You spent two evenings on the drawing. A full back-of-forearm piece, custom lettering, three revisions over text because he wanted the rose turned the other way. He sent a $150 deposit through an app on his card. The morning of the session he went quiet.
Three weeks later the deposit was gone. He had disputed the charge with his card company, and your drawing time went with it.
Every artist has been burned this way at least once. The deposit is supposed to pay for the hours you put in before the needle touches skin. Here is how to take it, and the session balance, with Cash App in a way that stays paid.
Take the deposit at the consult
When he comes in to talk placement and size, take the deposit right there at the counter.
- Type the deposit amount on your phone or the shop tablet.
- A QR code for that amount appears. He scans it with Cash App and pays.
- The deposit is paid to you and final the moment it lands.
A Cash App payment through riverArk cannot be charged back. No dispute window, no deposit that disappears after you have drawn the piece.
Keep your deposit policy where clients see it: on the consent form, on the counter card, on the wall by the flash. Write the deposit on his file so it comes off the last session.
The session balance
Four hours in, he is wrapped, standing at the mirror turning his arm in the light. You peel off your gloves, type the balance, he scans, and that is it. No card swiped with a hand that just touched a fresh tattoo, no reader passed across the station.
For multi-session work, take each session's payment the same way and keep the deposit against the final sitting.
One code per artist
Every station can have its own counter QR code. Give each artist one and the front counter one more for walk-ins, piercings and aftercare.
- Flash day lines move, because each artist takes payment at their own station.
- The front sells balm and jewelry on its own code.
The free plan covers a limited number of counter QR codes. Paid plans add more.
Guest artists and booth renters
Tattoo shops run on renters, guest spots and commission artists. Get this right before the first payment.
One riverArk account is one business. An artist who rents a station or works a guest spot as their own business needs their own riverArk account and their own Strike business account. Each renter signs up as their own business, so their sales never mix with yours. No end-of-month reconciliation over who owes the house what, because their money was never in yours.
Artists on commission run under the shop's account, each on their own station code.
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. On a $900 day session that is a meaningful gap.
Dynamic Pricing at +1% passes the fee to the client. Set it below zero and it becomes a discount for paying this way.
Set it up in three steps
- Open a Strike business account and link the shop's bank. Payments land there. With complete documents, approval usually takes a day or two. Read 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 station and the front counter, then send yourself a test payment from your own Cash App.
Every step, with the Strike walkthrough video, is in the full setup guide.
Counter card at the front, door sticker by the buzzer, one line for every artist: "You can pay with Cash App right here."
Pay the live demo from your phone at ark.riverark.io/demo, then sign up at riverark.io.
Tips
Tips are live. On the Plus plan and above, your client can tip when they pay with Cash App, so the artist gets it without anyone digging for cash or splitting a card tip at close.
FAQ
Can clients tip?
Yes. Tips are available on the Plus plan and above.
Can a client charge back a deposit he paid with Cash App?
Not through riverArk. A Cash App payment through riverArk is final. The deposit is paid to you and stays paid.
Can I take the deposit before I draw the piece?
Yes. Take it at the consult. He scans the QR code at the counter, and the deposit is final the moment it lands.
I am a guest artist for two weeks. Can I use the shop's account?
No. One account is one business. If you work as your own business, sign up with your own riverArk account and Strike business account.
Do I get paid when he pays, or later?
You are paid instantly. It lands in your Strike business account and you move it to your bank whenever you want.
What if a client wants money back after a session?
Payments are final, like cash. Handle it the way you handle a cash return.
Do I need a card reader or new hardware?
No. Your phone or the shop tablet runs it.