If you receive orders via email or text as part of your day-to-day business operations, you might have wondered how to streamline the payment process. Especially if you don’t have an ecommerce site, or if your website is primarily focused on company information and service descriptions, collecting payments online can be a challenge.

If you are a small business owner or sole proprietor who is just starting a business in Japan, setting up payment methods is an important step of the process.

One payment method that solves these issues is email link payments. In this article, we’ll discuss how email link payments work, the advantages of adopting them, and key points to keep in mind.

Key takeaways

• Email link payments are a method in which a URL is sent to a customer via email, text, or social media DM, allowing them to complete their payment online.
  
• Even a business that doesn't have its own ecommerce site can introduce online payments by using the email payment link feature offered by a payment processing company.
  
• Email link payments are often well-suited for sole proprietors and small businesses, and can be used in a wide range of situations that require individualized handling, such as phone orders, catalog sales, and B2B invoicing.
  
• When adopting email link payments, businesses must verify not only the payment processing company’s fees and its supported payment methods, but also its security measures, such as nonretention of card information and 3D Secure 2 (3DS2).
  

What are email link payments?

Email link payments are a method in which a business generates and sends a unique URL to a customer via email, text, or social media direct message (DM), allowing the customer to complete their payment online. The customer simply clicks the link they received, accesses a payment page, and enters their credit card information to make the purchase.

A key feature of email link payments is that they are a relatively easy way for businesses without a website or ecommerce site to implement online payments. They can be used in a variety of business contexts, such as sales between individuals, selling on Instagram, phone orders, catalog sales, lesson fees, event participation fees, and payments made after receiving a quote.

Email link payments are a highly convenient option for businesses that find it difficult to process card payments in person or want to offer an alternative to bank transfers (Furikomi).

How email link payments work and the process

Email link payments primarily involve three parties: the business, the customer, and the payment processing company (sometimes called a “payment agent” in Japan). The business sends a payment URL—generated using a payment processing company’s service—to the customer, who then completes the payment at the link’s destination.

The general process is:

• The business registers with the payment processing company.
  
• The business uses the payment processing company’s email link payment service to enter the product name and its cost, and generate a payment URL.
  
• The business sends the generated URL to the customer via email, text, social media DM, etc.
  
• The customer opens the link, enters their payment information on the payment screen, submits the information, and completes the transaction.
  
• The business confirms the payment status on their administrator screen.
  

With email link payments, the entire process, from receiving payment instructions after placing an order to confirming payment completion, can be done online. Since there’s no need to verify the payer’s name or confirm each payment individually—as is the case with bank transfers—the administrative workload is significantly reduced.

Why interest in email link payments is growing

In Japan, the number of people using cashless payments has been rising since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the ratio of cashless payments reached 58% in 2025 and is projected to continue increasing.

In addition to the growing number of domestic customers that are accustomed to paying by credit card or mobile, cashless payments have become an important option for meeting the needs of inbound tourists and international shoppers. Offering payment options other than cash and bank transfers is a strategic way to enhance customer convenience and prevent lost sales opportunities.

On the other hand, some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sole proprietors in Japan are cautious about adopting cashless payments. According to a report from METI’s Cashless Payment Promotion Research Group, common reasons cited by SMEs for not adopting cashless payments include “no problems using cash” and “fees are too high.” The report also identifies implementation costs and the slow pace of adoption as key challenges.

Given these circumstances, email link payments represent a fairly easy way for small businesses to implement online payments. By using email, text, social media DM, or another channel to share a link that has been generated through a payment processing company, the business can guide customers through the online payment process without having to set up a full-fledged ecommerce site or payment terminal.

Types of email link payments

Email link payments are categorized into email-based, text-based, and quick response (QR) code-based, depending on how the payment URL is sent.

Email-based

This method involves sending the payment URL via email. The business can include a payment link along with invoices, quotes, and order confirmations.

Text-based

This method involves sending the payment URL via text message to a mobile phone number. It allows the business to accommodate customers who don’t have an email address or prefer not to use one.

QR code-based

This method involves providing a QR code that links to the payment URL. It can also be featured on in-store point-of-purchase (POP) displays, flyers, invoices, catalogs, event guides, and so on.

Advantages of email link payments

Incorporating email link payments into your business, offers the following benefits.

You’re able to accept cashless payments

With payment links, customers can access a secure payment page through a URL or QR code and complete their payment smoothly. Even when orders are received via email, social media, or phone, businesses can send customers a payment link that allows them to pay by credit card or other cashless payment methods.

For businesses that have primarily relied on bank transfers, this is a great step toward offering customers more payment options.

You can reduce the effort involved in confirming and managing payments

Orders paid by bank transfer involve a number of cumbersome tasks, such as notifying customers of the payee information, verifying the name on the deposit, and reconciling the payment amount.

By using email link payments, you can check payment status on the admin screen, which helps reduce missed confirmations and miscommunications. For businesses that are operated by a small number of people, this can also reduce the daily administrative workload.

