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See Links Checkout →Authorize.net is one of the longest-running payment gateways in the US, processing transactions for hundreds of thousands of merchants. But when it comes to sending a simple payment link — a URL you can email, text, or drop into a chat — the options are less obvious than with newer providers like Stripe.
The good news: you can create Authorize.net payment links. The platform offers Accept Hosted, a hosted payment page you can share as a link. You can also use the Authorize.net API to generate payment forms, or connect a third-party payment link provider that works with your existing Authorize.net account.
This guide walks through every method — from the built-in Accept Hosted approach to third-party tools — so you can pick the right option for your business.
Does Authorize.net Support Payment Links?
Authorize.net does not have a dedicated "payment links" feature like Stripe Payment Links or PayPal.Me. There is no button in the merchant dashboard that says "create a payment link" and gives you a shareable URL.
However, Authorize.net offers Accept Hosted — a hosted payment page that acts as a payment link. Accept Hosted generates a secure, PCI-compliant payment form hosted on Authorize.net's servers. You request a token via the API, build a URL with that token, and share it with customers. When the customer clicks the link, they see a payment form where they can enter their card details and pay.
Accept Hosted handles PCI compliance for you — the card data never touches your servers. This is the closest thing Authorize.net offers to a native payment link, and it works well for one-off payments, invoices, and phone orders.
The limitation is that Accept Hosted requires API integration to generate tokens. It is not a self-service, no-code tool. You need a developer (or a third-party service) to set it up.
How to Create Authorize.net Payment Links with Accept Hosted
Accept Hosted is Authorize.net's official hosted payment page solution. Here is how it works at a high level:
Call the getHostedPaymentPageRequest API endpoint with your API login ID and transaction key. Include the transaction amount, order description, and any customisation settings.
Authorize.net returns a form token — a unique string that represents that specific payment session. Tokens are valid for 15 minutes by default.
Build a URL that loads the Authorize.net hosted form using the token. You can embed this in an iframe on your site or redirect the customer to the Authorize.net-hosted page directly.
Share the URL with your customer via email, SMS, or chat. When they click, they see the payment form and can enter their card details.
After payment, Authorize.net processes the transaction through your merchant account and sends a webhook or redirect to confirm the result.
The API call is straightforward if you are comfortable with REST APIs. Authorize.net provides SDKs for PHP, .NET, Java, Ruby, Python, and Node.js. The key parameters include the transaction amount, a return URL (where the customer lands after paying), and optional settings for customising the form appearance.
One important detail: Accept Hosted tokens expire. If you are sending a payment link by email and the customer does not open it within 15 minutes, the link stops working. You can increase the expiry window through the API settings, but there is no option for a permanently valid link. For longer-lived links, you will need a server-side script that generates a fresh token when the customer clicks.
Sending Authorize.net Payment Links to Customers
Once you have generated an Accept Hosted payment link, you can send it through any channel. The most common methods include:
Email — Embed the link in an invoice email or a standalone "Pay Now" email. This is the most common use case for service businesses and B2B companies sending invoices.
SMS — Text the link to a customer during or after a phone call. Useful for phone orders, appointment deposits, and field service payments.
Chat and messaging — Share the link in WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or live chat. Particularly effective for customer support teams resolving billing issues in real time.
Invoicing software — If you use QuickBooks with Authorize.net, you can add payment links to your invoices so customers can pay online instead of mailing a cheque. See our guide on maximizing invoice payments with Authorize.net and QuickBooks for a detailed walkthrough.
The challenge with Accept Hosted links is the token expiry. If you need links that remain valid for days or weeks — for example, a payment link in a recurring invoice — you will need a middleware layer that generates tokens on demand. This is where third-party payment link tools become useful.
Customising the Authorize.net Hosted Payment Page
Accept Hosted gives you some control over the look and feel of the payment form. When you call the API to request a token, you can pass configuration settings that adjust the hosted page:
Show or hide the billing address fields
Show or hide the shipping address fields
Change the header text (e.g. your company name)
Set background colours for the payment form
Choose whether to show the order summary or hide it
Enable or disable email receipts to customers
Define return and cancel URLs for post-payment redirects
These options are passed as hostedPaymentSettings in the API request. Each setting is a name-value pair, such as hostedPaymentBillingAddressOptions to control address fields or hostedPaymentStyleOptions to set the CSS for the form container.
The branding options are limited compared to modern payment link tools. You cannot upload a logo, change fonts, or fully white-label the checkout experience. The form always carries Authorize.net's styling to some extent. If brand consistency matters to your business, a third-party tool that offers full white-labelling may be a better fit.
Authorize.net Payment Link Fees and Pricing
Authorize.net charges a monthly gateway fee plus a per-transaction fee. The standard pricing is $25 per month for the gateway and 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction on the all-in-one plan. If you have your own merchant account, the gateway-only plan is $25 per month plus 10¢ per transaction (with separate interchange and processor fees on top).
There is no additional charge for using Accept Hosted. The hosted payment page is included with your Authorize.net account. You pay the same per-transaction rate whether the payment comes through an API integration, Accept Hosted, or a virtual terminal entry.
If you compare this to Stripe's payment links, Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction with no monthly fee. The per-transaction cost is similar, but Authorize.net adds the $25 monthly gateway fee. For low-volume businesses, Stripe may be cheaper overall. For higher-volume merchants who already use Authorize.net, the cost difference is negligible since you are already paying the gateway fee.
