Pay by Link: Accept payments without a webshop
Collect secure online payments via a link or QR code - by email, WhatsApp, social media, or printed invoice. No webshop. No terminal. No coding required.
✓ TWINT, PostFinance Pay, Visa, Mastercard & 30+ payment methods
✓ PCI-DSS certified · 3-D Secure 2
✓ Ready in minutes - no integration required
How does Pay by Link work?
Pay by Link is designed to grow with your business - from your first payment link to thousands of automated transactions per month.
Why do merchants choose Pay by Link from Worldline?
Who uses Pay by Link?
Small businesses & service providers
Freelancers, consultants, beauty salons, personal trainers, photographers, craft businesses, food trucks, and market traders. Accept payments for services or products directly from a WhatsApp message or printed QR code - without a terminal or a webshop.
Retailers with no online store
Local boutiques, farm shops, specialty food stores, gift shops, or any retailer taking phone or social media orders. Send a link after a phone call. Print a QR code for your pop-up stand. Collect deposits for custom or made-to-order items.
Medium-sized businesses & B2B
Professional services, hotels, event organisers, associations, and B2B companies. Send payment links with invoices or quotes. Set up automated dispatching via the Management API - no manual steps, full ERP and CRM integration, webhook notifications for real-time reconciliation.
Pay by Link use cases: How Swiss businesses use it
1. Phone, email &
social orders
Take an order by phone, email, WhatsApp, or Instagram DM. Create a payment link in the Saferpay Backoffice. Send it to your customer.
They pay within minutes with TWINT, Visa, or Mastercard. You receive confirmation instantly.
2. Click & collect and
pre-payments
Accept deposits or full pre-payments for in-store pickup. Customers pay securely before collection - you reduce no-shows and eliminate cash handling.
3. QR codes at
point of sale
Place static QR codes on tables,
market stalls, farm stands, donation boxes, kiosks, or ticket desks. Customers scan, choose their method, and pay - fully self-service, no staff required.
4. B2B invoicing and
quotes
Attach a payment link directly to a quote or invoice PDF. Your customer pays online using cards or TWINT. Reference IDs make reconciliation automatic. Scale to thousands of invoices per month with the Management API.
5. Events, associations & fundraising
Event organisers collect ticket payments via QR codes. Associations send donation links post-event. Non-profits run fundraising campaigns on social media with shareable payment links - no payment infrastructure needed.
6. Social commerce
Around 60% of the Swiss population uses Instagram (3.8 million users in 2024), and approximately 15% make purchases directly from social media posts.* Pay by Link enables social commerce: share a payment link in a story, a post caption, or a DM - your followers buy in one click.
*Source: igem.ch, Online Research 2024
How mamiexpress.ch uses Pay by Link
With Worldline our customers can pay the traditional way via QR code or payment slip. The invoice includes a simple link through bexio, allowing customers to pay easily in just two minutes.
Inma Cico, Founder, Mamiexpress
Ready to get started?
See Pay by Link in actionExperience Pay by Link yourself. Create a secure payment link, see how the online payment process works and discover how easy it is to get paid – completely free.
Frequently asked questions about Pay by Link
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Pay by Link is a payment method that lets merchants collect payments by sharing a personalised link or QR code - no webshop or payment terminal required. The customer clicks the link, selects their payment method, and pays on a secure hosted page. Worldline's Pay by Link runs on the Saferpay payment platform and supports TWINT, PostFinance Pay, credit cards, wallets, or local Swiss payment methods.
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Yes - Pay by Link is specifically designed for merchants who do not have a webshop. You create a link in the Saferpay Backoffice and share it by email, WhatsApp, SMS, or as a printed QR code. No website, no integration, and no technical setup are required.
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Pay by Link supports all major Swiss and international payment methods, including TWINT, PostFinance Pay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Card International, Discover Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna, WeChat Pay, Alipay+, boncard, Lunch-Check and Reka. All methods are activated within a single Worldline contract - no separate agreements needed.
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Yes. Pay by Link from Worldline is PCI-DSS certified and uses 3-D Secure 2 for all card transactions. Payments are processed on a hosted secure payment page - no sensitive card data is ever stored by or passed through the merchant's systems. Worldline handles PCI compliance on your behalf.
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Setup takes under five minutes. There is no integration, no website check, and no waiting period. Log in to the Saferpay Backoffice with your credentials and send your first payment link immediately. For existing Worldline customers, contact your account manager to activate the feature on your existing contract.
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Yes. The Saferpay Management API lets you automate payment link creation, dispatch, and reconciliation at scale. Webhooks deliver real-time payment notifications. The API integrates directly with ERP and CRM systems such as bexio, SAP, or Salesforce - enabling fully automated invoice-to-payment workflows without manual intervention.
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A payment terminal requires the customer to be physically present and the merchant to own hardware. Pay by Link requires neither - it works remotely, digitally, across any channel (email, WhatsApp, social media, QR code). For merchants who already have a Worldline payment terminal, Pay by Link is a complementary solution for remote or digital sales. It can be added to an existing contract without replacing the terminal setup.
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Yes. If you already have a Worldline contract, you do not need to go through a new customer onboarding process. Contact your account manager or the Worldline customer care team to activate Pay by Link on your existing agreement. Existing pricing and contract terms apply.