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Taking payments on a website without an online store

SiteSmith · · 5 min read

You can accept payments on your website without an online store by using payment links: a web address that Stripe, PayPal or Square creates for a set amount or a product, which you put behind a button on your site. The customer taps it, pays on the payment company's secure page, and you get the money and a notification. There is no cart, no store software and usually no monthly fee, only a charge on each payment. Here is what payment links suit, how the three big providers compare, and the other ways to get paid online.

Payment links fit businesses that take money online now and then, for clear, fixed things:

  • Deposits: a set amount to hold a date for an event, a cake order, a photo session or a project start.
  • Gift cards for a set value.
  • Classes and workshops: a seat in a pottery class, a CPR course, a kids' camp week.
  • Simple packages: a lawn care season, a tune-up, a consultation.
  • A few products: a cookbook, a jar of sauce, a print, sold in small numbers.
  • Paying an invoice: a "Pay your bill" button that leads to a page where customers enter their invoice amount.
  • Donations for a nonprofit or a fundraiser.

What they do not do well: many products with options, shopping baskets with several items, stock tracking, or shipping rates that change with weight and distance. That is where a store starts to make sense, and when a small business needs an online store helps you tell.

How the three main providers compare

All three are well known, accept the major cards and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and handle card security for you. Each charges a small cut of every payment plus a few cents, and the exact rates change, so check their pricing pages before choosing.

Stripe

Stripe's Payment Links are created in the Stripe Dashboard: open "Payment Links", press to create one, add a product with a name, price and optional photo, and copy the link. You can let customers choose the quantity, enter their own amount (useful for donations or invoice payments), and collect a shipping address or phone number. Stripe sends a receipt by email and pays out to your bank on a regular schedule.

Good for: businesses that want a clean, simple checkout page and may want more options later.

PayPal

With a PayPal Business account, you can create payment links and buttons for a product or an amount. Many customers already have a PayPal account and trust the name, and they can pay with their PayPal balance or a card without creating an account. PayPal's own invoicing is also handy for one-off bills.

Good for: businesses whose customers, often older ones, already use PayPal and feel safer with it.

Square

If you already take cards in person with Square, its online payment links come from the same account. You create them in the Square Dashboard, and online and in-person sales appear in one place with the same payouts. Square also has invoices and gift cards that work both in the shop and online.

Good for: businesses with a counter, a market stall or a van that already use Square for in-person sales.

Once you have a link, adding it is simple:

  1. Write a short line that says what the customer is paying for and what happens next, for example "Pay your deposit to hold your date. We will call you within one business day to confirm the details."
  2. Add a button with clear words, like "Pay the deposit" or "Buy a gift card", not just "Buy".
  3. Point the button at your payment link.
  4. Test it yourself with a small real payment, then refund it.

For a step-by-step walk through the button and the receipt settings, see adding a PayPal or Stripe button to your website.

Other ways to get paid online

Payment links are not the only option. Depending on how you work:

  • Emailed invoices. For quoted jobs, send an invoice from your accounting software (QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave and others) or from Stripe, PayPal or Square. The customer pays from the email. This suits trades where every price is different.
  • Booking with payment. Many booking tools take a deposit or full payment when the customer picks a time, so you can skip the separate link. Booking tools for service businesses compares some of them.
  • Bank transfer or Zelle. Some customers prefer it for larger amounts. You can mention it on your payment page, but give account details only by phone or on an invoice, not on the open website.
  • A pay-by-phone line. "Call us to pay by card" is still fine for many businesses, especially for older customers.

Staying safe and keeping it tidy

  • Never ask for card numbers by email or through your contact form. Those are not secure places for card details. Payment links exist so you never have to handle them.
  • Use your business name in the payment account settings, so customers recognize the charge on their statement.
  • Turn on two-step login codes on the payment account. It holds your money.
  • Keep the link's description accurate. If prices change, update the link; an old price on a link that still works is easy to forget.
  • Write down your refund and cancellation terms next to the button, especially for deposits.
  • Ask your accountant how online payments should be recorded and whether any sales tax applies to what you sell.

Your setup checklist

  • Decide what you want to take online first: a deposit, a gift card, a class seat or a product.
  • Pick the provider you already use, or the one your customers are likeliest to trust.
  • Create one payment link and test it with a small payment you refund.
  • Add it to your site with a clear button and one line about what happens next.
  • Note your refund terms beside it.

If your current site makes adding a simple button harder than it should be, you can see your site rebuilt first with room for Buy and Pay buttons that use your own payment links.

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