legal billing without forcing a full software change.
Most law firms already have practice management or billing software they know how to use. The weak point is often the payment layer attached to it — especially when the processor is expensive, inflexible, or creates trust-account complications.
We help law firms accept client payments more efficiently while preserving the firm's existing workflow. That means cleaner routing, better economics, and less friction around retainers, replenishments, earned fees, and trust-sensitive deposits.
Whether you're a solo practitioner or a multi-attorney firm, the structure we build works alongside what you already have — not instead of it.
What this helps your firm do
1Accept client payments without bundled legal-software processor margins
2Maintain cleaner trust and operating account workflows
3Keep your current billing and practice-management systems in place
4Support ACH, cards, payment links, and high-ticket invoices
5Get local, hands-on support — not a phone queue when something's off
Three levers most law firms never use — but should.
ACH for high-ticket retainers instead of running them through card. Dual pricing on earned billing so clients who pay by card cover the processing cost — not the firm. And interchange-plus pricing instead of the flat rate buried in your legal software. Most firms are leaving real money on the table across all three. A cost review takes 10 minutes and doesn't require changing a single system.
The Right Infrastructure
How Tampa Bay Pay sets law firms up properly
We build payment infrastructure that routes deposits correctly, keeps trust and operating activity separated, and helps eliminate the common mess created by expensive bundled legal software processors.
⚖️
Trust and operating separation
Deposits go to the correct account from day one. Payment workflows are structured to support cleaner trust-account handling so there's less room for routing errors or co-mingling issues down the line.
Key benefit
Cleaner Routing
Less Co-Mingling Risk
IOLTA-Aware Setup
💳
ACH, cards, and remote payment links
Use ACH for high-ticket retainers and replenishments — dramatically lower cost than running those through a card. Cards and remote payment links for everything else. No single expensive rail forced on your firm.
Payment types
ACH
Credit & Debit Cards
Payment Links
Remote Billing
🔗
Keep your current legal systems
Our setup works alongside Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, or whatever billing platform your firm already uses. No need to change your workflows or retrain your staff on new software.
Why it matters
No Workflow Disruption
No Full Platform Swap
Works with Clio, MyCase & More
💰
Dual pricing on earned billing
On earned invoices and flat fees — where the firm is collecting its own revenue — dual pricing lets you post a cash price and a card price. Clients who pay by card cover the processing cost. Clients who pay by ACH or check pay the lower price. The firm keeps more of every dollar it earns. Florida law permits this when disclosed correctly, and we set it up right.
Why it matters
Near-Zero Processing Cost
Legal in Florida
Works on Invoices & Payment Links
Client Chooses How They Pay
🧾
Invoice and payment link support
Send branded payment links for retainers, replenishments, and invoices directly to clients. Accept payment online without requiring in-person card swipes or complex billing portal setups.
Use cases
Retainer Collection
Invoice Payments
Text-to-Pay
Email Payment Links
📞
Local, hands-on support
When a payment question comes up — especially one involving trust routing — you want a real person locally, not a call center. Tampa Bay Pay provides direct access and same-day responses for active clients.
Support model
Direct Contact
Same-Day Responses
Tampa Bay Based
Independent Payment Infrastructure
Most law firms need two merchant accounts
to keep things clean
The right structure separates earned income from unearned client funds so payment routing is cleaner and trust-account handling is more defensible from day one.
01
Operating Account
Used for earned income — hourly billing, flat fees, and invoices the firm is entitled to collect. This is where processing fees can generally be structured and passed through appropriately.
Common uses
Hourly Billing
Flat Fees
Invoice Payments
Earned Revenue
Final Invoices
02
Trust / IOLTA Account
Used for retainers and other unearned client funds. This is where structure matters most — fees and routing need to be handled carefully to avoid creating trust-account complications from the start.
Common uses
Retainers
Trust Deposits
Retainer Replenishments
Settlement-Adjacent Funds
Unearned Client Funds
💡
Why it matters: Running retainers and earned fees through the same merchant account creates unnecessary routing risk. Separating them from setup keeps your trust accounting cleaner and your billing simpler to audit.
Real Law Firm Scenarios
How firms actually
use Tampa Bay Pay
use Tampa Bay Pay
Common setups we build for law firms. Yours probably looks like one — or a mix.
1 / 5
Scenario 01Personal Injury
High-Ticket ACH
⚖️
PERSONAL INJURY · 3 ATTORNEYS
Scenario 01 — Personal Injury Firm
Personal Injury Firm
ACH for retainers · Dual pricing on earned billing · Two accounts
A three-attorney PI firm was running everything through a single Clio Payments account at 2.9% — retainers, replenishments, and final billing all treated the same. We built a two-account structure: ACH for trust deposits on $5,000–$15,000 retainers, and dual pricing on earned invoices so clients who pay by card cover the fee instead of the firm. On $60K/month in earned billing, dual pricing alone recovers roughly $1,700/month the firm was previously absorbing.
