Payment links in the Netherlands: The fastest way to get paid online

Key takeaways

• Payment links help businesses get paid faster than invoices or manual bank transfers.

• They can be sent to customers through preferred communications channels and don’t require a website or plugins.

• With Airwallex you can use payment links to collect in multiple currencies, reduce FX costs, and streamline your financial operations from one dashboard.

Online payments shouldn’t feel like you’re navigating a legacy bank portal. They should be fast, simple, and error-proof, but for many Dutch SMEs and freelancers, they rarely are.

It’s not just your customers who need speed and flexibility with online payments. You’re running a business too – you don’t have time to chase PDFs, email clients chasing up overdue invoices, or wonder if someone’s mistyped your IBAN. Payment links can help you get paid faster with less friction. 

In this guide, we’ll unpack what payment links are, how they speed up online payments, and how you can get paid securely in just a few minutes.

What are payment links and why are they popular in the Netherlands?

A payment link does what it says on the tin. It’s a URL merchants can generate and send to their customers, who then click on it and pay.

Whether you send payment links through SMS, email, messaging apps, or social media, the customer experience is the same: they get redirected to a payment page where they can complete the purchase.

Payment links slot neatly into Dutch payment culture, where consumers are used to quick purchases via one-click iDEAL payments and SEPA Instant. 

How to create a payment link (step-by-step)

So, how easy is it to create a payment link? It’s usually a quick process, no matter which provider you use. While the platform interface will vary, most follow the same steps:

1. Sign up or log in to your payment provider: You’ll need an account with a regulated payment service provider (PSP). New users may have to complete verification before creating links.

2. Navigate to payment link tool: Often labelled ‘Payments’, ‘Payment Links’ or ‘Payment Requests’, this is where you can create, preview, and manage your links.

3. Enter the payment details: Add the amount, currency, and a short description of the goods or services. Many providers let you customise the payment page with your logo and/or a note.

4. Generate your link: The platform will create a secure, unique URL. No coding required.

5. Share it with your customer: You can paste the link into an email, WhatsApp, SMS, invoice, DM, or even provide a unique QR code to download. 

6. Track the payment: Once the payment is made, you’ll receive a confirmation through your dashboard or email. You can usually reconcile payments from the same place you generated them.

When should Dutch businesses use payment links?

Payment links are useful when a full checkout flow (which typically involves code) or generating an invoice causes unnecessary friction.

For Dutch SMEs and freelancers, they provide a quick way for customers to pay without plugins, integrations, or navigating a website.

For example, if you’re a freelance designer working on a quick project – sending a quick link to collect a deposit is faster than waiting until an invoice to settle. And, if your client is overseas, payment links avoid the delays of international transfers and can even help you expand your market reach.

Your client doesn’t need to have iDEAL or a Dutch bank account with a payment link; they can choose their preferred method, and you get paid in euros (or another currency) without waiting days for a SWIFT transfer.

Payment links can also help with the dreaded overdue invoice dilemma most freelancers face. Instead of emailing another reminder with your PDF invoice attached, you can send a link directly to your client as part of a conversation you’re already having via email, Slack or WhatsApp. It removes the small points of friction that often delay Dutch bank transfers such as logging in, typing IBANs, switching between apps, etc.

3 local considerations for the Netherlands (iDEAL & SEPA)

The Netherlands has one of the most advanced payment infrastructures in Europe, with near-instant bank transfers setting the benchmark for what ‘good’ looks like. Dutch buyers expect speed and familiarity, and your payment links need to reflect that.

Domestic expectations

For Dutch customers, online payment habits are shaped by bank-based methods, not cards. iDEAL alone accounts for roughly three-quarters of online payments across domestic and cross-border merchants.² SEPA Instant settles account-to-account payments within seconds.

To optimise conversions and get paid fast, you’ll want to avoid legacy bank transfer delays and offer seamless checkout experiences. If your payment link doesn’t support these two methods, you risk blocking access to the majority of your local buyers and undermining trust in your brand. 

International buyers

If you sell outside the Netherlands, or plan to soon, your payment links need to accommodate buyers who can’t use iDEAL and won’t pay via slow manual transfers. Links that only support domestic rails immediately limit reach.

The best link providers support cards, wallets, support global payment methods, allow buyers to pay in their home currency, give Dutch businesses the option to hold or convert foreign currency, and use local rails instead of SWIFT.

Hidden FX

For cross-border revenue, FX cost and settlement model can impact your cash flow just as much as the methods you offer. If you’re forced into expensive (sometimes unnecessary) currency conversions, high FX rates, or unpredictable settlement speed, you end up absorbing costs and taking on cash flow risk. 

The payment links outlined above, that let you control when (and whether) to convert funds, hold foreign currency balances, and avoid SWIFT routing, should eliminate these hidden costs. 

The benefits of using payment links over traditional methods

Most businesses use payment links for their simplicity and efficiency, and there are a few ways those benefits flow through your business.

