A pay link lets a customer pay an invoice by card from their own phone or computer, without coming in. It needs Manifold Pay pay by link connected under Settings > Payments (see "Setting up pay by link").

  1. Open the invoice and go to Collect Payment.
  2. Set Payment Method to Manifold Pay. The "Pay by link" box appears below.
  3. To collect part of the balance, type the amount in Amount first. Leave it blank to send the whole balance.
  4. Click "Text a pay link", "Email a pay link", or "Copy link instead". Text and email fill in the customer's number or address from their record; change it if needed and click "Send the link". Copy creates the link and copies it so you can paste it anywhere.

If you text a customer who has not agreed to receive text messages, you are asked to record their verbal consent if they are on the phone, or to email or copy the link instead.

Pay links are for invoices. To take a deposit on an estimate, use Send for Approval.

What the customer sees A page with your shop's name and logo, the invoice number and the amount, and a "Pay $X now" button. The button opens your payment processor's secure card page; card numbers never pass through Manifold. Your processor may add the card surcharge from your merchant agreement on that page.

When the customer pays Sending a link records nothing. The payment is recorded on the invoice only once the card is approved, usually within a minute or two and at most about five minutes. It shows in Payment History as Manifold Pay, via Manifold Pay link, and the balance updates. The invoice's salesperson and your owners, store managers and sales managers get a "Paid online" notification. If you have the invoice open, it tells you "Payment received" and asks you to refresh. Do not record a pay-link payment by hand, or it will be counted twice.

The Payment links list Every link is listed under "Payment links" on the invoice with its status: Awaiting payment, Paid, Not delivered (the email bounced), or Not expected (canceled). A link nobody paid within 90 days reads Expired and can no longer be paid; send a new one. Click "Cancel link" on an open link to close its payment page so it can no longer be paid. Send a new link if the customer still needs to pay.

Giving the money back Do not use Void on a pay-link payment. Void only removes the payment from Manifold; the customer's card stays charged. To give the money back, use Issue Refund, or Start a Refund on a finished invoice, and choose Manifold Pay. The refund runs on your counter terminal, so the customer has to tap or insert their card to receive it. See "Voiding or refunding a Manifold Pay terminal charge".