Pay by link is a way of taking a card payment by sending the customer a secure URL, usually by SMS, email or messaging app. They open it, review the amount and pay using a card or digital wallet on their own device.
The business creates the link in a payment portal, POS or gateway, entering the amount and a reference. The customer pays on a hosted page run by the provider, so card details never touch the business's systems. The payment and its status then appear in the same reports as other sales.
Retailers use it for special orders, deposits, phone orders and remote customers. Hospitality venues use it for function deposits, group bookings and catering orders. A printed QR code linking to a payment page also lets customers pay a fixed amount at the counter. Most links are single-use and tied to one amount, which keeps reconciliation simple. Ask your provider whether links can accept wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, since many customers prefer them.
Check link expiry, whether links can be reused, who can create them, and how payments match back to your POS or accounting records. Scam awareness matters: customers are wary of unexpected links, so confirm by phone or use a recognisable sender name.
It is a low-cost way to accept payments without extra hardware, and it improves cash flow by collecting deposits upfront.