It’s easier to keep operating costs down

A key feature of adopting email link payments is that you can start accepting online payments without having to set up a full-fledged ecommerce site or shopping cart from scratch.

On top of that, even at physical stores, if you provide payment instructions with QR codes, there’s no need to install a dedicated payment terminal at the store. This is an option worth considering for businesses looking to adopt cashless payments at a low cost.

Disadvantages of email link payments and how to avoid them

While email link payments offer many benefits, they also present unique challenges. To ensure smooth operations, be sure you understand the potential drawbacks and their countermeasures beforehand.

Some customers are uneasy about payment links

When customers receive a URL via email, text, or social media DM, they might be wary, suspecting it is a phishing scam, and they might wonder if it’s safe to click the link. Especially if the message doesn’t include detailed payment information, many people will hesitate to proceed with the payment.

To avoid causing customers any anxiety, it’s a good idea to clearly include the following in your emails and other messages: your business’s name and contact information, the product name, the amount the customer will be charged, and the payment due date. Sending a brief message in advance that says something like “We’ll send you a payment link from this email address shortly” can help build customer confidence and trust.

You have to carefully check your messages before sending them to the customer

Because email link payments typically involve generating and sending a payment URL for each order, it’s important to verify that the recipient, amount, product name, payment due date, and other details are correct before sending the message.

To prevent missed notifications and incorrect messages, it’s a good idea to establish standard procedures for verifying recipient information and order details. By creating templates with standardized phrases and using those, you can both streamline the verification process and improve accuracy.

Fees and payment cycles vary

Payment handling fees, transfer fees, and the number of days until you receive a deposit can vary by payment processing company. Since sales proceeds aren’t always deposited immediately, it’s a good idea to check a company’s costs and payment cycles before you choose them as your payment processor, to ensure your cash flow won’t be affected.

In particular, businesses that handle a large number of transactions with low unit prices per transaction need to carefully calculate how fees will affect their profit margins.

Businesses and industries that are well-suited for email link payments

Here are some specific examples of industries that tend to be well-suited for email link payments.

Sales via social media and sales between individuals

Email link payments are well-suited for social media sales, where orders are received via platforms such as Instagram or LINE. They’re particularly helpful when handling individual orders received via DM on social media, selling custom-made items, holding items for customers, or taking preorders, as you have the ability to create a payment link tailored to each customer’s order details and share it immediately.

Sales of lessons and services

For small service-oriented businesses, email link payments are a relatively easy-to-use payment method. They are convenient when you want to complete payment before a service is provided, such as for private lesson fees, event participation fees, reservation deposits, or consultation fees. By implementing email link payments, customers are able to complete their payments online before seeing you in person.

Phone orders and catalog sales

With phone orders and catalog sales, you confirm the order details over the phone and then send a payment link via email or DM to guide the customer smoothly through the online payment process.

With this method, there’s no need for the customer to give credit card information over the phone. This creates an environment where both businesses and customers conduct transactions with greater security and peace of mind.

Payments after receiving invoices and quotes in B2B transactions

Email link payments can also be used for business-to-business (B2B) invoicing. For example, it is convenient for services where the price is finalized after a quote is provided, as well as for billing one-time contract fees, repair costs, and travel expenses.

Instead of just sending an invoice, if you also provide a payment link, your business partner can complete the payment online right away.

Points to check before implementing email link payments

Here are a few things to check before you start using email link payments.

Confirm which payment methods can be used with link payments

First, check whether the payment processing company you plan to use supports payments links. There are also convenient services that allow you to create payment links without coding, simply by entering the product name and price on the admin screen.

The available payment methods vary depending on the payment processing company. In addition to credit card payments, some might also accept convenience store (konbini) payments, bank transfers, and mobile payments. Verify in advance whether the payment processing company you’re considering supports the payment methods that are convenient for your target customers.

Check the security measures and how card information is handled

With email link payments, customers enter their credit card information and other details online, so security measures on the payment screen are extremely important. Businesses need to have a proper understanding of how to handle information securely.

It is smart to choose a payment processing company that includes security features such as nonretention of credit card information, Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, 3D Secure 2 (3DS2), and fraud protection.

How Stripe Payment Links can help

Stripe Payment Links is a no-code solution that allows you to quickly create and share secure payment pages online.

Payment Links can help you:

• Get paid faster: Share custom payment links with customers and accept one-time or recurring payments instantly, without invoicing or complex integrations.

• Improve conversion: Boost payment conversion rates with a mobile-optimized design and streamlined checkout experience.

• Save time: Easily create, customize, and share payment pages through the Stripe Dashboard—with minimal coding.

• Expand globally: Accept payments from customers worldwide, with Adaptive Pricing localizing prices for 135+ currencies and offering local payment methods that are ready to use.

• Access other Stripe products: Integrate Payment Links with other Stripe products—such as Stripe Billing, Stripe Radar, and Stripe Tax—to add more payment capabilities.

• Maintain control: Customize the look and feel of your payment pages to match your brand, and track all your payment activities in one place.

Learn more about how Payment Links makes it easy to accept online payments, or get started today.

FAQs about email link payments