Payment links and invoices for small businesses

A payment link is a web address you send a customer so they can pay by card on their own phone or computer. Payment links for small business are often paired with invoices: you send a bill by text or email, the customer taps the link, enters their card, and you're notified when it's paid. They're handy for orders placed from a distance, but they're card-not-present sales with the costs and risks that come with that.

Many customers now expect to pay from their phone. Knowing how links and invoices work helps you decide if they fit your store.

How do payment links and invoices work?

The idea is simple. Your payment tool creates a link tied to an amount and a description. You send it by text, email, or a messaging app. The customer opens it, sees what they're paying for, enters their card details, and submits.

An invoice is a more formal version. It lists items, quantities, prices, and a due date, with a payment link built in. It's useful for businesses that bill customers after delivering goods or services.

When the customer pays, the money settles like any other card sale, and the payment shows up in your reports.

Not every payment provider or setup offers links or invoices, and features vary. Ask the NRS Pay team what your setup supports before planning around them.

When do links make sense for a neighborhood store?

They fit best when the customer isn't at the counter.

Catering and party orders, where the customer wants to pay ahead.

Deposits on special orders.

Local deliveries to regular customers.

Balances owed by a business customer, like a nearby office that buys supplies from you each month.

They fit less well for everyday walk-in sales. If the customer is at the counter, a chip or tap sale is cheaper and safer.

Here's a hypothetical. A local daycare orders snacks and paper goods from you every week. Instead of calling in a card number each time, you send an invoice with a payment link on Friday. They pay it, and you have a clean record of each order.

What do links cost, and what are the risks?

Payment links and invoices are card-not-present transactions. The card isn't physically in front of you, so the card networks usually price these sales higher than chip or tap sales.

The risks follow from the same fact.

Fraud. Someone could pay with a stolen card. If the real cardholder disputes it, the loss often falls on you.

Chargebacks. Customers may dispute charges they don't recognize, especially if the link description is vague.

Card testing. If a link can be reused or found publicly, fraudsters sometimes use it to test stolen card numbers.

None of these are reasons to avoid links. They're reasons to use them carefully.

How do you use payment links safely?

A few habits go a long way.

Send links only to customers you know or have verified.

Write a clear description: your store name, what the payment is for, and the order date.

Use one-time links for specific orders, if your tool offers them, rather than open links anyone can reuse.

Turn on security code and address checks if your tool supports them.

Don't release goods until the payment shows as completed.

Keep records of each invoice, link, and payment together.

If you see a flood of small payments or declines on a link, pause it and call your provider. That's a sign of card testing.

The FTC's small business guidance covers general practices for protecting your business and your customers. You can also learn more about NRS Pay and the NRS POS integration.