> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.qint.ch/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payment links

> A reusable checkout URL you create in the dashboard — no code.

A payment link is a fixed-amount checkout page you create once and share anywhere: email, chat, an invoice PDF, a QR code on the counter. Every buyer who opens it goes through the same hosted checkout as an API payment.

## Create a link

1. In the [dashboard](https://dashboard.qint.ch), go to **Payment links → Create link**.
2. Set a **title** (what the buyer sees, e.g. "Consulting invoice"), an **amount**, and a **currency** (CHF, EUR or USD).
3. Share the link's URL.

Your merchant account must be approved before links can be created.

## URL anatomy

```text theme={null}
https://checkout.qint.ch/pay/pl_x7k2m9p4q1w8
└──────────┬─────────┘     └──────┬───────┘
   hosted checkout            link id (pl_…)
```

The `/pay/{id}` route on the hosted checkout resolves all three payable objects by their id prefix: payment links (`pl_…`), invoices (`inv_…`), and API-created payment intents (`pi_…`).

## What the buyer sees

Opening the link shows the title, amount, your business name and branding, and a grid of the [assets and networks you accept](/accept-payments/assets-and-networks) with live indicative crypto amounts. When the buyer starts paying, a payment intent is created with a **15-minute window**; picking an asset locks the exact crypto amount and shows a deposit address.

<Note>
  Payment links are **reusable** — each buyer session creates its own payment
  intent against the link. Use them for donations, flat-fee services, or
  anything many customers pay the same amount for. For one-off billing with
  line items, use [invoices](/accept-payments/invoices); for per-order
  amounts, use the [API](/accept-payments/api-payments).
</Note>

## Link lifecycle

| Status       | Meaning                                                                           |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active**   | The link resolves and accepts payments.                                           |
| **Paused**   | Temporarily disabled — the checkout returns "not found" until you re-activate it. |
| **Archived** | Retired for good. Past payments keep referencing the link.                        |

Change a link's status from its page in the dashboard (Owner/Admin only). Payments made through a link appear in **Payments** like any other, with the link id attached — and they trigger the same [`payment.status` webhooks](/webhooks/events) with `paymentLinkId` set.