Late invoice payments cost businesses time and cash flow. The average B2B invoice takes 34 days to get paid, and chasing overdue invoices eats into hours your team could spend on actual work. Invoice payment links fix this by giving your customer a single click path from invoice to payment — no logging into portals, no phone calls, no cheques in the post.
This guide covers what invoice payment links are, how to add them to your invoices, and the practical steps to reduce your days sales outstanding (DSO) by 30% or more.
What Are Invoice Payment Links?
An invoice payment link is a URL embedded in your invoice — whether it is a PDF, email, or accounting software output — that takes the customer directly to a hosted checkout page. The customer clicks the link, enters their card details (or selects another payment method), and the payment is processed immediately.
Unlike traditional invoicing where the customer has to set up a bank transfer or post a cheque, payment links remove every friction point between receiving an invoice and paying it. The link can be pre-filled with the invoice amount, reference number, and customer details so there is nothing for them to type.
A typical invoice payment link includes:
Pre-filled amount — matches the invoice total so the customer cannot underpay
Invoice reference — automatically tagged for reconciliation
Multiple payment methods — card, bank transfer, or digital wallet depending on your provider
Hosted checkout page — branded to your business, secured by your payment provider
Why Invoice Payment Links Reduce DSO
Days sales outstanding (DSO) measures how long it takes to collect payment after invoicing. For most businesses, the biggest contributor to high DSO is not unwillingness to pay — it is friction. The customer opens your invoice, intends to pay, but has to find your bank details, log into their banking app, type in the amount and reference, and submit. Each step is an opportunity to get distracted and forget.
Payment links compress that entire process into a single click. Here is what the data shows:
30-50% reduction in DSO — businesses that add payment links to invoices typically see average payment times drop from 30+ days to under 15 days
60-70% of link payments happen within 24 hours — customers pay when the invoice is fresh, not weeks later
Fewer payment errors — pre-filled amounts and references eliminate miskeyed transfers and missing remittance details
Less time chasing payments — your accounts team spends less time on follow-up emails and phone calls
The principle is simple: the easier you make it to pay, the faster people pay. Payment links are the lowest-friction option available for invoice collection.
How to Add Payment Links to Invoices
The exact process depends on your invoicing software and payment provider, but the general workflow is the same across platforms.
Step 1: Choose a Payment Link Provider
You need a payment provider that supports hosted payment links. This means they generate a unique URL for each payment that lands on a secure, PCI-compliant checkout page. Look for a provider that supports:
Custom branding on the checkout page
Pre-filled amounts and reference fields
Multiple payment methods (card, bank transfer, digital wallets)
API access for automated link generation
Webhook notifications when a payment is completed
Shuttle Global provides all of the above through its Payment Links product, with no-code link generation and API integration for businesses that want to automate.
Step 2: Generate a Payment Link for Each Invoice
There are two approaches depending on your volume:
Manual (low volume): Log into your payment provider dashboard, create a new payment link, set the amount and reference to match your invoice, and copy the URL.
Automated (higher volume): Use your payment provider's API to generate links programmatically. Your invoicing system creates the invoice, calls the API to generate a payment link with the correct amount and reference, and embeds it in the invoice automatically. This is the approach most businesses should aim for once they are sending more than 20-30 invoices per month.
Step 3: Embed the Link in Your Invoice
Where you place the payment link matters. Tested approaches that work:
Email invoices: Add a prominent "Pay Now" button at the top of the email, above the invoice details. Repeat the link at the bottom. A button converts better than a plain text URL.
PDF invoices: Add a clickable hyperlink near the payment terms section. Include a QR code as well — customers viewing a printed PDF can scan it with their phone to pay.
Accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks): Most accounting platforms support custom fields or notes on invoices. Add the payment link there. Some platforms like QuickBooks have native payment link integrations.
Step 4: Set Up Payment Notifications
Configure webhooks or email notifications so your team knows the moment an invoice is paid. This closes the loop on reconciliation — the payment comes in, your system marks the invoice as paid, and nobody has to manually check bank statements.
