Why payment links are key to thriving throughout lockdown

Since the Covid pandemic started, ATM withdrawals have dropped by 60%, online sales now make up 30% of total UK retail transactions and 76% of respondents to a Bank of England survey admit that the Coronavirus crisis will affect their future use of cash.

It wasn’t cryptocurrencies, government laws or fashion trends who moved us towards online payments. It was a global pandemic.

And it’s obvious why: mobile payments are safer, more efficient and very often, a lot more convenient. Having said that, many small businesses are struggling to make the leap to digital mainly because it can be complicated to set up and payment processing can be very expensive.

The good news is that with Pomelo Pay’s payment links, taking payments online is no longer a hassle. We’re convinced you’ll agree with us. 👇

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How does a payment link work?

As the name suggests, a payment link is essentially a link you send to your customer that allows them to complete an online payment. This allows you to take payments without having to physically be with your customer. The process is straightforward:

1. You create a payment request on the Pomelo Pay app
2. You send the link to your customer via email or SMS
3. The link takes the customer to a separate payment screen where they can fill out their details and complete a payment
4. You get a notification that the payment has been completed. The payment arrives in under 2 days

Your customer can open the link on their phone or computer and can pick the payment method that works best for them: Apple Pay, Google Pay or debit/credit card.

This payment system can be used to receive a deposit, request a payment or make a sale. It’s a no-nonsense, simple payment method that every business owner wishes they had heard of sooner. You can let your customers know that payments are secure and encrypted and their card details are not stored on the system. Oh, and texting your payment links means you won’t have to chase payments anymore!

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Pay by link use cases

What are some examples of businesses using Payment Links? Here are a few of them:

You’re a contractor going to do a job

As a contractor or tradesman, you’re often moving around going from one job to another. You don’t have time to go home and send an invoice, and it can be hard to keep track of all the jobs you do.

With Payment Links, you can send over a request to pay as soon as the job is finished - either in person or once you’ve left. All you need is your phone and the Pomelo Pay app to send it over.

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You want to take payments over the phone

If you manage a restaurant or takeaway, you likely accept large takeaway orders from customers who are ordering in a group. This can often be a hassle: do you ask for a bank transfer? Do you ask them to come to the shop to pay with their debit card? What’s a secure way of taking their payment?

With Payment Links, you can easily take your payment while talking to your client over the phone, and the entire process takes a few seconds. Once you’ve calculated how much they owe you, put it together in a Payment Request, send it over by email or SMS and they’ll easily be able to pay from home with their debit card.

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You’re taking a deposit

Maybe you're completing a big job or making a reservation for your client. Maybe you don't want to use your own money to purchase raw materials needed for the job - why not take a deposit to ensure you don’t pay out of pocket?

With Payment Links, you can send as many email payment requests as you want, and can easily track how much is due from each client. No need to sign up to invoicing software or pay a hefty fee to a payment processor: now it’s just a link!

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You sell products/services online

Maybe you’re a yoga instructor who’s doing their classes online or you’re wanting to sell merchandise through an online store. Although there are tons of online shop builders that will help you manage the payment side of your products and services, many of them are overcomplicated and take over 20% of your income. You want something simple and straightforward so your customers, students or clients can pay easily and securely.

Julie, a Pomelo Pay customer, sells Christmas gifts online. Instead of going through the hassle of setting up a website and partnering with a payment provider, she now just sends payment links to her customers through Facebook. Easy peasy!

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You’re collecting a large payment

If you’re a landlord, property manager or deal with large payments, you want to make sure you’re using a secure payment method. Taking payments over the phone the old-fashioned way by asking your customer reading out loud their card details is not secure and a pain for both you and your customer. Bank transfers are cumbersome and cannot always be called back if there is an error.

With Payment Links, it all happens through one payment screen. Each transaction is tokenised and encrypted, and your customer’s payment details aren’t stored anywhere. You can easily send an email payment link, and your customer just needs to use their debit or credit card. You’re now able to provide an excellent payment experience to your clients. 🎉

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Using payment links throughout lockdown

As a small business, lockdown means you are likely selling your products and services online and are still navigating the digital world. Using payment links will help you feel more confident about taking digital payments and expanding your business online. That’s because taking payments online is no longer cumbersome, expensive or confusing for your customer: it’s smooth, simple and effective. This gives you the time, money and energy to focus on your business, rather than dealing with payments (we do that!).

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Many Pomelo Pay users are using payment links to grow their businesses online, increase the number of orders and decrease costs. If you’re interested in using a simple payment method with your customers, payment links are a must-try. Oh and with Pomelo Pay… it’s all free! We only charge a 1.49% transaction fee. 👇

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