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Payment links: What they are and how to use them

Payment links are an easy way to make custom payment pages without a website. Here’s what you need to know about using payment links on every channel.

Payment Links

Use Payment Links to sell online without a website. Create a full payment page in just a few clicks and share the link with your customers—no code required.

Learn more 
  1. Introduction
  2. What are payment links?
  3. Who uses payment links and why?
  4. Stripe Payment Links
    1. How to create Stripe Payment Links
    2. How to send Stripe Payment Links
    3. Tracking payment links
  5. Benefits of payment links
  6. Payment link fees
  7. Payment link alternatives
  8. Create a payment link 

If your business sells to customers through online channels, you’re likely familiar with the perpetual project of trying to minimize friction in the shopping experience and pulling every possible lever to increase conversion. No matter what you’re selling, where exactly you sell it, or what audiences you cater to, payment links are an agile tool for your business. If you don’t have a website—or don’t have one that supports ecommerce—but you’re interested in selling your goods, services, or subscriptions to customers online, payment links might be a good fit. Far from a one-size-fits-all ecommerce tool, payment links are more like a “one tool, any size” solution that takes on some of the most nagging challenges of selling to customers online.

According to a Baymard Institute study, more than 69% of online shopping carts are abandoned before a purchase is made. There are various reasons cited for why this happens, ranging from too-high shipping costs to a potential customer balking at the prospect of registering for an account to complete a purchase. But according to the study, a full 17% of online shoppers in the US have abandoned an order due to a checkout process that was “too long/complicated.” This is exactly the kind of conversion funnel drop-off that payment links are well positioned to minimize—but that’s just one of their benefits.

Here’s everything businesses need to know about what payment links are and how to use them for different situations.

What’s in this article?

  • What are payment links?
  • Who uses payment links and why?
  • Stripe Payment Links
    • How to create Stripe Payment Links
    • How to send Stripe Payment Links
    • Tracking payment links
  • Benefits of payment links
  • Payment link fees
  • Payment link alternatives

A payment link is a URL, button, or QR code that takes customers directly to a unique checkout page to complete a purchase. Payment links can be created quickly and easily and can be accessed from a web browser, text message, email, or social media post. Payment links allow businesses to create a payment page and share the link directly with customers. Stripe Payment Links requires no coding and can be shared as many times as desired on any channel, including email, social media, and text messaging.

How a payment link works - Flow charts showing the steps to a payment link.

Payment links can be used by any business that wants to facilitate easy, direct customer purchases online. If that sounds like a remarkably broad definition, that’s because it is: Payment links are used across a wide range of industries to encourage purchasing with practically any segment of digital consumers. The superpower of payment links is their versatility—you can use them for almost any type of online purchase.

Here are a few common situations where using payment links could facilitate customer transactions: