How to Create a Payment Link

Payment links offer you a flexible way of collecting payments, letting your customers start the process simply by clicking a link, whether it's on your website, in an email or text message, or anywhere else you share it. Here's how you can get started and create payment links.

Create a payment link

The way to set up a payment link will differ depending on which platform you use to collect payments from your customers. Here's the general process: 1. Navigate to your payment platform’s payment creation page and select the relevant payment link option. If you’re using GoCardless, you can simply click on the ‘Paylinks’ button.

2. Click to create payment link and fill in all relevant fields. The form should include blank spaces to input payment details, including the recipient’s name, currency, and amount due.

3. Finish setting up your payment link with any relevant custom settings. For example, you may be able to decide whether you will require your customer to approve future payments, or if they prefer automatic approval for future payment requests. You may also be able to select where to redirect customers once they’ve authorised payment.

4. Save your changes and you have generated a payment link that's ready to share.

How to send a payment link

Once you've created a payment link, sending it to your customers will also differ depending on which platform you're using to collect payments. Here's the general process:

Step 1: Create a payment link, following the steps above.

Step 2: Copy your created payment link and include it on your website, in your invoices, in emails or text messages, or anywhere else you'd like to share it. Some platforms may let you directly send an email or invoice with the link already included.

Step 3: Your customer receives the link, clicks it, and is directed to make payment to you.

Step 4: You'll typically be notified when you customer has completed the payment.

It's easy to send out payment links using GoCardless. Simply sign up for free, enter the dashboard, and create a one-off payment. Enter the details and receive a payment link that you can message directly to your clients.

The benefits of creating payment links

Setting up payment links has several advantages:

• They can be set up in a way that you can reuse the same link with multiple customers, saving you time and effort

• They can enable multiple payment methods, including e-wallets, credit cards, and Direct Debit

• They can be used in a variety of places, from invoices to websites to SMS

• They're convenient for both customers and businesses, with the full transaction completed via smartphone without downloading extra apps

• You can save customer data to enable repeat or recurring transactions, for a faster and easier payment process

• You can avoid having to handle cash, and the admin and security that comes with that

Is creating payment links right for you?

Setting up payment links is useful for many different kinds of businesses, because the benefits are relatively universal. Common examples include:

• Professional services – Agencies, accountants, consultants, or freelancers can create payment links for their invoices, to make it quick and easy for clients to pay.

• In-person payments – Personal trainers and those in the wellness industry can create payment links instead of directing clients to websites or using a physical point of sale system.

• Social media stores – Collecting payment via social media DMs can be made simple by setting up a secure payment link.

These are just a few examples; there are countless other use cases for payment links. Bear in mind that if you need to add information like VAT and recipient details, you may need to send an invoice. Payment links themselves may not be able to specify a due date as an invoice would, however, you can add a payment link to an invoice, which would show a due date.