In one line
A hosted page where a client can pay an invoice by card or bank transfer.
Also called a payment page, a hosted checkout, or a pay-now link.
What it means in practice
A portal turns paying from a task into a tap. The invoice carries a link or a QR code, the client opens it, the amount and the reference are already filled in, and the payment reaches you with the invoice number attached.
The reference is the part people skip. A payment that arrives with no invoice number attached still has to be matched by hand.
Covered in full in the guide to payment links and qr codes.
Example. A QR code on the invoice that opens a payment page for $2,450 with reference INV-2026-0041.
Where it shows up on the paperwork
On the document it is a link, a button, or a QR code, with the amount and the invoice number already carried in it.
What goes wrong
- Sending a bare link with no amount, so the client types it and types it wrong.
- Leaving the reference off, so the payment arrives unmatched.
- Putting the link only in the email body, where it is lost when the PDF is forwarded to accounts.
The tools for this
Related terms
- Merchant accountThe account that lets a business accept card payments and holds the money until it settles to your bank.
- Payment processorThe company that moves a card or bank payment from your client's account to yours.
Common questions
Does a payment link have to be in the email?
It is better on the document itself. The PDF is what gets forwarded to the person who pays, and a link in your email never reaches them.
Will a QR code survive a printed invoice?
Yes, if it is drawn into the document rather than pasted as an image. Test yours once by exporting the PDF and scanning it with your own phone.