Payment Links

Summary

Payment Links allow merchants to request payment from customers without building a custom checkout. The merchant creates a link via the API, shares it by email or SMS, and the customer pays through a hosted payment page.

Payment Link Lifecycle

1. Create — Merchant creates a payment link via the API with customer, amount, and optional description.
2. Share — RapidCents automatically sends the link to the customer via email. The merchant can also resend by email or SMS.
3. View — Customer opens the link and sees the hosted payment page with amount, merchant details, and payment form.
4. Pay — Customer enters card details (or uses Google Pay) and submits payment. 3D Secure step-up is triggered if enabled.
5. Result — On approval, the link status changes to PAID. Both merchant and customer receive a payment confirmation notification.

Payment Link Statuses

Expiry Reasons

Processing Flow

Authentication

Create Payment Link

POST /api/{business_id}/payment_links

{
  "customerId": "customer-uuid",
  "amount": 50.00,
  "description": "Invoice #1001 - Web Design Services",
  "customInvoiceNumber": "INV-1001",
  "merchant_description": "Internal note for this link",
  "surcharge": 2.50,
  "threeDSecure": true
}

Create Fields

{
  "ok": true,
  "payment_link": {
    "id": "pl-uuid",
    "amount": 50.00,
    "status": "CREATED",
    "url": "https://pay.rapidcents.com/payment-links/pl-uuid",
    "created_at": "2026-02-26T12:00:00Z"
  }
}

List Payment Links

GET /api/{business_id}/payment_links

{
  "ok": true,
  "payment_links": {
    "data": [ /* array of payment link objects */ ],
    "current_page": 1,
    "last_page": 5,
    "per_page": 10,
    "total": 48
  },
  "filters": {
    "fromDate": "2026-01-01",
    "toDate": "2026-02-26"
  }
}

Get Link Details

GET /api/{business_id}/payment_links/{payment_link_id}

Update Payment Link

PUT /api/{business_id}/payment_links/{payment_link_id}

{
  "amount": 75.00,
  "description": "Updated description"
}

Delete Payment Link

DELETE /api/{business_id}/payment_links/{payment_link_id}

Resend Payment Link

POST /api/{business_id}/payment_links/{payment_link_id}/resend

Resends the payment link notification to the customer via email. If the link has already been paid, a receipt is sent instead.

Payment Attempts

GET /api/{business_id}/payment_links/{payment_link_id}/attempts

Returns a list of all payment attempts made on this link, including failed attempts with decline reasons.

View Payment Page (Public)

GET /api/payment_links/{payment_link_id}/pay

{
  "ok": true,
  "paymentLink": {
    "id": "pl-uuid",
    "amount": 50.00,
    "description": "Invoice #1001",
    "status": "CREATED"
  },
  "business": { /* business details */ },
  "customerEmail": "[email protected]",
  "logo": "https://...",
  "three_d_secure": true
}

Pay with Card (Public)

POST /api/payment_links/{payment_link_id}/pay

{
  "cardData": {
    "cardNumber": "4111111111111111",
    "month": "12",
    "year": "2028",
    "cvv": "123",
    "nameOnCard": "John Doe",
    "saveCard": false,
    "address": {
      "line1": "123 Main St",
      "postalCode": "M5V 2T6"
    }
  }
}

Card Payment Fields

With 3D Secure

If the payment link has threeDSecure enabled, include the 3DS session data:

{
  "cardData": { /* ... card fields ... */ },
  "ddd": { /* 3D Secure authentication data */ },
  "dddSessionID": "3ds-session-uuid"
}

{
  "ok": true,
  "result": {
    "status": "Approved",
    "auth_code": "123456",
    "amount": 50.00
  }
}

3D Secure (3DS) Flow

When a payment link has threeDSecure enabled, the customer must complete 3D Secure authentication before the payment is processed. This adds an extra layer of cardholder verification.

3DS Step-by-Step Flow

1. View Payment Link — GET /api/payment_links/{id}/pay returns three_d_secure: true indicating 3DS is required.
2. Init (Card Lookup) — Client calls POST /api/{business_id}/ddd/init with card details to check 3DS support and create a session.
3. Authenticate — If init returns DDD_INVOKE, client calls POST /api/{business_id}/ddd/authenticate to start authentication.
4. Challenge (if required) — If authenticate returns status C, the customer is redirected to the bank's ACS page to complete the challenge.
5. Pay — Client submits the payment with ddd (3DS result) and dddSessionID to POST /api/payment_links/{id}/pay.

