Create and share a payment link

#When to use a payment link

Use a payment link for an invoice, a project deposit, a consultation or a custom order. It has a fixed amount and can be paid once. To sell the same product repeatedly, use a checkout page instead.

#Create the request

1. Check Test or Live mode, then open Create → Payment link, or choose New payment link in Payment links.
2. Enter the Amount, Currency, and What it’s for. The description is shown to the customer, so use a recognizable product or service name.
3. Add the optional customer and invoice details below.
4. Choose how long the link Can be paid for: 1 day, 7 days, or 30 days. The default is 7 days.
5. Choose Create payment link. Review the saved details before sharing the link.

Railbed does not email the payment link. Adding a customer email prefills checkout; you still send the link yourself. A customer's name or email is not an access restriction. Share the payment link only with people who should see the request.

#Share the payment link or QR code

The saved request has a Payment link section. Copy the link into your invoice, message or email. Use its QR code for a printed invoice or for a customer to scan from another screen. The QR code opens the same payment page; it is not a crypto transfer address.

Here is a message you can adapt:

Hi Alex,

Your design consultation is ready to book.
The total is $49.00 USD (reference INV-0042).

Pay using the Railbed link included in this message.
The link is available for 7 days.

Thank you,
Northstar Studio

Paste your actual saved link into the message before sending it. Recheck the mode: a Test link cannot collect real money.

#Share progress with someone else

Use the separate Tracking link for an accountant or collaborator who needs to see whether the request has been paid.

The tracking page shows the amount, status, progress, reference and billed-to name. It omits the buyer's email, your note, deposit and wallet details, transaction links and a way to pay. Anyone with the tracking link can see that limited information; treat it as a shareable link, not a login-protected report.

#Read the result

Open the request in Payment links to see its status, details and timeline. Once paid, the buyer's payment link shows their receipt. A held payment shows that it is being reviewed.

The list's Paid filter also includes payments being reviewed, and Expired includes declined payments. Always read the individual row status before delivering an order. Payment statuses explains the next action for each one.

#Cancel, duplicate or replace a request

Cancel link is available only while the link is still payable and the buyer has not gone to a card provider. After that hand-off, the link stays open for the payment to arrive or expire. Canceling a request does not reverse a card payment or refund money.

Saved payment links are not edited in place. To correct an amount or request payment again, choose Duplicate, review the copied fields, and create a new link. Duplicate clears the reference. Once the original payment has started, it also clears the saved email, so review and re-enter the details needed for the new request. Cancel the old link if that action is still available.

#Send the buyer to your thank-you page

Under More options, fill After payment, send them to. You can include {PAYMENT_ID} and {REFERENCE}:

https://example.com/thanks?payment={PAYMENT_ID}&order={REFERENCE}

The original Railbed tab follows this URL after payment is confirmed. If the buyer closes the tab, the redirect cannot happen. Leaving the field empty shows Railbed's on-screen receipt; it does not send a receipt email. The buyer experience explains the two-tab flow.