Their Setup
Operating account (dual pricing) + trust/IOLTA account + ACH for retainers + payment links
Scenario 02Family Law
Zero-Cost on Earned Fees
👨👩👧
FAMILY LAW · SOLO PRACTICE
Scenario 02 — Family Law
Family Law Solo Practice
Left LawPay · Dual pricing on invoices · Near-zero processing cost
A solo family law attorney was paying LawPay's flat rate on every transaction. Simple billing model — retainers to trust, flat fees and hourly billing to operating. Dual pricing on her earned invoices meant clients who paid by card covered the 4% fee themselves. Clients paying by ACH or check paid the standard price. Her effective processing cost on earned billing dropped to nearly zero. On $18K/month in earned fees, that's roughly $500/month she was previously writing off as a cost of business.
Their Setup
Operating account (dual pricing) + trust/IOLTA account + ACH for retainers + payment links with cash/card price shown
Scenario 03Multi-Partner
Estate & Probate
🏛️
ESTATE & PROBATE · 5 ATTORNEYS
Scenario 03 — Estate Planning Firm
Multi-Partner Estate Planning Firm
Dual pricing on flat fees · ACH on large invoices · Cleaner books
A five-attorney estate planning firm had invoices ranging from $2,000 to $30,000+. Two levers made the biggest difference. ACH for large probate invoices where card costs were significant. Dual pricing on flat-fee work — estate plans, trust drafting, powers of attorney — where the firm invoices a fixed amount and clients who pay by card simply see the card price at checkout. Combined, those two changes cut their monthly processing cost by over 80%.
Their Setup
Operating account (dual pricing on flat fees) + trust account + ACH for large invoices + payment links by email
Scenario 04Criminal Defense
Retainer-Heavy
🛡️
CRIMINAL DEFENSE · HIGH RETAINERS
Scenario 04 — Criminal Defense
Criminal Defense Practice
ACH on retainers · Dual pricing on earned billing · Full coverage
Criminal defense retainers run $10,000 to $50,000 or more — at 2.9% that's $290 to $1,450 per retainer absorbed by the firm. ACH on trust deposits dropped that to $0.50 flat. On earned billing after funds are transferred from trust, dual pricing means clients who pay the balance by card cover that fee too. Between ACH on retainers and dual pricing on earned invoices, this firm's effective processing cost across all billing dropped to near zero.
Their Setup
Trust account (ACH primary) + operating account (dual pricing) + remote payment links with cash/card pricing
Scenario 05Business Law
Dual Pricing Primary
💼
BUSINESS & TRANSACTIONAL LAW
Scenario 05 — Business / Transactional Law
Business & Transactional Law Firm
Dual pricing on all invoices · ACH for commercial clients · Near-zero cost
Business law firms billing commercial clients are one of the strongest fits for dual pricing. Invoices are predictable, clients are sophisticated enough to understand a cash vs. card price, and many will simply pay by ACH to get the lower rate — which costs the firm almost nothing to process. This firm switched every invoice to dual pricing: cash/ACH price and card price shown at checkout. Clients who paid by card covered the fee. The firm's effective processing cost on $45K/month in billing dropped from roughly $1,300/month to under $100.
Their Setup
Operating account (dual pricing, all invoices) + ACH for commercial clients + payment links showing cash and card price
Every firm's setup is different. These scenarios reflect common structures — your practice type, volume, and billing model determine the right configuration.
Build My Setup →
Firm Types We Support
Law firm types and payment use cases we support
Whether you run a solo practice or a larger multi-partner firm, the core challenge is the same: accept payments efficiently without creating trust-account headaches or paying more than necessary to the processor.
👤
Solo & Small Law Firms
Clean, simple setup — single or dual accounts depending on practice type. Straightforward payment link workflow with no overbuilt software.
⚖️
Personal Injury
High retainers, ACH preferred on large deposits, clear trust separation, and remote payment links for client convenience.
👨👩👧
Family Law
Retainer-heavy practices that benefit from ACH options and clean trust routing. Often switching from LawPay or Clio Payments.
🛡️
Criminal Defense
Large retainers where ACH makes the most financial sense. Trust account structure is often the priority here above everything else.
🏛️
Estate Planning & Probate
Mix of flat fees and ongoing billing. High-dollar invoices benefit from ACH; trust accounting simplification is often the main goal.
💼
Business & Transactional Law
Commercial clients often prefer ACH. Clean invoicing and payment links with a simple, professional billing experience.
Cost Review
See what your firm is actually paying to process payments
If your firm currently accepts payments through bundled legal software processors like LawPay or Clio Payments, a payment cost review can quantify what those fees are costing and compare that against a cleaner structure designed for your firm's billing model.
The review is straightforward — no surprises:
1No system changes required just to review your current numbers
2No obligation and no pressure to switch processors
3Clear comparison between your effective rate now and what a cleaner structure would cost
4A practical path forward if real savings or a better trust-account structure is available
5If we can't beat your current rate, we'll pay you $500 — that's our guarantee
Works with what you already use
We fit into your existing workflow — you don't rebuild around us
Most firms already have a practice management platform they know well. The payment layer is independent — you don't need to change your software to get better economics and cleaner routing.
Pick your practice management system on the right. We work alongside all of them.