Step 1: Init (Card Lookup)

POST /api/{business_id}/ddd/init

{
  "cardData": {
    "cardNumber": "4111111111111111",
    "month": "12",
    "year": "2028"
  },
  "paymentLinkID": "payment-link-uuid"
}

Init Response — Frictionless (no challenge needed)

{
  "ok": true,
  "status": "DDD_FRICTIONLESS",
  "data": {
    "threeDSServerTransID": "trans-id",
    "association": "visa",
    "sessionID": "session-id"
  }
}

Init Response — Challenge Required

{
  "ok": true,
  "status": "DDD_INVOKE",
  "data": {
    "threeDSMethodURL": "https://acs.bank.com/3ds-method",
    "threeDSMethodData": "base64-data",
    "threeDSServerTransID": "trans-id",
    "association": "visa",
    "sessionID": "session-id"
  }
}

Init Response — 3DS Not Supported

{
  "ok": false,
  "status": "DDD_NOT_SUPPORTED",
  "message": "Card does not support 3D Secure"
}

Step 2: Authenticate

POST /api/{business_id}/ddd/authenticate

{
  "threeDSServerTransID": "from-init-response",
  "sessionID": "from-init-response",
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "cardData": {
    "nameOnCard": "John Doe",
    "cardNumber": "4111111111111111",
    "month": "12",
    "year": "2028",
    "cvv": "123"
  },
  "amount": 50.00
}

Authenticate Response — Success (Frictionless)

{
  "status": "Y",
  "message": "OK",
  "data": {
    "transStatus": "Y",
    "authenticationValue": "base64-cavv-value",
    "eci": "05"
  },
  "sessionID": "session-id"
}

Authenticate Response — Challenge Required

{
  "status": "C",
  "message": "OK",
  "data": {
    "creq": "base64-challenge-request",
    "acsURL": "https://acs.bank.com/challenge",
    "threeDSSessionData": "trans-id"
  },
  "sessionID": "session-id"
}

Step 3: Challenge (Bank Redirect)

Step 4: Pay with 3DS Data

After 3DS authentication completes (frictionless or challenge), include the 3DS result in the payment request:

Frictionless Payment

{
  "cardData": {
    "cardNumber": "4111111111111111",
    "month": "12",
    "year": "2028",
    "cvv": "123",
    "nameOnCard": "John Doe",
    "address": {
      "line1": "123 Main St",
      "postalCode": "M5V 2T6"
    }
  },
  "ddd": {
    "transStatus": "Y",
    "authenticationValue": "base64-cavv-value",
    "eci": "05",
    "association": "visa"
  },
  "dddSessionID": "session-id"
}

Challenge Payment

{
  "cardData": {
    "cardNumber": "4111111111111111",
    "month": "12",
    "year": "2028",
    "cvv": "123",
    "nameOnCard": "John Doe",
    "address": {
      "line1": "123 Main St",
      "postalCode": "M5V 2T6"
    }
  },
  "ddd": {
    "creq": "base64-challenge-request"
  },
  "dddSessionID": "session-id"
}

3DS Authentication Statuses

3DS Endpoints Summary

Pay with Google Pay (Public)

POST /api/payment_links/{payment_link_id}/pay

{
  "googlePay": {
    "payment_token": "{\"signature\":\"...\",\"protocolVersion\":\"ECv2\",\"signedMessage\":\"...\"}",
    "amount": 50.00,
    "currency": "CAD"
  },
  "cardData": {
    "address": {
      "postalCode": "M5V 2T6",
      "line1": "123 Main St"
    }
  }
}

Google Pay Fields

All Endpoints

Merchant API (Authenticated)

3D Secure API (Authenticated)

Customer API (Public)

Query Filters (List)

Card Data Fields Reference

Error Handling

{
  "ok": false,
  "error": "Payment link not found",
  "message": "Payment link not found"
}

Notifications