For a broader comparison of both platforms, see our Authorize.net vs Stripe breakdown.
Third-Party Payment Link Providers That Work with Authorize.net
If Accept Hosted feels too technical or too limited for your needs, several third-party tools can add payment link functionality on top of your Authorize.net account. These services connect to your existing gateway — your processing rates and merchant account stay the same — and add a link creation and management layer.
Shuttle is one option purpose-built for this use case. Shuttle creates branded payment links that connect to your Authorize.net account. You get a no-code dashboard to create links, fully branded checkout pages with your logo and colours, support for multiple payment methods including Apple Pay and Google Pay, and real-time payment tracking. Because Shuttle sits on top of your existing gateway, your Authorize.net rates do not change, and funds settle to your merchant account as normal.
Other approaches include:
Invoicing platforms — Tools like QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and Xero can connect to Authorize.net and generate pay-by-link invoices. The link is essentially a hosted invoice with an embedded payment form.
Custom-built links — If you have a development team, you can build a lightweight web app that generates Accept Hosted tokens on demand and wraps them in a branded page. This gives you full control but requires ongoing maintenance.
E-commerce plugins — WooCommerce, Magento, and other platforms with Authorize.net plugins can generate order-specific payment URLs. These work well if you already run an online store but are overkill for simple link-and-pay workflows.
For businesses that want payment links without building anything, Shuttle or an invoicing platform are the fastest paths. Explore Shuttle for platforms to see how it works with Authorize.net and other gateways.
Limitations of Authorize.net Payment Links
While Accept Hosted gets the job done for basic payment collection, it has some real limitations compared to dedicated payment link tools:
Token expiry — Payment links expire after 15 minutes by default. You can extend this, but there is no option for a permanent link. Every link requires a fresh API call to generate a new token.
No dashboard link creation — You cannot create a payment link from the Authorize.net merchant dashboard. Every link requires API integration, which means you need a developer.
Limited branding — You can change colours and toggle fields, but you cannot upload a logo, use custom fonts, or fully white-label the page. The checkout always looks like an Authorize.net form.
No link tracking — Accept Hosted does not provide analytics on how many people opened the link versus how many paid. You get transaction records in your Authorize.net account, but no funnel visibility.
No recurring or instalment support — Accept Hosted handles one-time payments only. If you need to set up a payment plan or subscription through a link, you will need to use Authorize.net's ARB (Automated Recurring Billing) feature separately or use a third-party tool.
No multi-channel management — There is no central place to manage all your payment links, see their status, or resend them. Each link is a standalone API call.
For merchants who need a simple one-off payment page, these limitations may not matter. But for businesses sending dozens or hundreds of payment links per month — or teams that need to track conversions and manage links from a dashboard — a dedicated payment link provider is the better choice.
Who Should Use Authorize.net Payment Links?
Authorize.net payment links — whether through Accept Hosted or a third-party tool — are a good fit for several types of business:
Service businesses — Plumbers, electricians, consultants, and agencies that complete work first and collect payment after. Send a payment link instead of chasing cheques or waiting for bank transfers.
B2B companies — Add a "Pay Now" link to your invoices and cut your days-sales-outstanding. Works especially well alongside accounting integrations like QuickBooks.
Phone order businesses — Take an order over the phone, then send a payment link by SMS so the customer can enter their own card details. This keeps you PCI-compliant because you never handle the card number.
Platforms and software companies — If you build software that serves merchants on Authorize.net, adding payment link capabilities through a provider like Shuttle lets you offer white-labelled payment links as part of your platform without building the payments infrastructure yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create payment links from the Authorize.net dashboard?
No. Authorize.net does not offer a self-service payment link builder in its merchant dashboard. To create a payment link, you need to use the Accept Hosted API or connect a third-party tool like Shuttle that adds a no-code dashboard on top of your Authorize.net account.
Do Authorize.net payment links expire?
Yes. Accept Hosted tokens expire after 15 minutes by default. You can configure a longer expiry window through the API, but there is no option for a payment link that never expires. If you need persistent links, use a third-party service that generates tokens on demand when the customer clicks.
Is there an extra fee for Authorize.net payment links?
No. Accept Hosted is included with your Authorize.net account at no additional cost. You pay the same per-transaction fees (2.9% + 30¢ on the all-in-one plan, or 10¢ per transaction on the gateway-only plan) regardless of whether the payment comes through an API integration, the virtual terminal, or an Accept Hosted link.
Can I accept recurring payments through an Authorize.net payment link?
Not natively. Accept Hosted handles one-time payments only. For recurring billing, you would need to use Authorize.net's ARB (Automated Recurring Billing) feature through the API, or use a third-party payment link provider that supports subscriptions and instalment plans.
Can I use Authorize.net payment links on my phone?
The Accept Hosted payment page is mobile-responsive, so customers can pay from any device. However, creating the links themselves requires API access — there is no Authorize.net mobile app for generating payment links on the go. If you need to create and send links from your phone, a third-party tool with a mobile-friendly dashboard is the way to go.
Authorize.net payment links are possible, even if the platform does not make it as easy as newer competitors. Accept Hosted gives you a solid foundation for PCI-compliant hosted payments, and third-party tools can fill the gaps in branding, link management, and analytics. If you are already processing through Authorize.net, there is no reason to switch providers — just add a payment link layer on top.
Ready to add payment links to your Authorize.net account? Book a discovery call to see how Shuttle connects to your existing gateway in minutes.