4:15 pm, a driveway in the suburbs. You just finished a full interior and exterior on a minivan that had three kids and a golden retriever living in it. The owner walks out, opens the slider, and is genuinely impressed. Then: "I don't have cash on me. Can I send it to you tonight?"
Tonight turns into tomorrow. Tomorrow turns into a text you have to send twice. Cleaners, detailers, mobile mechanics, pressure washers, pool techs: everyone who works at the customer's place knows the "I'll send it later" problem.
The customer has their phone in their hand. Nearly 60 million people use Cash App. Here is how to get paid in the driveway, on the porch or in the kitchen before you load the van.
How it works on site
You type the amount on your phone. A QR code for that amount appears on your screen. The customer scans it with Cash App and pays, and you are paid instantly.
No card reader in the glovebox, no hardware to buy. Your phone is the register.
And you set the amount. No customer typing $15 instead of $150 into a handle they half-remember.
Deposits for the big jobs
Some jobs need money up front:
- A move-out deep clean that blocks a whole Saturday for a crew of three.
- A ceramic coating where you buy product for that car.
- A mobile brake job where you pick up rotors and pads on the way.
Take a non-refundable deposit when you do the walkthrough or the estimate on site. Type the deposit, they scan, and the deposit is paid to you and final. A Cash App payment through riverArk cannot be charged back, so a cancellation does not turn into a dispute after you already bought the parts or turned away other work.
Put your deposit terms in your estimate text or on the quote sheet, and say "non-refundable" in plain words.
One code per van, crew or tech
Every register can have its own counter QR code, and in a mobile business the register is whatever goes out the door in the morning.
- Each van or truck gets a code, so you see what each rig brought in.
- Each cleaning crew lead takes payment on the crew's code.
- The office keeps one for customers who stop by.
All of them run under one riverArk account because they are one business. The free plan covers a limited number of counter QR codes. Paid plans add more.
If you sub out work to an independent tech who runs their own business, they sign up as their own business with their own riverArk and Strike accounts, so their sales never mix with yours.
Final, like cash
The house is clean. The car is detailed. A card payment can still come back weeks later as "service not rendered," and you have no store camera to prove otherwise. A Cash App payment through riverArk is final. If a customer finds a missed spot, come back and fix it like you always do.
What it costs
You pay 1% on the first $5,000 a month that moves through riverArk, 0.85% to $25,000, and 0.75% above. Most small businesses pay 1.5% to 3.5% to take cards. With Dynamic Pricing at +1% the customer covers the fee. Below zero, it is a discount for paying with Cash App.
Set it up in three steps
- Open a Strike business account and link your business bank. Payments land there. With complete documents, approval usually takes a day or two. Use the Strike setup guide.
- Sign up at ark.riverark.io, free to start, and enter your Strike username.
- Set up a counter QR code for each van or crew, then run a test from your own Cash App before the next job.
Every detail, with video, is in the full setup guide.
Put the door sticker on the van window or the clipboard, keep a counter card in the estimate folder, and use one line at the end of every job: "You can pay with Cash App right here."
Pay the live demo at ark.riverark.io/demo, then sign up at riverark.io.
Tips
Tips are live. On the Plus plan and above, your customer can tip when they pay with Cash App, so the crew gets it without anyone digging for cash or splitting a card tip at close.
FAQ
Can customers tip?
Yes. Tips are available on the Plus plan and above.
Can I get paid at the customer's house with just my phone?
Yes. Type the amount, the QR code shows on your screen, the customer scans it with Cash App and pays.
Can I take a deposit before a big cleaning or detailing job?
Yes. Take it on site at the walkthrough. The deposit is paid to you and final.
I run two vans. Can each one have its own code?
Yes. Each van can have its own counter QR code under your one business account, and each reports its own sales.
What if a customer says the job was not done right?
Payments are final, like cash. Go back and make it right, or handle money back the way you handle a cash return.
When does the money show up?
You are paid the moment the customer pays. It lands in your Strike business account, and you move it to your bank whenever you want.