How to Use Payment Links to Accept Payments Online?

As per a report by Statista, in the year 2021, the volume of digital payments in India was over 22 billion. This number is a significant increase of 10 billion compared to the last year, and this data shows the impact of the pandemic on the buying patterns of Indians. People, who used to only trust products which they could feel in their hands, have started to depend on online purchases for everyday needs. The physical experience of buying and selling has been reduced to homebound customers buying stuff by clicking on their devices.

Merchants have also resorted to selling products online as opposed to in retail stores, altering their entire business model. The practice of using an online payment system has provided a platform for merchants as well as customers to sell and purchase products online in a more secure manner. Receiving online payments with the help of payment links benefits online merchants in more than one way. In this article, we will be discussing more about payment links and how you, as a merchant, can use payment links to accept payment online.

What are Payment Links?

A payment link is a way to make an online payment by clicking on a button or tab. When you purchase something online, the merchant sends you a link that is shared through a secured channel. This shared link is the mode through which you can make an online payment for your purchased item. Payment links are also known by different other names such as pay by link, pay button, or payment button.

Today, payment links are a secure and reliable online payment system to pay online. With online transactions increasing due to COVID, $25.5 billion real-time payment transactions were carried out in India in 2020. This number has significantly increased in 2021 and is further slated to increase in the coming years. In addition, digital payment gateways such as Zaakpay have made it a lot easier for people to conduct online transactions. The increasing number of online payments is a testament to this fact.

There are mainly 3 types of payment links:

1. One-Time Link: A one-time link is a payment option sent via social media or SMS. It enables the recipient to make payment only once. Generally, such links have a time limitation and expire after a while.

2. Email Invoice Link: Such links are used by business owners to remind buyers of payment that is due. An email invoice requires company details to be filled in.

3. Buy Button: This is the most commonly used payment link found on eCommerce websites. When you purchase something online, payment is processed after you click on the ‘Buy’ button.

How to use payment links to accept payment online?

As an online merchant, it gets more and more difficult to ensure organizing payments in a secure and accurate portal. However, payment links are extremely easy to create and use. They are a safe channel through which you can enable your customers to conduct online transactions.

There are three steps to use payment links for accepting payments on your eCommerce website. A merchant needs to be aware of the process of using payment links for their betterment. Also, in order to increase sales, it is important to provide customers with a satisfying experience at the time of purchase. Payment links simplify the entire online transaction process and help customers trust the website for repurchases. By following these steps, you can use payment links to increase your online sales and organize your payments in a streamlined way:

1. Generate Payment Link: The first step in the process of using payment links is to generate a payment link. For this, you need to add the product which is being bought. Along with that, you also need to enter the customer details. It is very important to generate payment links using accurate information such as product name, price, currency, customer name, address, email, contact number, etc. If you happen to share a link with incorrect information, payments would not be processed, and the customer would also not be revisiting your eCommerce website due to this payment error.

2. Share the Payment Link: Once you have generated the payment link, you have to share the link with the customer now. A payment link can be shared via SMS, email, or other sources. You can also share your created payment links via social media. Once shared, the payment would be initiated by the customer by clicking on the link. The customer would then be redirected to a secure payment page by the link. There they’ll have to enter information and verify the payment procedure. The online payment would be made by the customer’s preferred online payment system such as e-wallet, credit or debit cards, UPI, net banking, or any other. Lastly, the customer would confirm their payment as being processed by the link.

3. Receive Payments: As soon as the customer clicks and confirms the payment at their end, the payment will be processed. This is the last step in the process as it ends with the payment being received by you. After the payment has been processed, the merchant would receive a notification confirming the payment being received.

Conclusion

In conclusion, payment links are a convenient and cost-effective way to receive online payments. If you have an eCommerce business, payments through payment links enable you to increase sales. This is because customers tend to return and repurchase from websites that provide them with a smooth and safe checkout. You just have to generate payment link and share it with your customers. Apart from being fast and convenient, payment links are also cost-effective as they eliminate the maintenance of POS terminals as well as manpower that deals with receiving physical payments. All in all, payment links have revolutionized online shopping and selling for both customers and merchants.