Home 9 Getting Paid 9 Creating Payment Links

Creating Payment Links

Payment links let your clients pay invoices instantly with a credit card. Include a link in your invoice email, and clients can pay with one click—no waiting for bank transfers or chasing payments.

Two Payment Link Options

LiteWork supports two types of payment links:

Stripe Payment Links (Recommended)

If you’ve connected Stripe to LiteWork, payment links go directly to your Stripe checkout. You receive funds faster with lower fees.

Xero Online Invoice Links

If you’re connected to Xero with online payments enabled, you can use Xero’s payment link. Payments process through Xero’s payment partners.

See Setting Up Stripe Payments or Xero Online Invoice Link for setup instructions.

Adding a Payment Link to an Invoice

When Sending via Email

  1. Create or open an invoice
  2. Click Email to open the email modal
  3. Check Include payment link
  4. Send the email

The email will include a button or link that takes the client directly to the payment page.

On the PDF

Payment links can also appear on PDF invoices. When enabled, the PDF includes:

  • A “Pay Now” button (clickable in PDF viewers)
  • A QR code that links to the payment page

Configure this in LiteWork Settings → Payment.

How Clients Pay

When a client clicks your payment link:

  1. They see a secure checkout page showing the invoice amount
  2. They enter their card details
  3. Payment is processed immediately
  4. Both you and the client receive confirmation

Clients don’t need an account—they just enter their card and pay.

Tracking Payments

In LiteWork

Invoice status updates when payment is received. Look for the payment status indicator on your invoices.

In Stripe

View all payments in your Stripe Dashboard. You’ll see:

  • Payment amount and date
  • Client email (if provided)
  • Card type used
  • Payout status

In Xero

If using Xero payment links, payments appear in Xero and sync back to LiteWork.

Payment Link Best Practices

Make it prominent

Put the payment link early in your email where clients will see it. Don’t bury it at the bottom.

Include the amount

Mention the invoice total in the email so clients know what they’re paying before clicking.

Set clear due dates

Payment links work best with clear due dates. “Due on receipt” encourages immediate payment.

Follow up

If an invoice isn’t paid after a week, send a reminder with the payment link again.

Payment Link Security

Payment links are secure:

  • Unique per invoice — Each invoice has its own link
  • Secure checkout — Hosted by Stripe (PCI compliant)
  • Card details protected — You never see full card numbers
  • Fraud protection — Stripe’s fraud detection included

Customizing the Payment Experience

Branding

Add your logo and colors to the checkout page through your Stripe Dashboard. See Setting Up Stripe Payments.

Receipt emails

Stripe automatically emails receipts to clients after payment. Customize these in your Stripe Dashboard under Settings → Emails.

Partial Payments

By default, payment links are for the full invoice amount. If you need to accept partial payments, you can:

  • Create a custom payment link in Stripe for a specific amount
  • Split the invoice into multiple invoices
  • Accept a deposit invoice followed by a final invoice

Troubleshooting

Payment link not working

  • Check that Stripe is connected in LiteWork Settings → Payment
  • Verify your Stripe account is fully verified
  • Try generating a new link

Client says link doesn’t work

  • Ask them to try a different browser
  • Check if their email client is blocking links
  • Send the link in plain text if HTML might be the issue

Payment received but invoice not updated

  • Payment status updates may take a few minutes
  • Refresh the page
  • Check your Stripe Dashboard to confirm the payment processed

Fees

Standard Stripe fees apply when clients pay via payment link:

  • NZ cards: 2.7% + $0.30
  • International cards: 3.7% + $0.30

These fees are deducted from the payment before it reaches your Stripe balance.

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