Clio Manage / Clio Payments
Keep Clio · Replace just the payment layer
MyCase
Works alongside MyCase billing workflows
PracticePanther
No platform change needed
LawPay (replacing)
Direct LawPay replacement · Better rate structure
QuickBooks + ACH billing
ACH + invoicing through QuickBooks integration
Not sure what you're using?
Tell us your setup · We'll figure out the right path
Frequently Asked Questions
Legal payment processing — answered
Can law firms use dual pricing on their invoices?
Yes — and it's one of the strongest fits for legal billing. Dual pricing means you post two prices on an invoice or payment link: a cash/ACH price and a card price (typically 4% higher). Clients who pay by card cover the processing cost. Clients who pay by ACH or check pay the lower price. Florida law permits this when properly disclosed, and Tampa Bay Pay sets it up correctly. On earned billing — flat fees, hourly invoices, final billing — this can reduce your effective processing cost to nearly zero. Note: dual pricing applies to earned billing on your operating account. Trust deposits are handled separately.
Do law firms really need two separate merchant accounts?
Most do. Running retainers and earned billing through the same merchant account creates unnecessary routing complexity and can make trust accounting harder to defend during audits. Separate accounts — one for operating (earned income) and one for trust/IOLTA (unearned client funds) — keep routing clean from day one. Some simpler billing practices can operate cleanly with a single account; we'll assess that during a consult.
Can we keep our current practice management software (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther)?
Yes. The payment layer we build is independent of your practice management platform. You don't need to change how your attorneys manage matters, track time, or run billing. We replace only the payment processing — everything else stays the same.
Is ACH really available for retainer payments to a trust account?
Yes, and for most firms it's the smartest approach for large deposits. ACH on a $10,000 retainer costs around $0.50 flat. Running that same amount through card processing at 2.9% costs $290. ACH is also preferred by many clients for large payments. We help you offer both options — clients who want to pay by card still can.
What does a payment cost review actually involve?
You send us your current processing statement (or your monthly total and current rate). We review what you're actually paying — including all fees, not just the headline rate — and compare that against what a cleaner structure would cost your firm based on your billing volume and mix. No system changes required. No obligation to switch. If we can't beat your rate, we pay you $500.
Are there contracts or cancellation fees?
No. Every Tampa Bay Pay arrangement is month-to-month with no cancellation fees and no early termination fees. You stay because the setup works, not because you're locked in.
We're currently on LawPay — is switching complicated?
Not usually. LawPay is one of the most common setups we see law firms come from. The transition is straightforward — we handle the merchant account setup, help you configure payment links or portal access, and the switch is typically complete within a few business days. Your payment workflow stays similar; the economics improve.
How quickly can a law firm get set up?
Most law firm merchant accounts are approved within 1–3 business days. Payment links and ACH can be live the same day approval comes through. If you need physical terminals for in-person payments, those ship next-day from approval.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The highest-rated payment solutions team in Tampa Bay
157+ five-star Google reviews · 172 total across platforms
Request a Payment Cost Review
Let's review your firm's current legal payment setup
If your firm is processing through bundled legal software or you're unsure whether your current structure is optimal, we can review the setup, quantify the costs, and show you a cleaner path forward — no system changes required.
$500 rate-beat guarantee · No contracts · No system changes · Local Tampa Bay team · (727) 732-3292
Real Merchants · Real Results
What Our Clients Are Saying
Tampa Bay businesses share their experience working with Tampa Bay Pay — from setup through ongoing support.
Joto's Pizza
Jodi Whitcomb, Owner · jotospizza.com
Family-owned for 52 years. Upgraded to FigurePOS — caller ID integration, customizable menus, and a system staff learn fast without extensive training.
Restaurant
FigurePOS
Seminole, FL
Florida Orange Groves Winery
Lance Shooks, Owner · floridawine.com
When QuickBooks stopped processing credit cards, Tampa Bay Pay provided a seamless integration — keeping their existing QuickBooks setup without an expensive POS replacement.
Winery & Retail
QuickBooks Integration
St. Pete Beach, FL
Plumbing by Paul
Paul & Alycia Alves, Owners · plumbingbypaulllc.com
Tampa Bay Pay goes beyond payment processing — always reachable by phone, text, or email, and a valuable partner for Google SEO, social media, and web support.
Plumbing & Trade
Dual Pricing
Tampa Bay, FL
Plumbing by Paul
Paul Alves · plumbingbypaulllc.com
Previous provider had frequent errors and slow funding. New setup processes payments reliably in the field and at the office — with next-day funding that's critical for a small business.
Plumbing & Trade
Next-Day Funding
Mobile Payments
Wrenchmasters
Kenny Gehringer, Owner · wrenchmastersauto.com
Previous processor only offered a 1-800 number. Switched for local support and streamlined technology — now sends invoices and processes tap-to-pay even when internet is spotty.
Auto Service
Tampa Bay, FL
Google Reviews · Tampa Bay Pay
The Highest Rated Payment Team in Tampa Bay
Don't take our word for it — here's what local business owners say after switching to Tampa Bay Pay.
5.0
★★★★★
Google Rating
Verified Reviews
Verified Reviews