Payment Links

Payment Links are a PayIn Cloud no-code feature for accepting cryptocurrency payments with shareable links. PayIn Open does not ship this no-code feature or a dashboard app; self-hosted deployments should use the Order Payment API or build their own console-backed link flow.

What are Payment Links?

Payment Links are PayIn Cloud no-code dashboard features. PayIn Open does not ship a no-code dashboard app; for self-hosted deployments, create equivalent payment flows through the Order Payment API or your own console.

Key Characteristics:

🚫 Cloud-only no-code flow - Not shipped in PayIn Open
🔗 Share anywhere - Email, WhatsApp, social media, QR code
💰 Flexible pricing - Fixed amount or custom amount
🌐 Multi-chain - Support multiple networks and tokens
📊 Track payments - Monitor payments in the PayIn Cloud dashboard
📦 Inventory control - Limit quantity for tickets/products

Payment Links vs Order API

Understanding when to use Payment Links:

Feature	Payment Links	Order Payment API
Setup	PayIn Cloud no-code flow	Requires development
Sharing	Public URL/QR code	Programmatic integration
Use Case	Manual sharing, simple needs	Automated systems, e-commerce
Customization	Limited (via UI)	Full control (via code)
Payment Tracking	Dashboard only	Dashboard + Webhooks + API
Best For	Freelancers, small businesses	Developers, businesses with systems

When to use Payment Links:

Freelancer invoicing
Event ticket sales
Course enrollment fees
Consulting service payments
Donation collections
Small business payments
One-time product sales

Quick Start

Step 1: Create Your First Payment Link

Log in to PayIn Cloud (Cloud-only feature)
Navigate to Payment Links in the sidebar
Click Create Payment Link
Fill in the details:
- Title: "Consulting Service - 1 Hour"
- Amount: 50 USDT
- Currency: Select USDT
- Chains: Select ethereum-sepolia, polygon-amoy
Click Create Draft

Step 2: Customize (Optional)

Add a Description: Explain what the payment is for
Set Inventory: Limit to specific quantity (e.g., 10 tickets)
Set Expiration: Auto-expire after a date
Add Metadata: Track internal information

Step 3: Publish

Click Publish on your payment link
A unique URL is generated (e.g., payin.com/p/abc123XYZ)
Copy the link or QR code

Share your payment link via:

📧 Email: Copy and paste the link
💬 Messaging: WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
📱 QR Code: Download and print
🌐 Website: Add link to your site
📱 Social Media: Share on Twitter, Facebook

Step 5: Get Paid

Customer clicks your link
Customer selects chain and pays
You receive notification
Payment appears in the PayIn Cloud dashboard

tip Test First Use testnet links to test the complete flow before sharing mainnet links to customers.

Creating Payment Links

Basic Payment Link

Minimum required fields:

{
  "title": "Consulting Service - 1 Hour",
  "amount": "50",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia", "polygon-amoy"],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ]
}

What customers see:

Title: "Consulting Service - 1 Hour"
Price: 50 USDT
Available chains: Ethereum Sepolia, Polygon Amoy
Customer selects chain and pays

Payment Link with Description

{
  "title": "Web Development Course",
  "description": "Complete 12-week course including:\n• Frontend development\n• Backend APIs\n• Deployment guide\n• Lifetime access",
  "amount": "299",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia", "polygon-amoy"],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ]
}

Benefits:

Clear explanation of what they're paying for
Builds trust and reduces confusion
Supports markdown formatting

Multi-Currency Payment Link

{
  "title": "Premium Membership",
  "amount": "99",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia", "polygon-amoy"],
      "is_primary": true
    },
    {
      "currency": "USDC",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia", "polygon-amoy"],
      "amount": "99"
    }
  ]
}

What customers see:

Can choose between USDT or USDC
Same price in both currencies
All supported chains available

Limited Inventory Payment Link

{
  "title": "VIP Event Ticket",
  "description": "Annual Tech Conference 2025\nDate: June 15-17\nVenue: San Francisco",
  "amount": "500",
  "inventoryTotal": 100,
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia"],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ]
}

Features:

Limited to 100 tickets
Shows "X remaining" to customers
Automatically stops accepting payments when sold out
Tracks reserved (pending payment) vs sold (completed)

Time-Limited Payment Link

{
  "title": "Early Bird Discount",
  "description": "Limited time offer - ends Dec 31, 2025",
  "amount": "79",
  "expiresAt": "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia", "polygon-amoy"],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ]
}

Features:

Automatically expires at specified date/time
Customers cannot pay after expiration
Shows countdown timer on payment page

Custom Amount Payment Link

{
  "title": "Donation",
  "description": "Support our open source project",
  "amount": "0",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum-sepolia", "polygon-amoy"],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ]
}

Features:

Customer enters their own amount
Useful for donations, tips, variable pricing
Set amount to "0" for custom amount

warning Custom Amount Validation Set minimum amount validation on payment page to avoid very small payments that might not cover transaction costs.

