# Payment Links

Payment links let you collect payments quickly using a secure, shareable checkout page — without writing a single line of code. Create a fixed-amount link — accepted once or reused up to a set limit — or a donation link where customers choose how much to pay. Control availability with expiry and start dates, collect billing details or custom fields, and notify customers by email.

For simple, one-off needs, the Customer Hub gives you a no-code setup — a link you can share in seconds, with no engineering required. When you need to operate at scale, the API lets you automate link creation and management across high-volume, enterprise-grade workflows.

## When to use

Quick payment collection for invoices or services
- One-time product purchase
- Deposit, final balance, or payment adjustment
- Ticket, booking fee, or membership


Take payment with assistance
- Call center or manual payment processing
- In-store assisted sale (customer completes payment on their phone)


Collect variable amounts
- Fundraiser or nonprofit donation link
- Tips or gratuities collected after a service


## Capabilities at a glance

| Capability | Details |
|  --- | --- |
| Link types | One-time payments, donations, card verification — validate a card without charging |
| Limits and expiry | End date, start date, single- or multi-use links |
| Data collection | Billing address, shipping address, custom fields |
| Notifications | Email notifications |
| Customization | Branding configuration — applies globally to every payment link on the account |


## Guides

The [Get started](/guides/core-concepts/payment-links/get-started) quickstart gets you to a working link in minutes. The guides below cover each step in detail.

Create a payment link
Start here — get your first link ready to share in minutes.

Customise and configure
Set the return URL, choose payment methods, and brand the checkout page.

Share with customers
Get the link in front of your customers — by email or any channel you use.

Monitor and reconcile
Keep an eye on which links are active and who has paid.

## Choose your path: Customer Hub vs API

Customer Hub
Create and manage payment links through the Shift4 Customer Hub with no coding required. Ideal for manual workflows, one-off payments, and business users.

**Best for:**
Merchants, operations teams, customer service

API
Programmatically create and manage payment links for automated workflows and integration with your systems. The right choice when links are generated on demand or at scale.

**Best for:**
Developers, automated systems, high-volume scenarios

### Overview

| Aspect | Customer Hub | API |
|  --- | --- | --- |
| Time to launch | Minutes | Hours to days |
| Engineering effort | None | Development required |
| Scale | Manual/low volume | Automated/high volume |


### Feature availability

| Feature | Customer Hub | API |
|  --- | --- | --- |
| One-time payments |  |  |
| Multi-use links |  |  |
| Donations |  |  |
| Manual activation/deactivation |  |  |
| Expiration date |  |  |
| Scheduled start date |  |  |
| Google Pay / Apple Pay |  |  |
| Saving cards for later |  |  |
| Billing address collection |  |  |
| Shipping address collection |  |  |
| Custom fields |  |  |
| Metadata |  |  |
| Email notifications |  |  |
| Redirect URL on success |  |  |
| Webhooks |  |  |
| Branding configuration *(set up once in the Customer Hub; applies to all links)* |  |  |
| Programmatic creation |  |  |


## Next steps

Get started
Follow the quickstart to create your first payment link in minutes.

How it works
Understand link lifecycle, statuses, and key concepts.

Create & configure
Set up amounts, expiry dates, and data collection.

API reference
Complete endpoint and schema reference for programmatic management.