SumUp Payment Links

SumUp Payment Links gives businesses a way to request card payments through a shareable URL instead of building a shop or using a card reader. It is best suited to freelancers, small retailers, delivery services and social sellers who need occasional or remote payment collection. The free entry point is appealing, but the per-transaction cost deserves scrutiny if your payment volume is high.

Customers open a hosted checkout page, pay without an app or account, and merchants can follow the result from SumUp’s business tools. That combination keeps the process practical for businesses selling by message, phone or invoice, though it is less compelling for operations that need a fully customised checkout or very low processing costs.

Overview

Payment Links creates online payment requests without requiring a website or card reader. A merchant can send a link through Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS or email, or present it as a QR code for scanning. SumUp describes applications including home delivery, click-and-collect, freelance work, social-media sales, billing and phone orders, so the product fits transactions that begin away from a conventional online store.

Customers use a secure web page and do not need to download an app or register. SumUp says links are protected by 3D Secure 2, and its software and hardware meet, and often exceed, PCI-DSS security standards. The checkout displays Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay, giving the service broad card coverage.

Key features

Flexible links and sharing

Merchants can make fixed-amount links for a defined charge or open-amount links when the customer should enter the value. Links can be reused, given an expiry date, and configured to accept tips or notes. Those controls make one-off requests and repeat campaigns easier to manage, while expiry dates help prevent old payment requests being used unintentionally.

Tracking and follow-up

The SumUp Business App shows which links are paid and which remain outstanding, with an option to resend an unpaid link. A push notification is sent after payment and the transaction appears in the merchant account. This is useful for phone orders and informal invoicing, where manually checking separate messages would create avoidable work.

Creation surfaces and integrations

Links can be created in a web browser, the app, POS Lite or SumUp Register, giving merchants several ways to issue a request. SumUp’s online-payments offering also describes plug-in integrations, APIs and a payment widget. Recurring payments can be enabled through the API, which gives developers a route beyond simple manually shared links, although businesses needing that capability should expect implementation work.

Pricing

The Payment Links plan is free with no monthly costs. Each transaction carries a 2.50% fee, so the plan is well suited to smaller or irregular payment volumes where avoiding a subscription matters. At higher volumes, that percentage can outweigh the benefit of having no fixed monthly charge.

SumUp’s pricing note says paid plans start at £19/mo. No further paid-plan inclusions or limits are given, so businesses should confirm which added tools justify that recurring cost before upgrading. There is no stated seat allowance, quota, trial period or renewal term to factor into the free plan.

Platforms

Payment Links is available on Android, iOS and the web. Link creation is also supported through POS Lite and SumUp Register, making it workable for merchants who combine counter sales with remote requests.

Who it's for

This is a sensible choice for freelancers, home-delivery operators, click-and-collect businesses and merchants selling through social channels. It also suits teams taking orders by phone or sending straightforward payment requests, especially when customers may not want to create an account.

It is a weaker fit for businesses that need a deeply branded checkout, complex commerce workflows or the lowest possible transaction rate. The free plan’s 2.50% charge should be compared with payment providers that price processing differently before committing substantial volume.

Pros and cons

Pros

• No monthly cost on the free plan: suitable for occasional sellers and businesses avoiding fixed software overhead.
• Multiple sharing routes: Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, email and QR codes cover common remote-selling situations.
• Useful payment controls: fixed or open amounts, expiry dates, reusable links, tips and customer notes handle more than a single rigid payment request.
• Outstanding-payment tracking: the app identifies unpaid links and supports resending them.
• Broad card display and security measures: major card brands are supported, with 3D Secure 2 protection.

Cons

• 2.50% transaction fee on the free plan: costs scale directly with sales and may be significant for frequent payments.
• Paid plans start at £19/mo: the recurring cost may not suit very small operators, particularly when their needs are limited to links.
• Advanced recurring payments require the API: businesses without development resources may find that route less accessible than basic link sharing.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison of link-based services, see Payment Link Software.

Checkout.com is a better candidate for organisations wanting API access and tailored pricing, with a free registered-charity plan in supported countries.

Dojo suits merchants seeking a broader point-of-sale package, including an Essential plan with core tools, major card types and real-time transactions.

HitPay Payment Links may appeal when there is no setup or monthly fee and the listed Payment Links charge is 0.2% plus payment-method processing.

Mollie is worth considering for pay-as-you-go processing with no contract or commitment and published card-rate tiers.

Pay. Pay by Link offers a no-monthly-charge Pioneer plan with Professional transaction rates plus €0.05 per transaction and 0.25% of turnover.

PayPal Invoicing is the alternative when sending formal invoices through PayPal and Venmo is more important than a standalone link workflow.

Cashfree Payment Links provides link creation and reminders at zero charge, with standard payment-gateway charges applying.

DonoLink is designed for donation pages and overlays rather than general merchant payments.

Verdict

Choose SumUp Payment Links if you need a dependable way to collect occasional or remote card payments across messaging, social and email channels, with clear outstanding-link tracking. Its strongest argument is the free plan and flexible link handling; look elsewhere if a 2.50% transaction fee will materially affect your volume or you need a more extensive, customised payment platform.