Use Payment Links

Payment links let your customers pay invoices online using their credit or debit card. Links are powered by Stripe and included automatically when you send an invoice — no extra steps needed.

Prerequisites

Before using payment links:

Stripe must be connected — go to Settings → Integrations → Stripe to set up Stripe Connect
Standard plan or higher — payment links are not available on the Basic plan

Sending a Payment Link

Create an Invoice

Create an invoice as usual from Invoices → Create Invoice. Add the customer, line items, and payment terms.

Send the Invoice

Click Send. The invoice email automatically includes a Pay Now button linking to the secure payment page.

Customer Receives Email

Your customer receives the invoice email with:

Invoice details and amount due
A Pay Now button that opens the payment page
Your company information and payment terms

Payment links are generated and included automatically when you send an invoice. There's no separate step to create or attach a link.

What the Customer Sees

When the customer clicks Pay Now, they land on a secure, SettleWise-branded payment page showing:

Invoice summary — invoice number, date, and line items
Amount due — the total to be paid
Card payment form — powered by Stripe, supporting credit and debit cards
Confirmation — after successful payment, a confirmation message with receipt details

The page is secure (HTTPS), mobile-friendly, and does not require the customer to create an account.

Two-Phase Invoices

For two-phase invoices (deposit + final payment), payment links work per phase:

Phase	When the link is active	Amount
Phase 1 (Deposit)	Immediately when the invoice is sent	Deposit amount (e.g., 50% of total)
Phase 2 (Final)	After Phase 1 is paid	Remaining balance

Each phase has its own payment link. The Phase 2 link becomes active only after the deposit is received.

Link Properties

Property	Details
Expiration	Links expire after 72 hours
One-time use	Each link can only be used for one successful payment
Security	JWT-signed tokens with issuer and audience validation
Regeneration	If a link expires, send the invoice again to generate a new one

After Payment

When the customer completes the payment:

Stripe processes the charge and notifies SettleWise via webhook
Payment is recorded automatically — no manual entry needed
Invoice status updates to Paid (or Partial if the payment covers only one phase)
Customer receives a Stripe receipt for their records
QuickBooks syncs the payment if connected

Resending a Payment Link

If the customer's link expired or they lost the email:

Open the invoice from Invoices
Click Send to resend the invoice email with a fresh payment link
The new link is valid for another 72 hours

Fees

Stripe charges standard processing fees per transaction:

Domestic cards: Typically 2.9% + $0.30
International cards: Additional 1% fee

Fees are deducted from the payment before it reaches your bank account. SettleWise does not charge additional transaction fees.

Exact Stripe fees depend on your Stripe account plan and region. Check your Stripe dashboard for your specific rates.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Customer says link is expired	Resend the invoice — a new 72-hour link is generated
Payment not appearing in SettleWise	Check the Stripe webhook status in Settings → Integrations. Payments typically appear within seconds.
"Pay Now" button not in the email	Verify Stripe is connected in Settings → Integrations and you're on Standard plan or higher
Customer sees an error on the payment page	Ask them to try a different card or browser. If the issue persists, check your Stripe dashboard for declined charges.