With Pay by Link by Cloudbeds Payments, you can collect your guest's payment using a secure link. Send the payment link by email or messaging apps. Each unique payment link allows you to track the payment request and its status.
Pay by Link also works in House Accounts, Group Folios, and Accounts Receivable Ledger.
Apple Pay and Google Pay options are also available for Pay by Link users. Learn how to set them up here.
You can view and manage payment links directly from a reservation:
- New Reservation Details: Open the Payment Links tab.
- Legacy Reservation Details: Open the Sent Pay by Link tab.
Both tabs allow you to track payment links and manage them without changing how Pay by Link payments are processed.
- Only the Property Owner and users with the following privileges can send payment links: Add Payment and Authorize and Process Credit Card Payments. Learn more: Roles and Privileges.
- Pay by Link does not work for canceled reservations. It works for reservations with the following statuses: Confirmed, Confirmation Pending, In-House, Checked-out, or No Show.
- If you use Cloudbeds Guest Experience, click here for more information on sending a Pay by Link message.
How to send a payment link
- Using the search bar, look for the guest's reservation.
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Click Folio.
- Select Folio.
- Click Payment.
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Select Add Payment.
- Select the guest to assign the payment.
- Select the folio to post the payment.
- Ensure the amount is correct.
- Select the payment type Pay by Link.
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Choose the payment method:
- Charge: Collects payment when the guest enters their card information and approves the payment. The money is collected, and you will see a payout within the next few days.
- Authorize: Checks whether the guest has sufficient funds and holds the selected amount when they approve the payment. You will need to return to the folio to collect and settle the funds within 30 days of the authorization to receive the payment in a payout.
Learn more: How to Process Payment Through Payment Gateway.
- Enter the guest's email address to send the payment link.
- Select the expiration for the payment link.
- Add an internal note (optional).
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Click Save.
A window will appear, allowing you to copy the link sent by email. You can paste the link into a text message or another communication app if necessary.
Click Cancel or the X button to close the window.
An email received by a guest
Your property will email the customer with the subject line "Property_Name - Pay by Link."
Property contact details are managed on the Property Profile page.
The email will include the property logo and the following text:
Thank you for choosing [Property_Name], please complete a secure online payment.
[Property_Name]
[Property_Address]
[Property_Phone]
[Property_Email_Address]
Invoice
Reservation ID:
Amount:Example:
Guest pays using the link
Once the guest clicks PAY NOW in the email, they will be directed to a secure payment collection page where they can enter their contact and credit card details, agree to your Terms and Conditions, and click PAY.
Guests using a Cartes Bancaires (local card network in France) card for bookings in the EEA region will be presented with a network choice during payment. Most Cartes Bancaires cards are co-branded with either Visa or Mastercard to make payment completion seamless.
3D Secure authentication
3D Secure is required by law in Europe and is optional in other regions, though banks may still use it as a tool to reduce fraud. Learn more: Cloudbeds Payments (Europe) - Everything about 3D Secure.
Below is an example of an authenticated checkout flow by Cloudbeds Payments:
Step 1: The guest enters their card details as described in the previous section.
Step 2: The guest's bank assesses the transaction. At this stage, the 3D Secure protocol may prompt authentication using fingerprints, passwords, SMS codes, or other methods.
Step 3: If required by their bank, the guest completes the additional authentication step.
Payment is approved
Once the guest approves the payment, the details will be posted on the folio with the note: Payment from Pay by Link. You can allocate the payment or refund the transaction.
- The payment only displays on the folio once the funds are collected.
- If you included any internal notes when creating the link, they will also be included in the folio.
Refund the transaction
Submit the refund directly from the folio when needed.
If you don't see the option Refund Transaction, contact the Property Owner and ask them to enable this privilege for your role. Learn more: Roles and Privileges.
- On the folio, locate the payment details.
- Click the gear icon.
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Select Refund Transaction.
- Enter the amount to be refunded.
- Keep the checkmark to allocate the refund.
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Click Process Refund.
View and manage payment links
After sending a payment link, you can track its status and manage it directly from the reservation. The location of the tracking tab depends on which Reservation Details interface you are using.
The Payment Links tab in the new Reservation Details interface and the Sent Pay by Link tab in the legacy interface display the same underlying payment-link information. Existing payment-link permissions continue to apply.
The new Reservation Details interface includes a dedicated Payment Links tab, allowing you to view and manage payment links without returning to the legacy reservation screen.
- Open the guest's reservation in the new Reservation Details interface.
- Click the Payment Links tab.
- Review the payment links associated with the reservation, including their statuses, amounts, and expiration dates.
- Use the status filter to display only payment links with the selected status.
- Use the available actions to copy, resend, or cancel a payment link.
Payment Links tab features
- Payment-link history: View the payment links associated with the reservation.
