How to take card payments without a website
You don't need a website, a shop or a card machine to let clients pay you by card. Stripe, PayPal and Square all let you create a payment link: a web address you send by email or text that opens a secure checkout page. Each can also turn that link into a QR code for clients you meet in person. Setting one up takes about ten minutes, and you pay only the standard processing fee when someone pays.
Before you start
You'll need: a business account with Stripe, PayPal or Square, verified with your identity and bank details so payouts can reach you.
Applies to: freelancers and solo businesses who want card payments without building a site.
Time: about 10 minutes once your account is verified.
How we checked this: setup steps come from each provider's own help pages, checked October 19, 2026.
Three ways to get paid without a website
| Method | Best for | What the client does |
|---|---|---|
| Payment link | A fixed fee or package you charge repeatedly, or a deposit | Clicks a link in an email or message and pays on a checkout page |
| QR code | Clients you meet in person, or printed materials | Scans with a phone camera and pays on the same checkout page |
| Invoice with a pay button | One-off jobs with different amounts | Opens the invoice and pays from it |
Payment links and QR codes are the same thing underneath: the QR code just opens the link. If you bill different amounts for each job, an invoice is usually tidier; see our guide to what a freelance invoice must include.
Create a payment link in Stripe
In the Stripe Dashboard, open Payment Links and click New.
Choose what the link charges for:
A product or service at a fixed price: select an existing product or add a new one with its name and price.
Customers choose what to pay: add a title and description, and optionally a suggested amount and a minimum and maximum. Stripe's default maximum is $10,000.
Click Create link, then copy it.
For a QR code, open the link's page and click QR code. You can copy it or download it as a PNG image.
The link can be shared as many times as you like. Stripe shows the client relevant payment methods, including Apple Pay and Google Pay when their device supports them. If you stop offering something, deactivate the link from its ⋯ menu; anyone who opens it, or scans its QR code, then sees an expiry page. Payments through a link cost Stripe's standard card rate, with no extra fee for the link itself.
Create a payment link in PayPal
Sign in to your PayPal business account and open the PayPal Buttons page.
Choose your pricing, then enter the product or service name, price and currency.
Select Build It.
The details page shows your payment link, the code for a website button, and a QR code.
PayPal's help page for pay links doesn't list a separate fee, so expect its standard commercial rate for your country. Our fee comparison lists the current numbers.
Create a payment link in Square
In the Square Dashboard, go to Payments, then Payment links, and click Create link.
Choose a type: Collect a payment, Sell an item, Sell an event or class, or Accept a donation.
Add a title and, for items, a price. You can also add an image, up to two custom fields (for a project reference, say), and tipping.
Click Save, then copy the link or share its QR code.
In the Square Point of Sale app, the same feature is under More, then Payment links; if you don't see it, add it from More, then Add-ons. Square says payment links work for international sales too, though tax and delivery settings don't apply to them. Check Square's pricing page for the rate that applies to payment links in your country.
Which one to use
You already have an account with one of them: use it. The setup is nearly identical, and keeping payments in one place makes your bookkeeping simpler.
You're starting from nothing, in the UK or Australia: Stripe's domestic card rate is the lowest of the three. Our fee comparison has the figures for every country.
You meet clients in person as well: Square's app can send a payment link at the point of sale, and it can take card payments in person with a card reader.
Sending a payment link so clients trust it
Payment links look like the kind of link scammers send, so make yours easy to recognise:
Send it from your usual business email address, in a thread the client already knows, not as a bare link in a new message.
Say what it's for and how much, matching the amount the client agreed: "Here's the link for the March design work, £450."
Tell the client which company the checkout page belongs to, so seeing Stripe, PayPal or Square on it doesn't surprise them.
Never ask for card details by email or phone. The point of a link is that the card number goes straight to the payment company, not to you.
If it doesn't work
The client says the link has expired: it's been deactivated. In Stripe, reactivate it or create a new one; in PayPal or Square, check the link still exists in your dashboard.
A payment shows but no money arrives: new accounts often have payouts held until your identity and bank details are verified. Check your account's verification and payout settings.
The client's card is declined: declines usually come from the card issuer, not the payment company. Ask the client to try another card or contact their bank.
You need a different amount for each job: use an invoice instead, so each payment request carries its own amount and reference.
Sources
Last checked: October 19, 2026. If something here no longer matches what you see, let us know.
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