Online payments (payment links)
Let your clients settle an invoice online from a single link, with the invoice marking itself paid and emailing a receipt automatically. Online payments are a paid feature available on the Starter plan and above.
What online payments do
Every invoice you send has its own public web page that your client can open without logging in. On that page there's a "Pay this invoice" panel with a button that takes them to a hosted checkout. When the payment goes through, the app records it for you: the invoice's balance drops, its status moves to paid once the balance reaches zero, and your client gets a receipt by email. You don't have to chase anything down or mark it paid by hand.
There are two ways a client ends up at checkout. You can grab a payment link and send it to them yourself, or they can click the Pay button directly on the invoice's public page. Both lead to the same checkout and the same automatic update.
One thing to know up front: by default the app runs on a test (mock) gateway, so checkout is a simulated card screen rather than a real card charge. The whole flow works end to end for demos and trials. When a real payment processor is connected, the exact same buttons send your client to the processor's secure checkout instead.
Get a payment link to send yourself
Open the invoice in the editor. In the tools panel on the right there's a Payments section showing how much has been paid. Use "Get payment link" to create a shareable link.
- Open the invoice and look at the Payments section in the right-hand tools panel.
- Click "Get payment link". If the invoice is still a draft, this finalizes it first (it gets its invoice number), then creates the link.
- A "Payment link" dialog appears with the URL. Use the copy button to copy it, or "Open checkout" to preview the page yourself.
- Paste the link into an email, message, or anywhere your client will see it.
Letting the client pay from the invoice page
When you email an invoice from the app, the client gets a link to its public page. On that page they see the line items, totals, and a "Pay this invoice" card. The Pay button shows the exact amount outstanding, so if a partial payment was already recorded, they only pay the remaining balance.
If the invoice is already settled, the card simply shows "Paid in full" and there's nothing to pay. After a successful payment the page shows a short "Thanks! Your payment is being recorded" note and refreshes to reflect the new balance.
- The Pay button always shows the current balance due, not the original total.
- The page is read-only for the client apart from paying (and accepting/declining, for quotes).
- Voided invoices don't show a Pay option.
What the client sees at checkout
On the default test gateway, the client lands on a simple checkout page headed with the business name and the invoice number, the amount due, and a clear "Test mode — no real payment is taken" banner. The card fields are shown but disabled, and there are two buttons: "Pay" (which completes the payment) and "Simulate failure" (which lets you test the declined path). Choosing Pay sends them back to the invoice page with a confirmation.
When a real processor is connected, the Pay button instead opens that processor's own secure, hosted checkout where the client enters real card details, and they're returned to the invoice afterward. Either way, your client never needs an account or password to pay.
What happens after a successful payment
You don't have to do anything once a payment succeeds. The app handles the bookkeeping and the follow-up automatically.
- The payment is added to the invoice's ledger, and the amount paid and balance update immediately.
- When the balance reaches zero the invoice status becomes paid; a partial payment is reflected as a reduced balance.
- A payment receipt email is queued and sent to the client automatically (this happens for online and manually recorded payments alike).
- The amount is captured exactly once even if the processor sends the confirmation more than once, so you won't see duplicate payments.
- If you ever need to log a payment taken outside the app (cash, bank transfer), owners and admins can use "Record payment" on the invoice instead.
Plans and permissions
Online payment links are a paid feature. On the Free plan the "Get payment link" button is locked and prompts you to upgrade; it becomes available on Starter, Pro, and Business. The public Pay button on the invoice page follows the same rule based on the business's plan.
Getting a payment link and sending invoices are everyday actions any team member can do. Recording a manual payment, on the other hand, is limited to owners and admins. The "Get payment link" button is also disabled when an invoice is already fully paid (it shows "Invoice is fully paid") or when the invoice has been voided.
Frequently asked questions
Does my client need an account to pay?
No. The payment link and the invoice's public page work without any login. Your client just opens the link, reviews the invoice, clicks Pay, and completes checkout.
Is real money being charged?
By default the app runs on a test gateway, so checkout is a simulated screen labelled "Test mode" and no real funds move. This is ideal for demos and trying things out. Once a real payment processor is connected, the same Pay button sends clients to that processor's secure checkout where real cards are charged.
Do I have to mark the invoice as paid myself?
No. A successful online payment updates the invoice on its own: the balance drops, the status flips to paid once it reaches zero, and a receipt is emailed to your client automatically. You'd only mark something by hand if the client paid you outside the app, using "Record payment" (owners and admins only).
Why can't I see the "Get payment link" button, or why is it disabled?
If it's locked with an upgrade prompt, you're on the Free plan; online payments start on Starter. If it's greyed out, the invoice is probably already paid in full or has been voided. Note the button only appears on finalized invoices, so a brand-new draft will be finalized the first time you create a link.
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