- Color-coded statuses: Identify each payment link's status using a colored badge.
- Status filter: Filter the list to display links with a specific status, such as Sent or Paid.
- Link details: Review payment-link information, including the amount requested and expiration.
- Quick actions: Copy or resend a link, or cancel it when it is no longer needed.
If you are using the legacy Reservation Details interface, you can continue managing payment links from the Sent Pay by Link tab. This tab remains unchanged.
- Open the guest's reservation in the legacy Reservation Details interface.
- Click the Sent Pay by Link tab.
- Review the payment links associated with the reservation.
- Use the available actions to copy, resend, or cancel a payment link.
The tab displays the following information:
- Sent Date: Date the link was sent.
- Expiration Date: Expiration date configured for the link.
- Status: Current status of the payment link.
- Amount: Amount set to be charged or authorized.
- Payment Type: Charge or authorization.
- Email: Email address to which the link was sent.
- Link Type: What part of the system the link is related to.
- Actions: Options to copy, resend, or cancel the link.
Each payment link has a status that helps you track the payment request.
The following statuses are among those displayed in the payment-link tracking tabs:
- Sent: The payment link has been sent to the guest.
- Paid: The guest has completed the payment.
- Canceled: The payment link has been canceled.
- Expired: The payment link has reached its expiration date and can no longer be used to complete payment.
Copy, resend, or cancel a payment link
Both reservation interfaces allow you to manage payment links using the following actions:
- Copy Link: Copy the payment link and paste it into another communication app. For example, you can copy the link and send it to the guest through WhatsApp.
- Resend Link: Resend the payment request when the guest cannot find the original email. For security purposes, the original link expires and a new link is created and sent. The original link's status is updated to Canceled.
- Cancel Link: Cancel a payment link that is no longer needed. The link becomes unusable, preventing the guest from completing payment through it.
When a payment link is canceled, its status is updated in the tracking view and the action is recorded in the activity log.
The available actions follow the same behavior as the legacy interface. Some actions, including Copy Link and Cancel Link, may still be available for links that are already paid, expired, or canceled.
Expired or canceled payment links
If a payment link has expired or has been canceled, the guest can no longer use it to complete payment.
When the guest opens an expired or canceled payment link, they will see an expired link message.
A canceled payment link displays as expired on the guest-facing payment page. This is expected behavior.
Comments
Is there an option to use a Payment Link if your Payment Gateway is through Authorize.net?
Hello, John Young!!
Thank you for asking this question.
In the case of Authorize.net particularly, we can kindly suggest you double-check this option directly with the payment gateway for more information.
Best regards!
Once guests pay using the link, they see at the payment screen that they will receive a confirmation/receipt of their payment. However, they never do. I have looked everywhere for a way to set up a confirmation of payment after using a link, but I can't find anything.
Is there a way to send an automatic email confirming they paid? Almost 100% of guests that pay using a pay-by-link reach out to me to make sure their payment was processed and to wonder why they did not get the confirmation email.
Hello, Hubert Parent!
Thank you very much for reaching out and sharing this valuable feedback.
This idea has been shared in our Cloudbeds Community and is available for votes. Please feel free to access it and upvote by clicking here. Community ideas are shared with the corresponding team(s) for review and future consideration.
Thank you once more for your feedback while we continue to enhance the platform.
Kind regards!
Hi Hubert Parent,
I had this trouble once too. But then I changed some settings:
- all reservations whcih are not from OTAs and which aren't payd directly get the status "pending confirmation" then I customized the "pending reservation" template including the information that the guest will get a confirmation after receiving the deposit.
- then I customized the "reservation confirmed" template.
since this moment I almost never had the question again.
best regards
Lukas
A valuable twist on this feature would be the ability for the customer to split the transaction with another guest or guests.
Hello, Nathan Bolerjack!
Thank you so much for your improvement suggestion.
We have received similar ideas about splitting payments/transactions/invoices between 2 guests. Here's an example. Please feel free to share your idea in the Community, so other users can see it and vote for it.
Regards,
Not all our guests have an email address as I have found out. This seems it will be a problem as we get walk in guests.
Also it will greatly impact the time to register a guest and I doubt they or the staff will take kindly to it.
Hello Erlinda Shery,
Thanks for your comment, Pay by link is only one of the payment methods available within the Cloudbeds Payments. You can use other payment methods for example for guests that walk-in.
Please let me know if you need any more assistance from our side, we will be happy to help!
Is there a way to create a house account Pay by Link where the guest can add the amount? This would be posted in the room as a QR code to tip the housekeeping staff.
Hello, Clancy Fort,
Thank you for reaching out 💛
To ensure we address your specific requirements and guide you through this accordingly, I have forwarded your request directly to our Support Team. They will verify your house account request and offer dedicated assistance as soon as possible.
Have a good day!
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