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Overview

Smart Links are reusable, branded payment URLs designed for marketing campaigns, social media sharing, and QR code payments. Unlike dynamic payment page links that need to be generated each time, Smart Links provide a permanent, memorable URL that you can share anywhere.
Smart Links are perfect for social media campaigns, QR codes on flyers, email signatures, or any situation where you want a clean, memorable payment URL with analytics tracking.

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Key Features

  • Pretty URLs: https://payrequest.me/[businessname]/[path]
  • QR Code Generation: Automatic QR code for every smart link
  • Analytics Tracking: View counts, payment counts, revenue, and conversion rates
  • Two Link Types: Product checkout or fixed amount payments
  • Payment Limits: One-time, multiple, or unlimited payment options
  • SMS & Email Delivery: Send links directly to customers via SMS or email
  • Tag Support: Organize smart links with tags for easy management
  • Active/Inactive Toggle: Quickly enable or disable links
  • After-Payment Actions: Redirect customers after successful payment
Navigate to Payment Page in your dashboard sidebar, then click the Smart Links tab.
Smart Links are available for all PayRequest accounts. The feature integrates seamlessly with your existing payment page setup.

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URL Structure

Every smart link follows this format: 
https://payrequest.me/[your-handle]/[path]
Example: 
https://payrequest.me/acme-corp/summer-sale
  • [your-handle]: Your payment page handle or business name
  • [path]: Custom URL path (auto-generated from link name)
The path is automatically generated from your link name, but you can customize it when editing the smart link.
When creating a new smart link, first select the type: Product Link
  • Links directly to a specific product
  • Redirects to your shop’s product page
  • Best for: Product promotions, catalog links, shop items
Amount Link
  • Fixed payment amount
  • Renders directly on payment page (keeps smart link URL visible)
  • Best for: Donations, event tickets, service fees, deposits
Choose “Amount Link” for marketing campaigns where you want the branded URL to remain visible during checkout.
Required Fields:
  • Name: Descriptive name for the link (e.g., “Summer Sale Promotion”)
  • Type: Product or Amount
  • Product (for product links): Select from your product catalog
  • Amount & Currency (for amount links): Set fixed payment amount
Optional Fields:
  • Description: Public description shown to customers
  • Tags: Organize links by campaign, category, or purpose

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Step 3: Set Payment Limit (Optional)

Control how many times your smart link can be used for payments: Unlimited (Default)
  • Link stays active indefinitely
  • Accepts unlimited payments
  • Best for: Ongoing campaigns, permanent donation links
One-time
  • Link automatically disables after the first successful payment
  • Prevents multiple uses
  • Best for: Individual invoices, one-time offers, exclusive deals
Multiple times
  • Set a custom limit (1-1000 payments)
  • Link disables when limit is reached
  • Shows remaining payment count in analytics
  • Best for: Limited inventory, early bird tickets, capacity-limited events
Payment limits are perfect for scarcity marketing. Show “Only 50 spots left!” and the link automatically disables at the limit.
How it works:
  1. Select payment limit type when creating the link
  2. For “Multiple times”, enter the maximum number of payments (1-1000)
  3. Smart link tracks successful payments automatically
  4. When limit is reached, customers see “Payment limit reached” message
  5. You can view remaining payments in the analytics dashboard
Payment limits only count successful (paid) transactions. Failed or pending payments don’t count toward the limit.

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Step 4: Send to Customer (Optional)

Send the smart link directly to a customer via email or SMS: Delivery Options:
  1. Select Customer: Choose from your customer list
  2. Choose Delivery Method:
    • Email: Send to customer’s email address
    • SMS: Send to customer’s phone number (requires valid international format)
    • Both: Send via both email and SMS simultaneously
Email Delivery:
  • Uses your configured email template
  • Includes smart link URL
  • Professional branded message
  • Sent immediately upon creation
SMS Delivery:
  • Requires valid phone number (international format: +31612345678)
  • Sent via MessageBird
  • Personalized message with customer name
  • Includes shortened payment link
  • Sent from your business name
SMS delivery requires the customer to have a valid phone number in international format (starting with country code). Invalid numbers will disable the SMS option.
Tracking:
  • Delivery status shown on smart link detail page
  • Timestamp of when link was sent
  • Delivery method badges (Email/SMS)
Combine SMS and email delivery for important payment requests to ensure customers receive the link through their preferred channel.

