Payment Links: What They are And How To Use Them

In this evolving business world, merchants try to provide more convenience to their customers than expected. Merchants keep updating their products and services so that their customers stay satisfied and connected with their business. Since the beginning of time, the payment system has been evolving. 

From the barter system to digital currencies, there has been a lot of evolution in the payment process. Each of the new systems is way better than the previous ones. Similarly, payment links came in to provide a seamless experience to merchants and customers.

In this blog, let’s get through the understanding of payment links and its various features.

Step 1: Generate the payment link

Merchants need to create a payment link to get started, sign up, or create an account in the online payment processor. After that, merchants can fill in the details and choose what the customers should pay, or they can generate a link where they can fill in the payment details. 

Once this is done, merchants can customize and choose the look of the payment page. With this simple step, the required payment link is created.

Step 2: Share the payment link and accept payments

This generated payment link is now ready to be shared with your clients. The payment link is shareable in both URL or QR format. Merchants can also incorporate these links as buttons in their online store. Once the payment is made, customers will see a confirmation of their payment.

The payments made through these links get directly stored in the merchant’s account. Merchants can keep the bitcoins in the wallet of their choice, and all the transaction records are kept safe by the payment processor. 

The account holder can check all of these transactions in the account dashboard. 

These images show an easy-to-generate process of payment link through the Speed payment processor.

• Check response time

Payment links are used for instant transfers. Hence one must know their response time before integrating this into their business. Our Speed payment link is reliable in those terms and helps the transactions to get settled in a few seconds. In terms of payment link, the faster it functions, the more reliable it is for users.

• KYC authentication

When dealing with a payment link, from fiat to crypto, there is a doubt of fraud even with the most secure system. For this, the merchants are focusing on payment solutions that ask for KYC authentication. This adds to the trust among users and improves the provider’s reliability with its security.

• User experience

If a well-known payment processor is in the market, it attracts more merchants to use its services. When it comes to the user experience, the easier it is to operate the payment link, the more users will love incorporating it with their businesses.

• Keep your customer preference on payment methods

Most payment link providers, like Speed, offer two options to create payment links. One implies that the merchant selects the payable amount, while the other option is where customers can enter the amount manually. While going for a payment link, merchants should check out the payment processors for their varied options so that they can prioritize their customer’s preferences. 

• Check the reliability of online sales

Merchants should check out the payment link option as per their needs. If they are choosing this option for their online sales, they must check whether these links are reliable with their stores or not. Some stores include high-end traffic, so micro-managing the links can not be possible. Hence, checking out the reliability before going for it is considerable.

• Be clear on transactional records handling

Transactional records need to be taken care of. Although the data can be tracked using the dashboards, some payment processors do not provide this option. Merchants should keep a clear idea regarding the transactional records and have a secure way to handle all the data in one place.

• Customer-friendly

These links are customer friendly as they save their time of checkout; whether shopping on an online store or offline, a payment link is convenient for them to pay. The fast processor of payment links settled the payment in no time, which saves the customer’s wait time.

• Economical to use

There are no transactional charges with the payment link, and it is also easy to create. Many payment processors provide the feature of payment links in their combined business solution. Hence, no additional charges exist, and payment links are conveniently available to merchants.

• Tech friendly to all businesses

There is no technicality required to generate a payment link. Everyone can effectively create a payment link from small to large businesses, from manual to tech-advanced businesses. It saves the time and money invested in the heavy deployments of payment systems. Small to large industries can accept payments using these links without technical assistance.

• Multiple payment modes

Payment links provide multiple modes of payment, and they can be generated in the form of URLs and QR codes. Merchants can select the currency they want the payment to be made. This feature keeps the clients attached to the merchant as they find it convenient to get multiple payment modes.

• Secure to use

All kinds of payment links are backed by the providers, meaning they track all the transactional data safely. With secured tracking, the chances of fraud are also minimal. One-time transaction links are most secure as merchants send them to someone, and after receiving payments, the link gets deactivated. Payment links are highly secure to use by merchants.

• Network flexibility

Earlier, there was only the on-chain network for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, but as the financial world evolves, many layers arise alongside. Considering the same, payment links have also adopted flexibility with the network, and using these links, customers can pay via on-chain or through the lightning network.

• Dashboard tracking

If we talk about the most basic yet important feature, it is dashboard tracking. This allows the merchants to keep an eye on the received payments and maintain track of business. With this, the chances of repetitive payments get avoided, and merchants can ensure the amounts received are correct, and payments are settled.

• Currency conversion

Through payment links, one can send the currency they want, and then the currency gets settled in the receiver’s account in the form of their preferred currency. The conversion rate is high in payment links, and it depicts the real-time currency conversion just after the transaction gets settled.

• Custom options

Brand visibility matters a lot for a successful business. With payment links, the merchants can customize the payment page and put their brand logo and customized color theme as per their brand. This custom option helps make the brand visible to its customers, and when the brand showcases itself on the payment page, it helps gain the market’s trust.

• Helps in increasing online sales

Both online and physical stores are bound to geographical boundaries regarding increasing their sales. Payment links have brought out the much-needed revolution in online sales. Every merchant who wants to take their business online can collect payment through these links without any transaction charges. 

Merchants can accept Bitcoin payments directly from their customers in their accounts. This boosts their business and provides them with international reach.

• Flexibility in choosing a sales channel

With payment links, you are not bound to have any website or platform for conducting sales. Merchants can also sell through a physical store, website, social media, or other modes. They can share the payment link individually or in groups and collect payments for their products or services.

• Seamless process for payment

Not only merchants but customers also benefit from payment links. They don’t have to go through the effort of filling out large forms; instead, with a few clicks, they can pay directly to the merchants from their preferred mode of payment. This process of payment is manageable for the merchants as well as customers.

• Secure payments

The whole transaction process is between merchants and customers from end to end. This avoids the risk of any third party being involved; payments get settled directly in the merchants’ account after the payment. Reducing the time of processing leads to fewer chances of fraud. Merchants generate these links, and there is minimal risk of a breach in the recorded transaction data.