DesignPay
DesignPay (8am ClientPay) is a PCI Level 1 certified online payment processing platform built for architecture, engineering, design, and construction professionals, enabling them to send branded invoices, accept credit/debit/eCheck payments, schedule recurring transactions, and sync to QuickBooks Online.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What DesignPay does
DesignPay (operating as 8am ClientPay, a product of 8am, LLC) is an online payment processing platform purpose-built for architecture, engineering, design, and construction (AEC) professionals in the U.S. and Canada. The platform enables firms to send professional branded invoices, accept credit card, debit card, and eCheck/ACH payments online via secure payment links and portals, schedule one-time or recurring payments, and sync transactions automatically to QuickBooks Online. Underlying technology is PCI Level 1 certified, incorporating data encryption, tokenization for recurring payments, and a secure hosted payment portal; the firm operates as an Independent Sales Organization (ISO) sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, Fifth Third Bank N.A., Pinnacle Bank (dba Synovus Bank), and Fiserv Canada Ltd, with a Visa Business Card issued by Emprise Bank. The product is distributed alongside complementary 8am products (LawPay, CPACharge, MyCase, CasePeer, DocketWise, AffiniPay, and 8am IQ).
The company monetizes via transaction fees on processed payments (credit/debit deposits within two business days; eCheck/ACH within five business days) on a pay-as-you-go basis, with custom pricing tied to transaction volume; pricing is not publicly disclosed but free cost comparisons against incumbent processors are offered via phone at (855) 724-4047. Go-to-market combines self-serve online account opening with sales-assisted demos, supported by content marketing, webinars, an annual Kaleidoscope user conference in Las Vegas, customer case studies, and GTM partnerships with AIA state chapters (Indiana, California, New York State). The firm's stated scale signals include 10,000+ AEC professional customers, 62% of invoices paid within 24 hours, and 22% revenue lift following adoption, though no revenue, funding, or headcount disclosures are available in the source material.
ClientPay sits within the broader 8am professional business platform, sharing ISO banking infrastructure, developer APIs, and brand identity (8am™, registration pending) with sibling products serving law firms, accounting firms, and other regulated professional verticals. No funding rounds, M&A activity, regulatory actions, or leadership changes are disclosed in the available data.
DesignPay firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DesignPay
- Legal name
- 8am, LLC
- Website
- https://designpay.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- DesignPay (8am ClientPay) is a PCI Level 1 certified online payment processing platform built for architecture, engineering, design, and construction professionals, enabling them to send branded invoices, accept credit/debit/eCheck payments, schedule recurring transactions, and sync to QuickBooks Online.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DesignPay industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Software
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), Recurring Billing & AutoPay Management (FSAMAJAE)
Keywords
Where DesignPay is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
DesignPay business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Fees: ClientPay generates revenue through transaction fees on credit card, debit card, and eCheck/ACH payments processed through the platform. Credit and debit transactions deposit within two business days; eCheck/ACH deposits within five business days.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Custom pricing based on transaction volume and business needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
DesignPay product offering
Product offeringCore offering
8am ClientPay is an online payment processing platform built for architecture, engineering, design, and construction (AEC) professionals. It enables firms to send branded invoices, accept credit card, debit card, and eCheck/ACH payments online, schedule recurring payments, view real-time accounts receivable dashboards, and sync transactions automatically to QuickBooks Online. The service is delivered via a PCI Level 1 certified, secure web payment portal and operates as an ISO of major U.S. and Canadian banks.
Product overview
8am is a professional business platform offering a suite of products including ClientPay (payment processing for AEC professionals), LawPay (for law firms), MyCase, CasePeer, DocketWise, CPACharge (for accounting firms), AffiniPay, and 8am IQ (AI capabilities). ClientPay is the online payments solution designed specifically for architecture, engineering, design, and construction professionals, enabling them to send invoices, accept credit card and eCheck/ACH payments, and integrate with accounting software.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 8am ClientPay Online Payment Processing Online payment software for architecture, engineering, design, and construction (AEC) professionals. Enables secure online payments via credit cards and eCheck/ACH, invoice management, branded payment links, recurring/scheduled payments, reporting dashboards, and QuickBooks Online integration. Sold as a self-serve sign-up or via sales-assisted demo, targeting AEC firms in the U.S. and Canada.
Quantifiable outcome
- 62% of invoices sent via ClientPay are paid within 24 hours
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DesignPay
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DesignPay technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
DesignPay partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- QuickBooks Online (Intuit)coreClientPay integrates with QuickBooks Online enabling automatic transaction uploads, seamless payment sync, and streamlined reconciliation. This integration reduces manual data entry and keeps accounting records up to date at no additional cost.
- AIA IndianaminorAmerican Institute of Architects Indiana chapter partners with 8am ClientPay as a trusted payment solution for architecture professionals.
- AIA CaliforniaminorAmerican Institute of Architects California chapter partners with 8am ClientPay as a trusted payment solution for architecture professionals.
- AIA New York StateminorAmerican Institute of Architects New York State chapter partners with 8am ClientPay as a trusted payment solution for architecture professionals.
- Fiserv Canada Ltd8am operates as an Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of Fiserv Canada Ltd, Pinnacle Bank, Synovus Bank, Fifth Third Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank for payment processing infrastructure.
- Pinnacle Bank (dba Synovus Bank)core8am operates as an ISO of Pinnacle Bank, a Tennessee bank dba Synovus Bank, for payment processing services.
- Fifth Third Bank, N.A.core8am operates as an ISO of Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Cincinnati, OH for payment processing services.
- Wells Fargo Bankcore8am operates as an ISO of Wells Fargo Bank for payment processing services.
- Emprise Bank (Visa Business Card)minorThe 8am Visa Business Card is issued by Emprise Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DesignPay competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PaySimple: Vertical SMB payment and invoicing platform serving service-based businesses. Comparable business model — recurring billing, card/ACH acceptance, accounting integrations — competing for the same AEC-style professional services customers.
- CPACharge: Another sister product under the 8am/AffiniPay platform, providing online payments for accounting firms. Closely comparable model: vertical-specific invoicing, PCI Level 1 security, and accounting-software integrations — directly parallels ClientPay's AEC playbook in a different professional vertical.
- AffiniPay: Parent platform of 8am ClientPay, providing the underlying payment-processing infrastructure and ISO bank relationships for multiple vertical products. Operationally the closest counterpart and the entity from which ClientPay inherits its processing rails and shared services.
- LawPay: Sister product under the 8am/AffiniPay platform offering online payment processing specifically for legal professionals. Most directly comparable as a vertical-specialized payment and invoicing solution with PCI-compliant processing, QuickBooks-style accounting integrations, and an ISO bank-sponsored processing model.
Broad incumbents
- Square (Block): Broad payments and POS platform serving SMBs including AEC professionals. Offers invoicing and card acceptance that overlap with ClientPay at lower price points but without ClientPay's vertical specialization or AIA-style industry endorsements.
- Stripe: Dominant horizontal online payment processor used by businesses of all sizes, including AEC firms. Comparable as a payment gateway/API option but lacks AEC-specific workflow features and industry endorsements that ClientPay emphasizes.
- WePay (JPMorgan Chase): Payment processing platform integrated into software platforms (now under JPMorgan). Comparable as a payment-acceptance layer for vertical SaaS, though it serves platform partners rather than AEC firms directly.
- QuickBooks Payments (Intuit): Intuit's payment acceptance product built natively into QuickBooks Online, which is also ClientPay's primary accounting integration target. Highly comparable workflow and integration story, though not AEC-specialized.
Emerging players
- Bill.com: Accounts payable and receivable automation platform with embedded payments targeting SMBs and mid-market firms. Comparable in invoicing and payment-acceptance capabilities, increasingly overlapping with ClientPay's AR workflows.
- PracticePanther Payments: Legal practice management software with integrated payment processing. Comparable as a vertical-specific payment/workflow bundle, though primarily serving law firms rather than AEC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DesignPay social profiles
Digital presenceDesignPay compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
DesignPay financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DesignPay leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
DesignPay funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DesignPay M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DesignPay
What does DesignPay do?
8am ClientPay is an online payment processing platform built for architecture, engineering, design, and construction (AEC) professionals. It enables firms to send branded invoices, accept credit card, debit card, and eCheck/ACH payments online, schedule recurring payments, view real-time accounts receivable dashboards, and sync transactions automatically to QuickBooks Online. The service is delivered via a PCI Level 1 certified, secure web payment portal and operates as an ISO of major U.S. and Canadian banks.
Is DesignPay a public or private company?
DesignPay is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was DesignPay founded?
DesignPay was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is DesignPay based?
DesignPay is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does DesignPay make money?
One revenue line is on record: payment Processing Fees.
Who are DesignPay's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PaySimple, CPACharge, AffiniPay and LawPay. Broad incumbents are Square (Block), Stripe, WePay (JPMorgan Chase) and QuickBooks Payments (Intuit). Emerging players are Bill.com and PracticePanther Payments.
Does DesignPay have an API?
Yes. DesignPay exposes a public API. Developer documentation is at developers.8am.com/reference/api.html.
What industry is DesignPay in?
DesignPay's product category is Payment Processing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAFAF, Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms, with a secondary code of FSAMACAA, Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout). Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6199.