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Step 5: Save and Share

After creating your smart link:
  1. Copy the generated URL
  2. Download the QR code
  3. Share via social media, email, or print materials

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Use Cases

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1. Marketing Campaign

Create an amount link for a limited-time promotion: 
https://payrequest.me/fitnessstudio/early-bird-2025
Setup:
  • Type: Amount Link
  • Name: Early Bird Registration 2025
  • Amount: €49.00
  • Description: Special early bird discount - Register before December 31st!
Where to share:
  • Social media posts
  • Email newsletters
  • WhatsApp messages
  • Website banners

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2. Event Registration

Fixed-price event ticket payment: 
https://payrequest.me/techconference/ticket
Benefits:
  • Clean, memorable URL
  • Track registrations in real-time
  • See conversion rate from social media
  • QR code for physical posters
Permanent donation link for non-profit: 
https://payrequest.me/charity/donate
Features:
  • Fixed suggested amount (customers can change if payment page allows)
  • Track total donations
  • Calculate average donation size
  • Share QR code in physical locations

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4. Product Promotion

Direct link to specific product with tracking: 
https://payrequest.me/webshop/premium-bundle
Advantages:
  • Shorter than dynamic product links
  • Track which campaigns drive sales
  • Measure conversion from different channels
  • Professional branded URL

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5. QR Code Payments

Print QR code on invoices, receipts, or signage: Use cases:
  • Restaurant table payments
  • Service provider invoices
  • Retail store deposits
  • Event entrance fees

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6. Limited Early Bird Campaign with SMS

Create scarcity with payment limits and instant SMS delivery: 
https://payrequest.me/gym/early-bird-50
Setup:
  • Type: Amount Link
  • Amount: €39.00 (normal price €59)
  • Payment Limit: Multiple times - 50 payments
  • Delivery: Send to existing customers via SMS
  • Message: ”🎉 Early bird special! Only 50 spots at €39. Link: [URL]”
Benefits:
  • Creates urgency with visible limit counter
  • Instant SMS delivery to customer database
  • Automatic deactivation at 50 payments
  • Track conversion rate by delivery method
  • Shows “X payments remaining” in real-time
Marketing Strategy:
  1. Send initial batch via SMS to VIP customers
  2. Share link on social media once SMS customers claim spots
  3. Monitor analytics to see SMS vs social media conversion
  4. Link automatically closes when limit reached

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Analytics Dashboard

Every smart link tracks comprehensive analytics:

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Key Metrics

Views
  • Total number of link visits
  • Tracks every time someone opens the URL
  • Blue icon with eye symbol
Payments
  • Successful payments through this link
  • Green icon with credit card symbol
  • Shows conversion percentage: (payments / views) × 100
Revenue
  • Total amount collected via this smart link
  • Purple icon with euro symbol
  • Shows average payment value: revenue / payments

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Payment Limit Tracking

For smart links with payment limits, the detail page shows: Remaining Payments Badge:
  • Color-coded status indicator
  • Green: 4+ payments remaining
  • Orange: 1-3 payments remaining
  • Red: Limit reached
Payment Limit Card:
  • Current limit type (One-time, Multiple, Unlimited)
  • Total limit (for multiple payment links)
  • Remaining payment count
  • Percentage of limit used
When a payment limit is reached, the smart link automatically becomes inactive and displays a “Payment limit reached” message to customers.

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Delivery Information

If you sent the smart link to a customer, the detail page displays: Delivery Card:
  • Delivery methods used (Email/SMS badges)
  • Timestamp of when link was sent
  • Relative time (e.g., “2 hours ago”)

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Recent Payments

The smart link detail page shows the last 10 payments:
  • Customer name
  • Payment date and time
  • Amount paid
  • Payment status (paid, pending, failed)
Analytics data updates in real-time. View counts increment immediately when someone clicks your link.
Click Edit on any smart link to modify: Editable after creation:
  • Path (URL slug)
  • Description
  • Internal notes (private)
  • Tags
  • After-payment redirect URL
  • Active/inactive status
Cannot change:
  • Type (product vs amount)
  • The smart link will keep its analytics history
Create a copy of an existing smart link:
  1. Click the … menu on any link
  2. Select Duplicate
  3. Modify the duplicated link as needed
Use cases:
  • Create similar campaigns for different time periods
  • Test different amounts with same description
  • Duplicate successful campaigns
Toggle a smart link active/inactive: When inactive:
  • URL returns 404 error
  • Link no longer accepts payments
  • Analytics history is preserved
  • Can be reactivated anytime
Use cases:
  • End limited-time campaigns
  • Pause seasonal promotions
  • Disable outdated links

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QR Code Integration

Every smart link automatically generates a QR code.

