What a PayPal payment link is and when to use one
A PayPal payment link is a URL you create in your PayPal account that lets someone pay you without needing their own PayPal account. You send the link by email, text, or social media, and the person clicks it to pay. PayPal handles the transaction and deposits the money into your account.
Payment links work best when you need to collect money from someone once or a few times—a friend paying you back for dinner, a client settling an invoice, a group splitting costs. They're faster than asking for bank details and safer than giving out your account number. The person paying can use a debit card, credit card, or their own PayPal balance.
Payment links are different from PayPal invoices (which include itemized details and due dates) and from setting up a recurring subscription. A link is the simplest option when you just need to say "here's where to send the money."
Key Takeaways
- You create a payment link in your PayPal account by entering an amount, optional description, and currency, then copying the generated URL to send however you want.
- The person paying does not need a PayPal account—they can pay with a debit or credit card directly from the link.
- Payment links expire after 30 days if unused, so you may need to create a new one if the recipient doesn't pay quickly.
- PayPal charges you a transaction fee (typically 2.99% plus $0.30 in the US for goods and services) when someone pays through your link.
- You can create a new link for each payment or reuse the same link multiple times if you're collecting from different people.
Steps to create a payment link in your PayPal account
Log into your PayPal account on the website or app. On the website, look for the Tools or Requests section in the main menu. On the mobile app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and select Request or Money.
Enter the amount you want to receive in the currency you use. Add a brief description of what the payment is for—"Dinner split," "Invoice #2024-001," or "Rent deposit." This description appears to the person paying and helps them remember why they're sending money. Leave the description blank if you prefer.
Select whether this is a payment for goods and services or a personal transfer. This choice affects the fee PayPal charges you. Goods and services payments incur a higher fee but offer seller protection. Personal transfers have a lower or no fee but don't include protection if the buyer disputes the charge.
Click Create Link or Generate Link. PayPal will display a URL starting with paypal.me or a longer link. Copy this URL and send it to the person who owes you money. You can paste it into an email, text message, or social media chat.
How the person paying uses your link
When someone clicks your payment link, they land on a PayPal page showing the amount and description. They do not need to log into PayPal or create an account. They can choose to pay with a debit card, credit card, or—if they have one—their PayPal balance.
They enter their card details, billing address, and email. PayPal processes the payment immediately. The person receives a receipt, and you receive a notification that the money arrived. The funds typically appear in your PayPal balance within minutes, though transferring to your bank account takes one to three business days depending on your bank.
If the person paying has questions or the payment fails, they see error messages on the PayPal page. Common failures include incorrect card details, insufficient funds, or the card being flagged for fraud. They can try again with a different card or contact their bank.
Payment link expiration and reusing links
A PayPal payment link expires 30 days after you create it if nobody has paid through it. After 30 days, the link stops working and the person paying sees an error. If the recipient hasn't paid by then, you need to create a new link and send it again.
You can reuse the same link multiple times if you're collecting the same amount from different people—for example, if you're splitting rent with three roommates and each owes $500. Send the same link to all three, and each payment goes into your account. However, if the amount changes or you want to track payments separately, create a new link for each person.
If you want to collect money regularly from the same person, consider setting up a subscription or recurring payment instead. These require the person to authorize PayPal to charge them on a schedule you set.
Fees PayPal charges for payment links
PayPal charges you a transaction fee when someone pays through your link. The fee depends on whether you marked the payment as goods and services or a personal transfer. For goods and services in the United States, the fee is 2.99% of the amount plus $0.30. For personal transfers, there is typically no fee, but this varies by country.
The fee comes out of the money you receive. If someone sends you $100 through a goods and services link, you receive $96.71 (after the $2.99 plus $0.30 fee). The person paying does not pay extra—they send exactly what you asked for, and PayPal takes its cut from your side.
International payments have higher fees. If the person paying is outside the United States, PayPal charges an additional percentage for currency conversion. Check PayPal's current fee schedule before sending a link to someone in another country.
What to do if a payment link stops working
If someone tells you the link isn't working, the most common reason is that 30 days have passed since you created it. Create a new link with the same amount and send it again. Ask the person to try the new link in a different browser or device, as cached pages sometimes show expired links.
If the link is fresh and still not working, the person paying may be in a country where PayPal doesn't operate or where their bank doesn't allow PayPal transactions. They can contact their bank to ask if PayPal payments are blocked. Alternatively, they can try paying with a different card or ask you for your PayPal.me username to send money directly through the PayPal app.
If you created the link but never sent it and now can't find it, you don't need the original link. Simply create a new one with the same details. PayPal doesn't store old links in a retrievable list, so starting fresh is the fastest option.
Payment link security and fraud protection
PayPal's fraud detection runs on every payment link transaction. If PayPal suspects fraud—for example, if the card details don't match the billing address or the payment is unusually large—it may block the transaction or ask the person paying for extra verification. This protects both you and the person sending money.
If you marked the payment as goods and services, you have seller protection. If the person paying disputes the charge with their bank or PayPal, you can provide proof that they clicked the link and completed the payment. PayPal will likely side with you. If you marked it as a personal transfer, you have no protection, and a dispute usually results in the money being returned to the person who paid.
Never share a payment link publicly on social media or a website unless you want anyone to be able to send you money. Payment links are meant for direct communication with specific people. If you want to accept payments from the public, use PayPal's Buy Now button or Donate button instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the amount after I create a payment link?
No. Once you generate a link, the amount is locked in. If you need a different amount, create a new link. You can send the new link to the same person and ask them to disregard the old one.
What happens if someone pays through an expired link?
They see an error message saying the link has expired and the payment does not go through. They cannot pay through that link. You must create a new one and send it to them.
Do I need a business account to create payment links?
No. Personal PayPal accounts can create payment links. Business accounts can also create them, and both types are charged the same fees.
Can I send a payment link to someone outside the United States?
Yes, but PayPal's availability varies by country. The person paying must be in a country where PayPal operates and their bank must allow PayPal transactions. International payments also carry higher fees for currency conversion.
What if the person paying says they never received the money in their account?
Ask them to check their email for a PayPal receipt—it may have gone to spam. If they received a receipt, the payment went through on PayPal's end. The delay is usually on their bank's side; transfers to bank accounts take one to three business days. If more than three days have passed, they should contact their bank.