Our Payment Links are different
Shuttle Payment Links are not limited like others. We recognise that businesses need flexibility and control to improve their payment collection processes. Our payment links are not tied to any one payment provider, they can let the customer define the amount or you can be very specific about what and how much they’re for.
Use your Payment Gateway
Connect from 30+ Payment Providers. This means you can use your preferred provider with the rates that you have agreed. No more 5% fees just because you’re using a hosted solution that doesn’t support your preferred payment gateway.
Use Multiple Payment Gateways/Methods
Get paid via PayPal, Buy Now Pay Later, Financing or Bank to Bank. Payment links that are from your payment provider are limited to that provider and their features.
Not tied to any product, invoice or amount
Use one link for everything or organise your links by creating many for each use case. Other providers make you create a product or invoice just so you can create a payment link. That’s missing the point.
Pre-authorize, capture payment or save a card
Take a payment now or just authorize the card or save the payment method for later. Other payment link products don’t empower the seller, they are merely designed for a simple use case.
If you’re trying to modernise your AR process, the choices can feel overwhelming.
Should you implement a full Accounts Receivable platform with dashboards, workflows, portals, and automation? Or can you solve 80% of the problem with something simpler — like smarter payment links?
The answer depends on your goals, your systems, and just how “broken” your current AR really is.
In this article, we’ll break down when you need a full platform — and when payment links alone can give you the automation, visibility, and speed you’re looking for.
🏗 What Is a Full AR Platform?
Let’s start with what a full AR platform usually includes:
Invoice creation and delivery
Customer payment portals
Automated reminders and escalation workflows
Payment method integrations (card, ACH, Open Banking, etc.)
Reconciliation and reporting dashboards
Credit scoring, risk management, and dispute handling (in some cases)
These systems often position themselves as all-in-one solutions. And they are — but they come with baggage:
High implementation cost
IT involvement and integration work
Complex user onboarding
Change management across teams
If you’re a 500+ person business with multi-entity invoicing, high volumes, and bespoke approval flows, they might be a great fit.
But if you’re like most mid-sized businesses, that’s overkill.
🔗 What Are Smarter Payment Links?
Smarter payment links give you many of the same benefits — without the overhead.
Instead of replacing your whole AR process, they enhance what you already do. You send an invoice (from Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, etc.), and Shuttle turns that into a branded, trackable payment link that:
Offers multiple payment methods (card, ACH, Open Banking, Pay by Bank)
Is delivered via email, SMS, WhatsApp or CRM
Tracks views, clicks, and payments in real-time
Connects to your existing tools (Zapier, Make.com, Salesforce, etc.)
Reconciles automatically
You don’t need to install a new system. You don’t need to migrate data. You just need to start sending links.
🤔 So, Which One Do You Need?
Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:
If You… | You Probably Need…
Send 50–1000 invoices/month | Smart Payment Links
Use Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage | Smart Payment Links
Have 1–5 people in finance/AR | Smart Payment Links
Want to reduce chasing and speed up payment | Smart Payment Links
Need dashboards, approval flows, credit risk | Full AR Platform
Manage large enterprise contracts | Full AR Platform
Have complex billing rules (usage, subscriptions) | Depends — could need hybrid
Need a solution live in under a week | Smart Payment Links
💸 The Cost Difference
Option | Cost | Setup Time | Maintenance
Full AR Platform | High (£10k–50k+/year) | 2–6 months | Ongoing support, admin
Smart Payment Links (e.g. Shuttle) | Low | < 1 week | Minimal
If your AR team is spending time chasing payments, reconciling references, and fielding “how do I pay this?” emails — you don’t need a full suite. You just need better delivery and a smoother customer experience.
🧠 Think Function, Not Features
You’re not trying to win a software award. You’re trying to:
Get paid faster
Spend less time chasing
Improve visibility
Give your customers a better experience
If you can do that without disrupting your team or your systems — that’s a win.
🚀 Wrapping Up
Full AR platforms are powerful, but they’re not always the answer.For most mid-sized businesses, the real gains come from solving the last mile of payment — how the invoice gets delivered, how easy it is to pay, and how quickly you know what’s been paid.
That’s where smarter payment links shine.