Mike Misasi from BlueSnap describes Payment Links, “As as way to request payment from customers who are paying for your goods or services outside of a traditional online store purchase. It’s essentially a “Pay Now” or “Pay Invoice” button sent to customers via email. Once those customers click the payment button they’re taken to a payment page showing the amount due. They can securely fill in billing and shipping information, and the process is complete.”

Wider use of payment links

Payment links usage is not just limited to supporting payments outside the traditional online store purchase, they can be used for all sorts of payments, for example:

• Electronic invoices can have embedded payment links to speed up payments
• Emailing a customer with a payment link which they can receive on their computer or mobile and then pay immediately by completing the payment information and then entering their payment card number or choosing a payment wallet such as Apple Pay or Visa Checkout
• Embedding payment links into your marketing materials.

Embedding payment links with multiple payment channels

Integrating payment links with omnichannel payment providers such as Adyen and BlueSnap provides the complete solution, by enabling the customer to pay whenever is convenient by whatever payment channel they want to use. 

BlueSnap claim that with their payment link generator, the main benefits are being able to:

• Send a secure payment link for invoices, one-time transactions, or recurring payments
• Increase shopper confidence by allowing them to enter their own sensitive payment details
• Use many different payment channels including: credit cards, ACH, Visa Checkout, MasterPass, PayPal, Wire Transfers,Payment links. 

An early example of the use of payment links is how in 2012 Barclays Pingit service enabled their users to buy items advertised in magazines and have them delivered direct to their home. 

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CTMfile take: The use of payment links in B2B payments offers massive potential to improve collections efficiency and possibly also open the route to new types of services.