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Downloading QR Codes

  1. Open smart link detail page
  2. Right-click QR code image
  3. Save image (200x200px PNG)

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QR Code Best Practices

Print Quality:
  • Use vector format for large prints
  • Minimum size: 2cm × 2cm
  • Ensure high contrast (black on white)
Placement Ideas:
  • Business cards
  • Flyers and posters
  • Table tents
  • Product packaging
  • Email signatures
  • Invoice footers
Always test QR codes after printing to ensure they scan correctly on different devices.

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After-Payment Actions

Configure what happens after customers complete payment:

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Redirect Option

Setting Location: Smart Link Edit → After Payment Action Redirect URL: Enter a full URL to redirect customers after successful payment. Common redirect destinations:
  • Thank you page: https://yourdomain.com/thank-you
  • Discount code page: https://yourdomain.com/special-offer
  • Download link: https://yourdomain.com/download/guide.pdf
  • Member portal: https://yourdomain.com/welcome
Example: 
After payment redirect: https://fitnessstudio.com/welcome?promo=early-bird
Use redirect URLs to provide immediate value: discount codes, exclusive content, or onboarding instructions.

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Tags and Organization

Organize smart links using the tag system:

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Creating Tags

  1. Go to Tags in the sidebar
  2. Click Create Tag
  3. Select type: Smart Link
  4. Choose color and name

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Tag Use Cases

By Campaign:
  • “Summer 2025”
  • “Black Friday”
  • “Newsletter Campaign”
By Channel:
  • “Social Media”
  • “Email”
  • “Print Materials”
By Purpose:
  • “Donations”
  • “Event Tickets”
  • “Product Sales”

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Filtering by Tags

In the Smart Links list:
  1. Click Tag Filter dropdown
  2. Select one or more tags
  3. View only matching smart links

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Technical Details

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URL Routing

Smart links use intelligent routing:
  1. Amount routes match numeric values: /[handle]/12.50
  2. Smart link routes match alphabetic paths: /[handle]/campaign-name
  3. Default payment page: /[handle]
Smart link paths must start with a letter (not a number) to avoid conflicts with amount-based payment links.

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Payment Page Customization

When accessed via smart link, the payment page shows: Custom Content:
  • Title: Smart link name (instead of payment page title)
  • Description: Smart link description (instead of default)
  • Amount: Pre-filled and disabled (amount links only)
Hidden Elements:
  • Minimum/maximum amount text
  • Amount field editing (for amount links)

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Session Tracking

Smart links use session-based tracking: Data stored:
  • Smart link ID
  • Link name and description
  • Fixed amount (for amount links)
  • Original path
Payment attribution:
  • Session persists through checkout
  • Payment webhook links transaction to smart link
  • Analytics update automatically

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Advanced Integration

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Email Campaign Integration

Include smart links in marketing emails: 
<a href="https://payrequest.me/yourhandle/special-offer">
  Claim Your Discount - Pay Now
</a>
Benefits:
  • Track email campaign conversion
  • Shorter, cleaner URLs than dynamic links
  • Professional branding

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Social Media Campaigns

Share smart links on social platforms: Twitter/X: 
Early bird discount ends midnight!
🎟️ Get your ticket: payrequest.me/event/ticket-2025
Instagram Bio: 
💳 Pay tuition: payrequest.me/school/tuition
Facebook Post: 
Donate to our cause: payrequest.me/charity/donate
Track: Total donations and supporter count via analytics

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Website Integration

Embed smart links on your website: Button example: 
<a href="https://payrequest.me/yourhandle/premium-plan"
   class="btn btn-primary">
  Subscribe to Premium - €49/month
</a>
QR Code embed: 
<img src="https://api.qrserver.com/v1/create-qr-code/?size=200x200&data=https://payrequest.me/yourhandle/donate"
     alt="Scan to donate">