Payment Link Best Practices for Invoicing
Adding a payment link to your invoice is the first step. These practices will improve your collection rates further:
Make the link the most visible element. Use a button with a contrasting colour rather than a plain text URL. The "Pay Now" button should be the first thing the customer sees when they open the invoice.
Pre-fill everything. The payment link should already contain the amount, currency, invoice reference, and customer name. The customer should not have to enter anything except their payment details.
Set link expiry dates. Align the link expiry with your payment terms. If your terms are net 30, set the link to expire after 35 days. This prevents stale links from being used months later at outdated amounts.
Send reminders with the link. If the invoice is not paid within a few days, send a follow-up email with the same payment link. Automated reminders at day 7, 14, and 21 are standard and effective.
Brand your checkout page. The hosted checkout should display your company logo, colours, and name. Customers are more likely to complete payment when they recognise the brand on the payment page, and less likely to mistake it for a phishing attempt.
Offer multiple payment methods. Card payments are convenient, but some customers prefer bank transfers for larger amounts. A good payment link page gives the customer options rather than forcing a single method.
Security and PCI Compliance
Any time you collect card payments, PCI DSS compliance applies. The advantage of hosted payment links is that your business never touches card data directly — the payment provider handles that on their PCI-compliant infrastructure.
Here is what to verify with your payment link provider:
PCI DSS Level 1 certification — the highest level, required for providers processing over 6 million transactions annually
HTTPS on all checkout pages — this should be non-negotiable, but check
Tokenisation — card details are replaced with a token so sensitive data is never stored on your systems
3D Secure (3DS) support — adds an authentication step that reduces fraud and shifts liability to the card issuer
Because payment links use hosted checkout pages, your business qualifies for the simplest PCI self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ A). This means minimal compliance overhead compared to collecting card details on your own website or over the phone. For more on how payment gateways handle security, see our glossary.
Invoice Payment Links vs Traditional Payment Methods
How do payment links compare to the methods businesses traditionally include on invoices?
Bank transfer (BACS/ACH). The customer has to log into their banking app, find your details, type the amount, and add a reference. Errors are common — wrong amounts, missing references, payments to the wrong account. Average time to payment: 15-30 days. With a payment link, the customer clicks and pays in under 60 seconds.
Cheque. Still used in some industries, but adds days of postal time plus manual processing. Average time to clear: 5-7 business days after receipt, and you might wait weeks for the cheque to arrive. Payment links eliminate this entirely.
Phone payment. Taking card details over the phone works but brings PCI compliance complexity and requires staff availability. Payment links let the customer pay at any time without involving your team.
Customer portal. Some businesses require customers to log into a portal to view and pay invoices. This adds friction — the customer needs to remember credentials, navigate the portal, and find the right invoice. Payment links skip straight to payment with a single click.
The pattern is consistent: every additional step between "customer sees invoice" and "payment is made" increases the time to collection and the risk of non-payment. Payment links minimise those steps.
How Shuttle Payment Links Work
Shuttle Global provides payment links as part of its payments infrastructure. Here is how they work for invoice collection:
Generate via dashboard or API. Create a payment link manually from the Shuttle dashboard, or use the API to generate links automatically from your invoicing system.
Branded checkout. The hosted payment page carries your branding — logo, colours, and company name — so customers know they are paying you, not an unfamiliar third party.
Multi-currency support. Invoice international customers in their local currency. The payment link handles conversion and settlement automatically.
Real-time webhooks. Get notified the instant a payment completes. Integrate with your accounting software to auto-reconcile invoices.
PCI DSS Level 1. Shuttle handles all card data on PCI-compliant infrastructure. Your business stays on SAQ A — the simplest compliance path.
Whether you send 10 invoices a month or 10,000, the setup is the same. Businesses using Shuttle payment links on invoices report average payment times dropping from weeks to days.
Get Paid Faster on Every Invoice
Adding payment links to your invoices is the single most effective change you can make to speed up collections. It takes minutes to set up and the impact on cash flow is immediate.
Start collecting payments with Shuttle — or book a demo to see how payment links work with your invoicing setup.