Managing Payment Links

Link States

Payment links have two states:

1. Draft (draft)

Not publicly accessible
Can be edited freely
No slug/URL assigned yet
For preparation and testing

2. Published (published)

Publicly accessible via unique URL
Limited editing (cannot change pricing fundamentals)
Has unique slug (e.g., abc123XYZ)
Ready for customers

tip Publishing Workflow Create links as drafts → Test internally → Publish when ready → Share with customers

Editing Payment Links

Can always edit:

✅ Title
✅ Description
✅ Inventory total (can increase or decrease)
✅ Expiration date
✅ Metadata

Cannot edit after publishing:

❌ Amount (create new link instead)
❌ Currencies
❌ Chain options
❌ Slug (auto-generated on publish)

To make major changes:

Archive the old link
Create a new link with updated details
Publish and share new link

Archiving Links

Archive payment links that are no longer needed:

When to archive:

Event is over
Product is sold out permanently
Promotion has ended
Service no longer offered

Effects of archiving:

Link becomes inaccessible
Existing payments remain in history
Can be restored if needed
Helps keep your PayIn Cloud dashboard organized

Viewing Payment History

For a specific link:

Go to the PayIn Cloud Payment Links dashboard
Click on a payment link
View Orders tab
See all payments for this link

Statistics shown:

Total orders: All payment attempts
Completed orders: Successful payments
Pending orders: Awaiting payment/confirmation
Expired orders: Timed out or expired
Total revenue: Sum of completed payments
Reserved inventory: Pending payments
Sold inventory: Completed payments

Use Cases

Freelancer Invoice

Scenario: Web developer invoicing a client for completed work.

{
  "title": "Website Development - Project Alpha",
  "description": "Delivered items:\n• Homepage design\n• 5 content pages\n• Contact form\n• 2 rounds of revisions\n\nPayment due within 7 days",
  "amount": "2500",
  "expiresAt": "2025-02-07T23:59:59Z",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon"],
      "is_primary": true
    },
    {
      "currency": "USDC",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon"],
      "amount": "2500"
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "project_id": "proj_alpha_2025",
    "client_name": "Acme Corp",
    "invoice_number": "INV-2025-001"
  }
}

Workflow:

Create payment link for project
Email link to client: "Pay invoice via crypto: [link]"
Client pays using their preferred chain
Receive notification when paid
Mark invoice as paid in your system

Event Ticket Sales

Scenario: Tech conference selling 500 VIP tickets.

{
  "title": "TechConf 2025 - VIP Pass",
  "description": "Includes:\n• All conference sessions\n• VIP networking events\n• Speaker dinner\n• Conference swag bag\n\nDates: June 15-17, 2025\nVenue: San Francisco Convention Center",
  "amount": "499",
  "inventoryTotal": 500,
  "expiresAt": "2025-06-01T00:00:00Z",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon"],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "event_id": "techconf_2025",
    "ticket_type": "vip",
    "venue": "SF Convention Center"
  }
}

Workflow:

Create payment link for tickets
Add link to event website
Share on social media
Monitor sales in the PayIn Cloud dashboard
Send ticket fulfillment emails (manual or automated)

Online Course Enrollment

Scenario: Educational platform selling course access.

{
  "title": "Complete Python Bootcamp",
  "description": "Learn Python from zero to hero!\n\n✓ 60 hours of video content\n✓ 200+ coding exercises\n✓ 12 real-world projects\n✓ Certificate of completion\n✓ Lifetime access\n✓ Money-back guarantee",
  "amount": "149",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon", "tron"],
      "is_primary": true
    },
    {
      "currency": "USDC",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon"],
      "amount": "149"
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "course_id": "python_bootcamp",
    "platform": "learn.example.com",
    "access_duration": "lifetime"
  }
}

Workflow:

Create payment link for course
Add to course landing page
Customer clicks "Enroll Now" → redirects to payment link
After payment, receive webhook (if configured)
Auto-grant course access via webhook handler

Donation Collection

Scenario: Open source project accepting donations.