1. Faster collection than invoices

Invoicing can slow payments down. You send a PDF, the client forwards it to finance, and finance adds it to the monthly payment cycle. 

But with a link, you can encourage the customer to pay the moment they open the message, meaning your day's sales outstanding drops, cash flow improves, and you spend less time following up.

2. Fewer abandoned payments

Bank transfers typically still involve the below micro-friction points; each is a potential abandoned payment.

• Switching between apps

• Copy/pasting an IBAN

• Authentication steps

• Getting distracted mid-transfer

Payment links remove these hurdles and can improve conversion rates on standard sales, overdue invoices, deposits, and prepayments.

3.  Increased trust

Not every customer will accept you sending bank details via email or WhatsApp, especially with phishing attacks on the rise.

A hosted payment link adds legitimacy with a branded payment page, recognisable payment methods, and security measures included. Your payment request feels legitimate and safe.

4. No website, plugin or developer required

Many Dutch SMEs operate between offline and eCommerce, and don’t need (or want) a complex checkout flow or a plugin to connect to a platform like Shopify. They just want a way to get paid.

With payment links, there’s no waiting plugin to be installed, sandbox to be tested, or card gateway to be integrated. You can collect payment immediately, even if your website is offline or outdated.

Security and compliance considerations for Dutch businesses

Your payment service provider (the platform that you use to generate your payment link, like Airwallex) should have security measures in place that protect transaction integrity and confidentiality.

It should be:

• PSD2 compliant: This legislation shapes how electronic payments work across Europe, from the two-factor authentication your customers encounter at checkout to how payment providers handle transaction data.

• PCI DSS aligned: Any card details are entered on a secure, hosted page rather than shared with you directly, reducing the risk of handling sensitive data.

• Designed to remove manual data handling: So you don’t have any customer information storage insecurely.

• A regulated PSP: A licensed payment provider should provide the above, plus monitor transactions, apply fraud checks, and keep verifiable records. Consumer apps (like peer-to-peer wallets) don’t tend to offer the same level of compliance oversight.

How Airwallex enables payment links for Dutch businesses

By now, you know how payment links remove friction from collection. At Airwallex, we take that one step further by making the whole process fast, flexible, and global.

Payment links are created in seconds from your dashboard or app and let you collect in multiple currencies across 160+ payment methods — including cards, wallets, and local rails. You can generate one-off links or recurring links for retainers and subscription-style work, and embed both into invoices through our integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, and NetSuite for cleaner reconciliation.

But, where Airwallex really stands out is in cross-border payments. 

If a client in Germany or the US pays you in their local currency, the funds land in your multi-currency account, where you can hold 23 currencies without forced conversion. Convert it at a later date or use it to pay suppliers, removing unnecessary bank markups, and FX fees.

And, because Airwallex offers more than payments, you can manage what you collect – plus manage spend, corporate cards, and bill pay – from one dashboard. 

FAQs

What’s the difference between a payment link, a checkout page, and a traditional invoice?

A payment link is a quick, flexible way to get paid. You generate a URL, send it to customers via established communication channels like email, WhatsApp, or LinkedIn, and they pay on a secure, hosted page. You don’t need a website.

A checkout page is part of your website or app. It’s great for eCommerce products and predictable sales, but not for collecting a deposit or a custom project fee.

An invoice is the traditional option: usually a PDF with detailed line items, payment terms, and ways to pay - often bank transfer, but can include payment links and other methods.

When should a business use a payment link instead of taking payment through their website?

Payment links are useful if a full checkout page isn’t practical or necessary. They work well for custom project fees, one-off services, deposits, overdue invoices, and ad-hoc orders outside of your standard product catalogue. 

They’re also favoured by businesses selling outside of a website, for example, via WhatsApp or social media. Asking for payment this way is usually fast and straightforward, and doesn’t require any website updates, new plugins, or asking someone to navigate to a checkout page.

Are payment links secure and compliant with Dutch and EU regulations?

When a payment link is generated by a licensed payment service provider like Airwallex, the transaction occurs in a secure way that meets EU requirements, such as PSD2 and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). 

Customers enter their card or bank details directly on that page, not through email or chat, so your business doesn’t handle sensitive information and stays out of PCI DSS scope. As long as you use a regulated PSP, payment links follow the same security and compliance standards as other online payment methods used across the Netherlands and the EU.

How can you collect international payments through payment links?

It depends on the provider. Some payment links may only support domestic methods or EUR transactions, which limits how easily overseas customers can pay you. 

With Airwallex, you can accept payments from international clients in 130+ currencies with 160+ global payment methods. 

The funds will flow into your multi-currency account, where you can hold 23+ currencies without forced conversion. This gives Dutch businesses a more efficient way to collect cross-border payments without relying on slow, expensive international bank transfers.

Sources and references

1 https://www.fintechfutures.com/press-releases/netherlands-buy-now-pay-later-market-report-2025-payments-to-grow-by-14-to-reach-10-29-billion-this-year-forecasts-to-2030

2 factsheet.betaalvereniging.nl