Why this matters
Switching how you collect payment details doesn't require a system overhaul. It doesn't require convincing your whole team at once. It requires sending one link instead of one email — and the difference in security is enormous.
How to Make the Switch in an Afternoon
Create Your Garded Account
Sign up at app.garded.io — takes about three minutes. No credit card required to start.
Send Your First Secure Request
For your next payment collection, send a Garded link instead of asking for bank details over email. Your payee fills it out — nothing changes on their end except where they enter their details.
Migrate Existing Payees Over Time
You don't need to re-collect everyone's details on day one. As you process payments over the coming weeks, have each payee verify their details through Garded. Within a month, your active payees will be migrated.
Update Your Internal Process
Replace 'send me your bank details' in any email templates or onboarding documents with 'I'll send you a secure payment request link.' One sentence. New habit. Done.
Why the Switch Is Worth the Two Minutes It Takes
The most common objection to changing payment collection methods is inertia: 'It's always worked fine.' That's not a security argument — it's a confirmation that you haven't been attacked yet. BEC attacks don't announce themselves. They wait for the right moment, the right invoice amount, and the right email thread.
The second objection is friction. 'My contractors won't bother filling out a form.' A Garded link takes less time to fill out than typing bank details into an email. There's no account to create. No app to download. They open the link, fill in three fields, and it's done.
The barrier to switching is genuinely lower than the barrier to not switching — the risk of the status quo is just less visible until it becomes a problem.
How retainer clients payments typically work
| Detail | Notes |
|---|---|
| Payment model | fixed monthly retainer |
| Typical range | $1,500–$10,000+ per month depending on scope |
| Usually managed by | your account director or finance lead |
| How it typically flows | Retainer invoices go out on the same date each month; agencies often have multiple retainer clients on different billing cycles |
| Where the risk enters | Monthly invoice cycles create predictable timing that fraudsters exploit — spoofed invoice emails sent just before your normal billing date are easy to miss |
The Switch Takes Less Than 10 Minutes. The Protection Lasts Forever.
Create your Garded account and send your first secure payment request today.
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