What is a payment link: the complete guide.
A payment link is a checkout page you generate for each sale and send through whatever channel you use with the customer: they open it, choose how to pay (card, a bank transfer or another method) with no card reader or online store required.
What a payment link is and how it works
A payment link is a unique URL pointing to a checkout page with the amount already loaded. You generate it from your payment gateway or provider, send it to the customer through whatever channel you're already using (WhatsApp, email, social media) and they open it, pick a payment method and confirm.
The difference from a fixed payment button on a website is that a link is born per sale: each purchase gets its own, with its own amount and its own reference, so it works both for a business with an online store and one that sells purely through conversation.
For the business, there's no card reader to buy and no checkout to build: the link already carries the gateway built in, and the customer pays right from their phone's browser.
A link also keeps the business away from sensitive data: the customer enters their card or approves from their bank on the gateway's page, never in the chat or in a form the business runs. That simplifies security on the business side too, since it only receives the payment confirmation, not the data used to pay.
A business that only takes cash or manual transfers today loses sales to customers who prefer a different method, or who simply don't trust sending money before seeing a clear confirmation. A payment link solves both at once: it offers several methods and leaves a verifiable record that the payment happened.
A link also works for selling at a distance: a customer in another city, or even another country, can pay without the business needing a physical presence there, something cash or a card reader never solve.
How to create a payment link
- 01
Set the amount and the reference.
The value to charge and a reference that identifies the sale or order, so you can reconcile it later without confusing it with another charge.
- 02
Generate the link.
From your gateway, your e-commerce platform or, in a conversation, straight from the chat with the customer, in a couple of clicks.
- 03
Send it to the customer.
Through the channel where the conversation is already happening: WhatsApp, email, SMS or social media, with no need for them to switch channel.
- 04
The customer pays.
They open the link, pick their preferred payment method and confirm through their bank or card, without leaving that page.
- 05
You confirm and fulfill.
The payment shows up confirmed and reconciled, and you can ship the product or deliver the service knowing for certain the money landed.
Which methods a payment link accepts in Colombia
A link isn't one method: it's a page that offers several at once.
| Method | How the customer pays | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Card | With their credit or debit card details | Purchases of any size, with installments if the bank allows it |
| PSE | Redirected to their bank to approve the transfer there | Customers who prefer paying from their bank account |
| Bancolombia button | Approves the payment from their Bancolombia app | Customers of that bank, without typing card details |
| Daviplata | Approves from their Daviplata app | Customers of that wallet |
| Nequi | Approves from their Nequi app | Customers of that wallet, one of the most used payment methods in Colombia |
When a payment link makes sense
Sales made through conversation
Businesses that sell over WhatsApp or social media and don't have (or don't want to depend on) their own online store. The link stands in for the checkout they don't have.
One-off charges
A deposit, an outstanding balance or a custom service, where every charge is different and doesn't fit a fixed catalog. Every link is born with its own amount.
Bulk collection
Sending the same kind of charge to many customers at once, like a recurring fee or a renewal, and tracking who already paid. Individual links make each case easy to trace.
Common mistakes with a payment link
Reusing the same link for several sales
A link shared across different charges makes reconciliation harder; the simple approach is to generate a new one per sale.
Fulfilling before confirmation
A link shows the customer opened it, not that they paid; fulfillment should wait for the actual payment confirmation.
Sending it through a channel the customer ignores
A link sent through a channel the customer doesn't actively check goes unopened; send it wherever the conversation already is.
How to create a payment link on WhatsApp with Elocuenti
Available in Colombia: with Elocuenti, the AI agent or your rep generate the payment link right in the same WhatsApp conversation where the customer is already buying, with no need to switch channel or app.
The link, natively integrated with Wompi, offers card, PSE, the Bancolombia button, Daviplata and Nequi on one page. Payment confirmation comes back to the chat in seconds, reconciles on its own and stays matched to the order from that conversation.
Elocuenti's collections dashboard brings together every link you've sent, with its status and a timeline per charge, and shows the conversion from link to payment and by method, so you know which one your customers actually prefer.
You can also use it for bulk collection: when you need to charge the same kind of amount to many customers at once, a collection campaign sends the link to each one and the dashboard shows who already paid and who still owes.
See how payment links work in ElocuentiFrequently asked questions about payment links
What is a payment link?
A checkout page with the amount already loaded, sent to the customer through whatever channel you use; they open it and pay with the method they prefer, no card reader needed.
How do I create a payment link?
From your payment gateway, your e-commerce platform, or, with Elocuenti, right from the WhatsApp conversation with the customer, with no need to leave it to generate one.
How do I get paid with a payment link on WhatsApp?
You generate the link (by hand or with AI) and send it in the same chat; the customer opens it, pays, and the confirmation comes back to that same conversation in seconds.
Does a payment link cost the business anything?
It depends on your gateway; Elocuenti offers preferential rates through its native integration with Wompi, with no hidden extra cost for generating the link.
Is a payment link safe to use?
The customer pays on the gateway's page, not in the chat, so their card or bank details never pass through the conversation or get stored there.
Get paid with a payment link, without leaving WhatsApp.
Book a call: we review how you get paid today, show you the payment link inside the conversation and pick the plan that fits your business together.