Virtual terminals, invoicing, and payment links
Yes. Many payment-link services let a business copy a provider-hosted checkout URL and place it in an email. Some platforms also offer a built-in sharing option or connect payment links with an email campaign tool. The exact controls, supported link types, and reporting details depend on the provider.
An email should give the recipient enough context to recognize the request, while the actual payment details are entered on the provider's hosted checkout page. Before sending, verify the link in the authenticated provider dashboard, preview the buyer-facing page, and confirm that the email is going to the intended recipient.
The message can identify the business, describe the order or service in plain language, and explain why the recipient is receiving the link. This context helps the customer distinguish an expected request from an unfamiliar message.
The customer selects the link and completes the provider's checkout flow. The business should not ask the customer to reply with a card number, bank credential, password, or other sensitive payment information.
Staff should use the provider dashboard or approved reporting workflow to confirm payment status. An email delivery notice or customer reply is not a substitute for the payment record.
The guide to whether a payment link can be reused explains why a link's purpose and current settings should be checked before redistribution.
Use a recognizable sender name and a specific subject line. In the message, identify the business, briefly describe the reason for payment, state what the customer should expect after selecting the link, and provide a known way to verify the request. Avoid artificial urgency, vague warnings, or language that pressures the recipient to act without checking the details.
Display the link with descriptive text such as “review and complete the hosted payment page” rather than a shortened or disguised URL. If the provider uses a recognizable hosted domain, do not alter it to look like a different address. Customers who are unsure should be able to contact the business through a previously known channel before proceeding.
Email is the delivery channel, not the place to collect payment credentials. Never request cardholder data, passwords, bank credentials, complete account numbers, or secret API keys in the message or by reply.
A general payment link can be useful for a standard item, service, registration, or buyer-entered amount when the provider supports that workflow. An invoice link is usually clearer when the request belongs to one customer, refers to a particular obligation, or needs invoice-specific status and reminders. The labels and behavior vary across platforms, so do not assume that two similarly named links work the same way.
If the recipient needs a customer-specific balance, due context, or invoice record, use the provider's invoice workflow when available rather than adapting a broad link. For more background, review what a hosted payment page is and the broader virtual terminals, invoicing, and payment links hub.
Create a short message template with fields for the customer context, link purpose, sender identity, and verification contact. Keep sensitive data out of the template and review any automated merge fields before sending.
Only authorized staff should create, edit, deactivate, or copy payment links. Remove access when responsibilities change and keep the sending process separate from personal email accounts.
Store an order number or internal reference in the approved business system when supported. Do not place full payment credentials or secret keys in email notes, spreadsheets, or general customer records.
Businesses that also accept payments by phone can review how a virtual terminal works before choosing between assisted entry and a customer-completed hosted page.
No. The email carries a URL and supporting context. The customer completes the payment on the hosted checkout page, and the provider dashboard supplies the authoritative transaction status.
Only when the underlying link is designed for repeated use and the message contains no customer-specific information. Send separate messages or use an approved campaign tool so recipients do not see one another's addresses.
Check the link's active status and settings in the provider dashboard, confirm that the full URL was delivered, and send a new verified link if necessary. Do not ask the customer to email payment credentials as a workaround.
No. Confirm the result in the provider's authenticated dashboard or approved reporting system before updating an order or service record.
Open the provider dashboard, select the exact payment or invoice link, review its buyer-facing details and active status, then send it in a clear message from an approved business account. Confirm the outcome through the provider record rather than through email alone.
For help organizing a provider-neutral remote-payment workflow, contact Payments Max with a high-level description of how customers currently pay. Do not submit cardholder data, passwords, bank credentials, complete account numbers, secret API keys, or live customer-specific payment URLs through a general contact form.
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.
CONTACT US
