Frequently asked questions

The things people ask before they sign up. If yours isn't here, get in touch.

How does Propel charge my clients?#
When a client accepts your proposal they save a payment method (card or bank) against their account. Propel automatically charges that saved method on every invoice you issue, on the date the invoice falls due.
Which countries do you support?#
Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Sign up from any of those and Propel will set you up with Stripe in your local currency.
How much does Propel charge per transaction?#

The figures below are the total cost per successful payment. Stripe's processing fees are already included, so there's nothing extra to add on top.

Australia

  • Cards: 2.0% + A$0.30 domestic, 3.8% + A$0.30 international
  • BECS direct debit: 1% + A$0.30, capped at A$4.50 per charge

New Zealand

  • Cards: 2.95% + NZ$0.30 domestic, 3.8% + NZ$0.30 international
  • BECS direct debit: 1% + NZ$0.40, capped at NZ$5.00 per charge

United States

  • Cards: 3.0% + US$0.30 domestic, 4.5% + US$0.30 international
  • ACH direct debit: 0.8%, capped at US$6.00 per charge
What payment methods do you support?#
Credit and debit cards, plus direct bank debits where available. Payments are processed through Stripe, so what Stripe supports in your country is what Propel supports.
Can I charge clients by direct debit?#
Yes, but not on day one. Stripe applies stricter underwriting to bank debits than to card payments, so you'll need a track record of successful card charges through Propel before direct debit becomes available on your account. Once that history exists, you can switch any client across.
When will I get my payouts?#
Payouts are handled by Stripe and land in your nominated bank account within two business days of a successful charge. New accounts have a mandatory 7–14 day verification period before the first payout is released. Every payout and the charges it covers are visible in your dashboard.
Can I test a payment before sending a proposal to a real client?#
Please don't run a test charge with your own card. Stripe treats payments to yourself on a live account as a sign of card testing, which can trigger a review or hold your payouts, and new accounts are watched most closely. To see the flow, send a proposal to yourself and stop at the payment step. Your first real client charge is the best test, and you can follow it in your dashboard from payment to payout.
Is there a free trial?#
Yes. Every account gets the full product free for 30 days. You'll add payment details when you sign up, but you won't be charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel any time before then.
Where is my data stored, and is it secure?#
Customer and proposal data is stored on enterprise cloud infrastructure in Australia. Payment details never touch Propel servers. They're tokenised with Stripe, who hold the relevant PCI-DSS compliance.
Do you integrate with my accounting software?#
Xero is the only accounting integration we support today. Invoices and payments sync directly across. Support for MYOB and QuickBooks is on the roadmap; email us if a specific one would tip the decision for you.
Can I use Propel with Claude or other AI assistants?#
Yes. Claude can read your proposals, invoices, payments and revenue, and act on them: create a client, send a proposal, request a card or set up billing. Setup takes two minutes and needs no code. See how it works.
What is MCP?#
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that connects AI assistants to the software you use. It's how Claude gets secure access to your Propel account, so its answers come from your real data.
Is it safe to connect Propel to an AI assistant?#
Yes. You sign in and approve access, so no password or API key is shared. The assistant works within your Propel permissions, only ever sees a card's brand and last four digits, and asks before it sends anything to a client.
Which AI assistants work with Propel?#
Claude, and other assistants that support MCP. In Claude, add Propel as a custom connector and sign in. See the setup steps.

Still have a question? Email hello@propelapp.com.au and we'll get back to you.