Housecall Pro deepens fintech suite via Stripe

Housecall Pro served thousands of field-service professionals—from plumbers to HVAC techs—who needed an all-in-one scheduling and billing solution. Despite having a robust platform for appointments and dispatch, many pros struggled with disjointed payment processes: late invoices, manual card terminals, and lack of financing options.

With payment delays hurting cash flow, Housecall Pro saw an opportunity to embed financial services directly into its app. By partnering with Stripe, a leader in payments infrastructure, they aimed to streamline transactions and offer credit products without building banking rails from scratch.

Sprout often advises clients to evaluate established fintech APIs for MVPs, ensuring rapid go-to-market while maintaining compliance and scalability.

The team launched Stripe Payments integration first, embedding a checkout flow into the Housecall Pro app. They manually managed disputes and refunds through Stripe’s dashboard, gathering operational insights about chargeback rates and average ticket sizes.

Next, they introduced Stripe Capital—offering short-term loans to eligible pros based on transaction history. Initially, only a small cohort had access; these early adopters provided feedback on repayment terms, dashboard clarity, and loan disbursement speeds.

Finally, a mobile check deposit feature was tested via a beta group: technicians snapped photos of customer checks for in-app deposits. By piloting each feature sequentially, Housecall Pro validated user appetite and iterated on UI/UX design without risking engineering overhead.

Sprout’s MVP playbook mirrors this phased rollout: validate high-value features in isolation, collect real usage data, then expand to broader audiences.

After positive beta results, Housecall Pro automated dispute handling and expanded Stripe Capital to all qualified users. They built dashboards showing real-time payment statuses, financing balances, and deposit histories, co-locating financial data with job details.

To ensure performance, the team implemented webhooks for instant payment notifications and created microservices to handle sensitive PCI data securely. They also developed reconciliation tools that synced Stripe settlements with the app’s invoicing module.

Operational partnerships—like integrating with ACH networks for check deposits—were negotiated post-MVP, leveraging the transaction volume demonstrated during the pilot.

Sprout emphasizes building secure, maintainable integrations: starting with basic flows before layering complexity, and using event-driven architectures for reliability.

Within six months of full rollout, Housecall Pro saw a 4× increase in payment volume processed through Stripe. Average days sales outstanding (DSO) dropped by 30%, improving pros’ cash flow.

Stripe Capital loans totaled over $10 M in the first year, with a default rate under 2%. The mobile check deposit reduced field technicians’ trips to the bank by 70%, enhancing productivity.

The success attracted a strategic investment from Stripe Ventures, underscoring the strength of embedded fintech in vertical SaaS.

Sprout clients frequently leverage this case, demonstrating how embedding financial primitives—payments, lending, deposits—can drive retention and revenue in service-focused platforms.