Payment links and checkout payments both let customers pay you, but they work differently. Here's how they compare and when to use each.
Regular checkout payment
A regular payment happens as part of your store's normal checkout flow. The customer adds items to their cart, goes through checkout on your website, and pays right there using an integrated payment method. It's tied to an actual order placed in your store.
Payment link
A payment link is a standalone payment request that isn't tied to a store checkout at all. You create a link and send it to the customer through any channel you like: email, text message, social media, an invoice, or a QR code. The customer pays by simply clicking the link, without needing to visit your store or add anything to a cart.
Note: Checkout and payment links use the same payment methods activated in the Partner System, such as bank payments, card payments and financing. Whatever's already active in your Montonio account will also appear on your payment links, with no extra setup needed.
Key differences
Both options let customers pay you, but they differ in how they're created, sent and used:
Feature | Regular checkout payment | Payment link |
Trigger | Customer initiates via merchant's online store | Merchant initiates and sends it |
Use case | Standard online purchases | Invoices, deposits, abandoned carts, upsells, offline sales |
Where it lives | Part of the store's order flow | Independent — works without a live online store |
Where the customer pays | Happens in the online store's checkout | Sent via email, text message, social media, invoice, or QR code |
Flexibility | Fixed to what's in the cart | Can be created for any amount, description, or one-off charge |
In short: a checkout payment is customer-initiated and cart-based, while a payment link is merchant-initiated and works without a storefront.
When to use each
Use checkout payments when customers buy directly through your online store.
Use payment links when there's no cart involved. For example:
Sending an invoice
Collecting a deposit or advance payment
Taking orders by phone, chat or in person
Following up on an abandoned cart
Selling without a website