Create payment link

Use payment links to collect payments by sharing a URL with customers through email, text, social media, or on your website. Create the link in your PayPal business dashboard, set product details, pricing, and checkout behavior, then send it so customers can complete payment on a checkout page.

Prerequisites

• PayPal business account
• (Optional) PayPal sandbox account to test the payment link before using it in production

Create payment link

Create a secure, shareable payment link to accept payments for your products or services. Set a fixed or customer-defined price, configure checkout options, and send the link to customers to complete payments without needing a website.

• One set price: You set a single price that every customer pays. Use this for products or services with a defined cost.
• Customer-set price: Customers enter the amount they want to pay. Use this for donations, tips, or pay-what-you-want offers.

1. Log in to your PayPal business account.
2. From the navigation menu, select Pay & Get Paid > Create Payment Links and Buttons.
3. Create a payment link for the product or service you want to sell.
4. In the Product tab, fill out the product or service details.
5. Under Price, select the appropriate pricing option and enter the required details.
6. (Optional) Turn on Images to show product visuals on the payment page.
7. Add quantity, variants, and inventory to help customers choose the correct options.
8. If you selected Customer-set price, turn on Label for Invoice ID so customers can enter an invoice number at checkout, and mark it as required if you need to match payments to specific invoices or orders.
9. (Optional) In the Checkout tab, add shipping, taxes, discounts, and handling fees.
10. (Optional) In the Confirmation tab, turn on Auto-return and enter the URL where customers are redirected after successful payment.
11. Select Build it, then copy the link and share it with customers by email, SMS, or social media.

Test your payment link

Verify that customers can open the link, see the correct pricing, and complete payment.

1. Open the payment link in a new browser window.
2. Confirm the product name, price, and currency display correctly.
3. Complete a test payment:
   • Use a low-value transaction if testing in live mode.
   • Use a sandbox buyer account if testing in the sandbox.
4. Confirm that the:
   • Payment completes successfully.
   • Confirmation page automatically redirects buyers to the expected return URL if auto-return is set.
   • Transaction appears in your Dashboard activity.

Common issues

Auto-return does not redirect correctly

• Verify that the return URL is valid and publicly accessible.

Checkout experience is not customized

• If you haven't customized your checkout experience yet, update your business name and logo. Customization options vary depending on the checkout type you use. For more information, see Customize checkout and buttons.

For more information, see FAQ and Troubleshooting.