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Security Best Practices

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✅ Do’s

  • Use descriptive paths that indicate the purpose
  • Monitor analytics for unusual activity
  • Deactivate old campaigns to prevent confusion
  • Test links before launching campaigns
  • Use tags to track campaign performance
  • Set after-payment redirects for better customer experience

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❌ Don’ts

  • Don’t use paths that could be guessed (avoid “test”, “temp”)
  • Don’t share inactive links (they’ll return 404)
  • Don’t change paths during active campaigns (breaks existing shares)
  • Don’t delete links with important analytics history
  • Don’t use generic names like “link1”, “payment2”

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Troubleshooting

Causes:
  1. Link is inactive (check status badge)
  2. Path was changed recently
  3. Business handle doesn’t match
  4. Link was deleted
Solutions:
  • Verify link is Active in smart links list
  • Check path spelling (case-sensitive)
  • Confirm business handle in Settings → Payment Page

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Analytics Not Updating

Check:
  1. Payment completed successfully (check Transactions)
  2. Customer paid within same session (session timeout = 2 hours)
  3. Smart link ID appears in transaction details
Manual verification: Navigate to transaction detail page and check “Smart Link” field.

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QR Code Not Scanning

Fixes:
  1. Increase QR code size (minimum 2cm × 2cm for print)
  2. Ensure high contrast (black QR on white background)
  3. Test with multiple QR scanner apps
  4. Regenerate QR code if image is corrupted

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Wrong Amount Showing

For Amount Links:
  • Amount is fixed based on smart link configuration
  • Edit smart link to change amount
  • Clear browser cache and revisit URL

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Payment Page Shows Wrong Title

Cause: Session data not loading correctly Fix:
  1. Clear browser cookies
  2. Open link in incognito/private mode
  3. Verify smart link description is set

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Examples Library

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Donation Campaign

Name: Monthly Donor Program
Type: Amount Link
Amount: €10.00
Path: monthly-donation
URL: https://payrequest.me/charity/monthly-donation

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Event Ticket

Name: Tech Conference 2025
Type: Amount Link
Amount: €149.00
Path: techconf-2025
After Payment: https://techconf.com/thank-you
URL: https://payrequest.me/events/techconf-2025

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Product Promotion

Name: Premium Bundle Sale
Type: Product Link
Product: Premium Bundle (ID: 1814)
Path: premium-bundle
Tags: Summer Sale, Products
URL: https://payrequest.me/shop/premium-bundle

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Service Deposit

Name: Web Design Deposit
Type: Amount Link
Amount: €500.00
Path: design-deposit
Description: 50% deposit for web design project
URL: https://payrequest.me/agency/design-deposit

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Limited Workshop with SMS Delivery

Name: Photography Workshop March 2025
Type: Amount Link
Amount: €89.00
Path: photo-workshop-march
Payment Limit: Multiple times - 20
Delivery: Select customer → Email + SMS
Tags: Workshops, March 2025
URL: https://payrequest.me/studio/photo-workshop-march
Customer receives:
  • Email: Professional branded invitation with link
  • SMS: “Hi John, your photography workshop link: payrequest.me/studio/photo-workshop-march”
Dashboard shows:
  • Delivery: Email + SMS badges
  • Sent at: Mar 1, 2025 10:30 AM
  • Remaining: 15 of 20 payments left
  • Analytics: 45 views, 5 payments, 11% conversion

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Frequently Asked Questions

Analytics are stored permanently for the lifetime of your smart link. Even if you deactivate a link, historical data remains accessible.
Payment limits control how many successful payments a smart link can accept:
  • One-time: Link disables after first payment
  • Multiple: Set custom limit (1-1000), link disables when reached
  • Unlimited: Default, accepts infinite payments
Only successful (paid) transactions count toward the limit. Failed or pending payments are not counted. When the limit is reached, customers see “Payment limit reached” and cannot complete payment.
When a smart link reaches its payment limit:
  1. Link automatically becomes inactive
  2. Customers see “Payment limit reached” error message
  3. No more payments can be accepted
  4. Analytics show “Limit reached” badge in red
  5. You can reactivate by editing the link and increasing the limit
All existing analytics data is preserved when the limit is reached.

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Need Help?

Payment Page Setup

Configure your payment page settings

Products

Create products for product links

Tags System

Organize with tags

QR Code Payments

Learn more about QR payments