Can a payment link collect tips?

Yes, some payment-link products can show an optional tip prompt during customer checkout. The feature is not universal, so a merchant should confirm that tipping is available for the chosen link type, account, and checkout configuration before sharing the link.

A supported setup generally lets the customer choose a suggested amount, enter a custom amount when that option is available, or continue without adding a tip. The provider's current dashboard and documentation are the source of truth for the available controls and the way the payment appears in reports.

How tipping can work on a payment link

A payment link opens a provider-hosted checkout page. When tipping is enabled, that checkout may include a separate choice before the customer confirms the total. The tip is added through the hosted payment flow rather than collected later through a general form or message.

Square provides one current example. Its payment-link instructions include an optional Tipping control when a merchant creates a link. Its customization guide also documents smart-tip or percentage-only choices, three suggested percentages, and an optional preselected percentage. Square states that the customer can change or remove the amount at checkout. Those details describe Square's product, not every payment-link service.

For the basic distinction between a hosted link and other remote-payment tools, read what a payment link is and how card payments on invoices work.

What merchants should verify before enabling tips

Eligible link types

Check whether tipping is offered for the exact link being created. A provider may treat item sales, custom-amount links, invoices, donations, subscriptions, and other checkout types differently.

Customer choices

Confirm whether the checkout offers suggested percentages, fixed amounts, a custom amount, and a clear no-tip option. Preview the customer-facing page rather than relying only on an account setting.

Calculation display

Review how the checkout presents the purchase amount, any tip choice, and the final total before submission. Staff should be able to explain the visible flow without promising that every provider uses the same calculation sequence.

Reporting detail

Verify where the provider records the tip, how it appears beside the original payment, and which exports or staff views include it. Use a documented reporting process that matches the business's operations.

A customer-friendly checkout experience

A tip prompt should be understandable and optional. The checkout should show the underlying payment amount, the selected tip, and the final total before the customer submits the payment. If a suggested option is preselected, the customer should be able to change it or remove it according to the provider's supported flow.

Use plain language that fits the service being provided. Avoid placing instructions in a custom field that pressure a customer to choose a particular amount. A merchant should also test the link on both a desktop browser and a phone so the amount, selection controls, and final review step remain readable without horizontal scrolling.

Sharing practices matter too. A reusable checkout and a single-use request serve different purposes. Review whether a payment link can be reused and how payment-link expiration may work before choosing a distribution method.

A practical setup and test sequence

Choose the exact workflow. Identify what the customer is paying for and whether the provider supports tipping on that specific payment-link type.
Review the current controls. Use the provider's dashboard and official instructions to select only the tip options that are actually available for the account.
Preview the hosted checkout. Confirm that the tip prompt is optional, the total is clear, and the page works on a phone and desktop browser.
Run an approved test. Follow the provider's documented test or low-risk verification process and confirm the payment and tip are distinguished correctly in the transaction view.
Check staff reporting. Make sure authorized employees know where to find the original amount, tip amount, total, and transaction reference without copying sensitive payment details elsewhere.
Document the setting. Record which link types use tipping and who is authorized to change the checkout configuration.

If links will be delivered directly to customers, the guides to sending payment links by email and sending them by text message provide related operational checks.

Questions to ask a payment provider

Does this account support an optional tip prompt on the intended payment-link type?
Which suggested, custom, and no-tip choices can the customer see?
Can the merchant preview the complete checkout before sharing the link?
How are the payment amount, tip, and combined total displayed in transaction records and exports?
Do individual users need specific permissions to enable or change tipping?
What happens to the tip record if the underlying payment is voided, adjusted, or refunded?
Where are the provider's current setup and troubleshooting instructions?

The Virtual Terminals, Invoicing & Payment Links FAQ hub connects this decision with other customer-facing and staff-entered payment workflows.

Confirm the checkout before sharing the link

Document the link type, customer experience, tip choices, staff permissions, and reporting needs. Then ask the selected provider to confirm the supported tipping controls for that account and preview the hosted checkout on the devices customers are likely to use.

Discuss payment-link requirements

Share only business contact details and a high-level workflow description through a general form. Do not submit cardholder data, passwords, bank credentials, complete account numbers, security codes, or secret API keys.

To learn more about how TSYS can help improve the way your organization accepts payments, markets to new customers, or manages its HR responsibilities, get in touch by calling 585-981-8463 to get started.