Frontfoot

Capture payment the moment a quote is accepted — before work starts. No invoices chasing clients. No late payments. Just automatic collection on the due date via Pinch.

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Frontfoot

Secure the payment before the work begins.

Inspiration

Australian small businesses lose thousands of hours every year chasing unpaid invoices. On average, businesses wait weeks to get paid, and many invoices are paid late or never paid at all. Tradespeople, agencies, consultants, freelancers, and service providers spend valuable time following up clients instead of growing their business.

We realized that the problem isn't invoicing itself.

The real problem is that payment is only discussed after the work has been completed.

So we asked ourselves:

What if businesses could secure payment authority the moment a client says "Yes"?

That question led to Frontfoot.

Just like the cricket term "playing on the front foot," our platform helps businesses take an attacking approach to payments instead of reacting to overdue invoices.

What it does

Frontfoot transforms the payment journey by moving payment capture to the quote-acceptance stage.

When a customer accepts a quote, they immediately:

  • Save a card securely using Pinch CaptureJS, or
  • Set up a direct debit mandate.

The payment is not charged immediately unless required. Instead, Frontfoot automatically schedules collection on the agreed due date.

Businesses get a real-time Payment Confidence Dashboard showing:

🟢 Green – Payment method secured and scheduled.

🟠 Amber – Quote accepted but payment details missing.

🔴 Red – Payment failed and requires attention.

This allows businesses to identify risks before invoices become overdue.

Why it matters

Traditional invoicing solutions focus on sending reminders after payment becomes late.

Frontfoot solves the issue at its source:

No payment method = high risk.

By securing payment authority upfront, businesses can:

  • Reduce late payments
  • Eliminate manual invoice chasing
  • Improve cash flow predictability
  • Save hours every week
  • Focus on delivering value instead of collecting payments

This model works across multiple industries:

  • Trades & Home Services
  • Marketing Agencies
  • Freelancers
  • Healthcare Providers
  • Consultants
  • Educational Services
  • Subscription-based businesses

How we built it

Frontend

  • React.js
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Responsive dashboard UI

Backend

  • FastAPI
  • REST APIs
  • Webhook processing service

Payment Infrastructure

  • Pinch CaptureJS
  • Pinch Payer APIs
  • Scheduled Payments API
  • Direct Debit Support
  • Sandbox testing environment

Workflow

  1. Business creates a quote.
  2. Client accepts the quote.
  3. Client securely stores payment details using Pinch.
  4. Frontfoot creates a Payer profile.
  5. Payment is automatically scheduled.
  6. Webhooks update payment status in real time.
  7. Dashboard displays payment confidence.

Architecture

Client Accepts Quote
            ↓
      Pinch CaptureJS
            ↓
      Create Payer
            ↓
   Schedule Payment
            ↓
       Pinch Webhooks
            ↓
 Payment Confidence Dashboard

Challenges we ran into

Understanding payment workflows

One of our biggest challenges was understanding the difference between:

  • Pre-authorisation
  • Tokenised payment methods
  • Direct debit settlements
  • Scheduled payments

We spent considerable time researching Australian payment systems and ensuring that our solution aligned with real-world business practices.

Designing for multiple industries

The platform had to work equally well for freelancers, agencies, healthcare providers, and tradespeople, which required creating a flexible payment workflow.

Building real-time visibility

Creating the Payment Confidence Dashboard required designing webhook-driven updates so businesses could instantly see payment risks.

What we learned

During this hackathon, we learned:

  • Modern payment systems are more than just transactions.
  • Cash flow problems are often workflow problems.
  • Securing payment authority early dramatically reduces payment risk.
  • Webhooks and event-driven systems can create powerful real-time user experiences.
  • Building fintech products requires balancing security, compliance, and user experience.

What's next for Frontfoot

Future features we plan to build include:

  • AI-based late payment risk prediction
  • Smart payment reminders
  • Marketplace and subcontractor payment splitting
  • Accounting software integrations (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks)
  • Installment and milestone payments
  • Business cash-flow analytics
  • Automated reconciliation engine

Our vision is simple:

Invoices should not be chased. Payments should be secured from the start.

Frontfoot helps businesses move from reacting to late payments to preventing them altogether.

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