{
  "title": "Support PayIn Development",
  "description": "Help us build better crypto payment infrastructure!\n\nYour donation helps us:\n• Maintain and improve PayIn\n• Add support for more chains\n• Keep the service free for small businesses\n• Build developer-friendly tools\n\nEvery contribution matters. Thank you! 🙏",
  "amount": "0",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon", "tron"],
      "is_primary": true
    },
    {
      "currency": "USDC",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon"],
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "campaign": "open_source_support",
    "project": "payin"
  }
}

Features:

Custom amount (donors choose amount)
Multiple chain options for convenience
Heartfelt description to encourage donations

Best Practices

Link Naming

Use clear, descriptive titles:

Good Examples:

Consulting Call - 30 Minutes
Web Design Services - Homepage Package
Conference Ticket - Early Bird Price
Python Course - Full Access

Avoid:

Payment          // Too generic
Link 1           // No context
Service          // Vague
Product A        // Unclear

Description Guidelines

Do:

✅ Clearly explain what they're paying for
✅ List specific deliverables or features
✅ Include relevant dates/deadlines
✅ Add terms or conditions if needed
✅ Use bullet points for readability

Don't:

❌ Leave description empty
❌ Use overly technical jargon
❌ Write walls of text
❌ Forget important details

Pricing Strategy

Fixed Amount:

{
  "amount": "99.00",
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": ["ethereum", "polygon"]
    }
  ]
}

Use for: Products, services, tickets with fixed pricing
Benefit: Clear expectations, no confusion

Custom Amount:

{
  "amount": "0",
  "currencies": [...]
}

Use for: Donations, tips, variable pricing
Benefit: Flexibility for customers
Warning: Set minimum amount to avoid dust payments

Multi-Chain Strategy

Offer multiple chains for convenience:

{
  "currencies": [
    {
      "currency": "USDT",
      "chainOptions": [
        "ethereum",      // High security
        "polygon",       // Low fees
        "tron"          // Very low fees
      ],
      "is_primary": true
    }
  ]
}

Benefits:

Customers choose based on their preference
Lower fees on some chains = happier customers
Higher conversion rates

Recommendation:

Include at least 2 chains
Polygon/Tron for low-value payments (< $100)
Ethereum for high-value payments (> $1000)

Inventory Management

For limited availability:

{
  "inventoryTotal": 50,
  "title": "Early Bird Special - Limited to 50"
}

Monitor in real-time:

Check the PayIn Cloud dashboard for available/reserved/sold counts
Update inventory if you add more capacity
Archive when sold out

Best practices:

Set realistic inventory numbers
Mention scarcity in title/description
Update customers if sold out

Testing Links

Always test before sharing:

Create testnet link - Use testnet environment first
Test payment flow - Complete a test payment yourself
Verify notifications - Check PayIn Cloud dashboard updates
Check mobile - Test on mobile devices
Share internally - Have team test before public launch

warning Test With Real Amounts Test with realistic amounts to ensure the UX is good. Testing with $0.01 won't reveal issues with $1000 payments.

Email Template:

Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for your interest in [Product/Service]!

To complete your payment, please click the link below:
[Payment Link URL]

Or scan this QR code:
[QR Code Image]

Payment details:
• Amount: $X USDT/USDC
• Supported networks: Ethereum, Polygon
• Payment window: [if time-limited]

Questions? Reply to this email.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Social Media Post:

🎉 Now accepting crypto payments!

Get [Product/Service Name] with USDT/USDC:
[Payment Link]

✅ Instant confirmation
✅ Multiple chains supported
✅ Secure & transparent

Limited slots available! 👇

Troubleshooting

"Link not found" Error

Problem: Customer gets error when accessing link.

Causes:

Link is still in draft status (not published)
Link has been archived
Typo in URL

Solutions:

Verify link status in the PayIn Cloud dashboard (should be "Published")
Check if link is archived (restore if needed)
Copy a fresh URL from the PayIn Cloud dashboard

Payment Not Detected

Problem: Customer paid but payment is not showing in the PayIn Cloud dashboard.

