What Are Payment Links and How Do They Work?

A payment link is a secure URL that opens a checkout page where your customer can pay you. Instead of building a website with an integrated checkout, you create the link — usually from a dashboard or an app — and send it to the customer over WhatsApp, email, SMS, or by adding it to an invoice or social media post.

Payment links are one of the simplest ways to accept digital payments in South Africa, and they are a core part of what Kwik offers. They need no development work, no card machine and no website.

How does a payment link work?

The flow is straightforward:

1. You create a link, typically specifying the amount, a description and a reference.
2. You share the link with your customer through any channel — WhatsApp is the most common in South Africa.
3. The customer taps the link and lands on a secure, hosted checkout page.
4. They choose how to pay — card, instant EFT, PayShap or another enabled method — and complete the payment.
5. You are notified that the payment succeeded, and the funds settle to your business bank account on your normal settlement cycle.

The checkout page is hosted by the payments provider, so card details never pass through your hands and the PCI DSS security requirements are handled for you. Under the hood, a payment link is the same technology as a hosted checkout, just reachable by URL instead of embedded in a website flow.

What can customers pay with on a payment link?

That depends on which methods your provider supports and you have enabled. Typical options for South African customers include:

• Debit and credit cards, verified with 3-D Secure
• Instant EFT, paying directly from internet banking at Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Capitec and others — see instant EFT and open banking
• PayShap, for real-time account-to-account payments — see PayShap
• Digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay on supported devices

Offering more than one method on the link improves the chance the customer completes the payment.

What types of payment links are there?

• Once-off links for a single payment of a fixed amount, such as an invoice or quote.
• Reusable links that can be paid multiple times, useful for a standard product, donation or event ticket.
• Open-amount links where the customer enters the amount, common for donations and account top-ups.
• Links with expiry dates, so a quote or offer cannot be paid after it lapses.

Availability of each type varies by provider.

Who are payment links best for?

Payment links suit any business that invoices or bills customers directly rather than through an online store:

• Freelancers and consultants attaching a link to an invoice
• Trades and services collecting deposits or final payment on completion
• Sellers on Instagram, Facebook Marketplace or WhatsApp who have no website
• Businesses taking phone or email orders
• Schools, clubs and charities collecting fees and donations

They are also useful alongside a full website — for example, to recover a failed online payment or to charge a custom amount agreed with a specific customer.

Are payment links safe?

Yes, when they come from a reputable provider. The checkout page is encrypted, card payments are verified with 3-D Secure, and the merchant never sees the customer's card details. Customers should still be cautious of links from unknown senders; as a business, sending links from a recognisable number or email address, with a clear description and reference, helps customers trust the request.

Payment links vs other ways to get paid

If your billing is recurring — subscriptions, memberships, instalments — a debit order collected against a mandate is usually a better fit than sending a link every month.

Related reading

• How do I accept payments online?
• Which payment methods should your business offer?
• Back to the accepting payments hub