Causes:

Wrong network (paid on different chain than selected)
Wrong token (paid ETH instead of USDT)
Transaction still pending
Paid to wrong address

Solutions:

Check transaction on block explorer
Verify correct network and token
Wait for required confirmations
Contact support with transaction hash

Inventory Not Updating

Problem: Inventory count not updating after payment.

Expected Behavior:

Reserved: Increments when order created (payment pending)
Sold: Increments when payment confirmed
Available: Decreases when reserved

If stuck:

Check order status (might still be pending)
Wait for blockchain confirmations
Refresh the PayIn Cloud dashboard

Cannot Edit Published Link

Problem: Need to change amount but link is published.

Solution:

Archive current link
Create new link with updated amount
Publish new link
Share new URL with customers
Inform existing customers of change

tip Keep Old Link Active If customers already have the old link, keep it active until transition is complete. Then archive after grace period.

QR Code Not Working

Problem: Scanning QR code doesn't open payment page.

Causes:

QR code contains wrong URL
URL is too long for QR code
QR code image quality too low

Solutions:

Regenerate the QR code from the PayIn Cloud dashboard
Use URL shortener if needed
Test QR code with multiple apps
Increase QR code size/quality

Advanced Features

Metadata for Tracking

Attach custom data to payment links:

{
  "title": "Consulting Service",
  "amount": "500",
  "metadata": {
    "client_id": "client_12345",
    "project_code": "PROJ-2025-Q1",
    "service_category": "consulting",
    "sales_rep": "john@example.com",
    "campaign": "email_blast_jan_2025"
  }
}

Use metadata for:

Internal tracking and reporting
Client/project association
Sales attribution
Campaign tracking
Integration with your systems

Access metadata:

View in payment link details
Included in webhook events
Searchable via API

Webhook Integration

Configure webhooks to automate fulfillment:

Event types:

paymentlink.order.completed - Payment confirmed
paymentlink.order.expired - Order expired without payment

Example webhook handler:

app.post('/webhooks/payin', async (req, res) => {
  const event = req.body;

  if (event.type === 'paymentlink.order.completed') {
    const { paymentLinkId, buyerEmail, amount } = event.data;

    // Auto-fulfill based on payment link
    if (paymentLinkId === 'link_course_python') {
      await grantCourseAccess(buyerEmail);
      await sendWelcomeEmail(buyerEmail);
    } else if (paymentLinkId === 'link_ticket_conference') {
      await generateTicket(buyerEmail);
      await sendTicketEmail(buyerEmail);
    }
  }

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

API Access

Manage payment links programmatically:

Create via API:

curl -X POST https://your-payin.example.com/api/v1/payment-links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Product Name",
    "amount": "99",
    "currencies": [...]
  }'

List all links:

curl https://your-payin.example.com/api/v1/payment-links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Useful for:

Bulk link creation
Integration with your CMS
Dynamic link generation
Automated reporting

Next Steps

Enhance Your Setup

Webhooks - Automate fulfillment
API Integration - Programmatic control
Security - Secure your integration

For Developers

Order Payment Service - Full API control
Deposit Service - Recurring payments
Address Pool Setup - Address management

Resources

Supported Networks - Available blockchains
Supported Tokens - Available stablecoins

Support

Need help with Payment Links?

📧 Email: support@payin.com
💬 Discord: Join our community
📚 PayIn Cloud dashboard: Built-in help and tutorials for Cloud-only Payment Links

Payment Links

What are Payment Links?

Payment Links vs Order API

Quick Start

Step 1: Create Your First Payment Link

Step 2: Customize (Optional)

Step 3: Publish

Step 4: Share

Step 5: Get Paid

Creating Payment Links

Basic Payment Link

Payment Link with Description

Multi-Currency Payment Link

Limited Inventory Payment Link

Time-Limited Payment Link

Custom Amount Payment Link

Managing Payment Links

Link States

Editing Payment Links

Archiving Links

Viewing Payment History

Use Cases

Freelancer Invoice

Event Ticket Sales

Online Course Enrollment

Donation Collection

Best Practices

Link Naming

Description Guidelines

Pricing Strategy

Multi-Chain Strategy

Inventory Management

Testing Links

Link Sharing

Troubleshooting

"Link not found" Error

Payment Not Detected

Inventory Not Updating

Cannot Edit Published Link

QR Code Not Working

Advanced Features

Metadata for Tracking

Webhook Integration

API Access

Next Steps

Enhance Your Setup

For Developers

Resources

Support