What is a hosted payment page?: Benefits, examples, and how to set one up

Key takeaways

• A hosted payment page lets you accept online payments quickly without building or securing a checkout yourself. Your provider handles the payment, security, and compliance.

• Hosted payment pages reduce checkout friction and drop-off by offering a fast, trusted experience that works across devices, currencies, and payment methods.

• Airwallex makes it easy to launch hosted payment pages in minutes, with local payment methods, multi-currency pricing, and all payments tracked in one place.

If you run an online business, you’ll know that checkout influences revenue. When customers reach the payment stage, everything needs to work. If your checkout is slow, confusing, or insecure, people drop off and you lose sales. 

A hosted payment page lets you accept online payments without taking on the work of building or securing a full checkout system yourself. Your payment provider hosts the page, collects the payment, protects the card data and returns the customer to your site when they’re done. You stay in control of the experience while removing most of the stress that comes with payments.

But, how do hosted payment pages work, and how do you set one up? Find out here.

What is a hosted payment page?

A hosted payment page is a secure online checkout page that lives outside your website and is managed by your payment provider. When a customer’s ready to pay, you send them to this page. They enter their payment details, the provider processes the transaction, and then sends them back to you.

You don’t handle card numbers or bank details yourself. The provider manages security, fraud checks, and compliance. You get a simple, reliable way to take payments without building everything from scratch.

Hosted payment pages are used by eCommerce brands, SaaS companies, charities, travel businesses, events platforms, and anyone who wants a fast, low effort way to accept payments.

Read more: How to set up online payments for your business

How a hosted payment page works

The experience is simple for the customer, but here’s what happens behind the scenes.

1. Customer starts checkout

2. They choose a product or plan on your site and click to pay.

3. They’re redirected

4. Your site sends them to the hosted payment page

5. They enter payment information

6. They choose a card, bank method or local payment option. The provider collects and encrypts everything

7. The payment’s authorised

8. The provider runs fraud checks, sends the request through the payment networks, and completes the transaction

9. They return to your site

10. Once the payment’s complete, the customer’s brought back to your confirmation page

Hosted payment pages work for single payments, subscriptions, recurring charges, and deposits. They can support many currencies and local payment options.

How to set up a hosted payment page

You don’t need any payment or coding knowledge to do this. Think of it as creating a secure checkout link your customers can use to pay. Different providers label buttons slightly differently, but the steps below are the same everywhere.

Step 1. Open an account with a payment provider

Pick a provider that supports your country and the payment methods you need. Sign up on their website.

Onboarding can ask for business documents. Have these ready:

• Company registration details

• Director or owner ID

• Proof of address

• Your website or app URL

Once approved, you’ll get access to a dashboard.

Step 2. Find the hosted payment page option

In the dashboard, look for something like Payment links, Hosted checkout, Hosted payment page, or Pay by link.

Step 3. Set up what you want to sell

You’ll usually be asked to fill in:

• Product or service name

• Price

• Currency

• One off payment or recurring payment:

  • If it’s a single purchase, choose one off.

  • If it’s a subscription, choose recurring and set the billing frequency.

Step 4. Choose how customers can pay

Select the payment methods you want to offer. Most providers let you turn on cards, bank transfer, and sometimes local methods depending on your market.

If you don’t see local methods, that usually means the provider doesn’t support them in your country yet, or you need to enable extra settings.

Read more: Top 8 SaaS payment solutions for UK businesses in 2025

Step 5. Add branding  

Upload your logo and choose colours. Some providers allow full styling, others keep it simple for security reasons. Go with what’s available.

Step 6. Set your success and cancel pages

You’ll be asked where to send customers after they pay. Add:

• A success URL, like your order confirmation or thank you page

• A cancel URL, like your checkout or cart page

If you don’t have them, you can use a temporary page now and update it later.

Step 7. Generate your hosted payment link

Click create or publish. The provider will give you a link. You can:

• Add it to a button on your site

• Share it in an email or invoice

• Use it in a checkout flow that redirects customers

Step 8. Test everything before going live

Most providers offer a test mode or sandbox. Try paying through the hosted page and check:

• The payment completes successfully

• You land on the right success page

• You receive a confirmation in your dashboard

Step 9. Switch to live mode

When testing looks good, turn on live payments. Your hosted page is now ready for real customers.

Step 10. Monitor  

After launch, watch:

• Payment success rate

• Drop off at checkout

• Failed payment reasons

• Settlement timing

If you see lots of drop off, try adding more local methods or tightening the wording on the hosted page so customers know they’re in the right place.

That’s it. Once a hosted payment page is live, you can usually duplicate it for new products, new currencies, or new regions in minutes.

Airwallex makes setting up hosted payment pages simple

We’ve made it really easy to launch a hosted payment page that’s fast, secure, and ready to use. You don’t need specialist knowledge or extra development, and your customers get a smooth way to pay from anywhere.

Airwallex handles all sensitive payment details. You never touch card numbers or bank information. Airwallex processes and protects everything, so you avoid the security work that normally comes with accepting online payments.

Customers can pay the way they prefer. You can offer cards, bank transfers and many popular local payment methods. This helps more customers complete checkout, especially those paying from outside the UK.

Customers can pay in their own currency. Airwallex shows prices in the customer’s local currency. You choose when to convert the funds, which helps you avoid unnecessary FX fees.

Setup takes only a few minutes. You can create a hosted payment page directly in the Airwallex dashboard or through simple developer tools. No redesigns or heavy engineering needed.

You see all payments in one place. Payments settle quickly into your multi-currency wallet, and you can track everything in real time across all countries you sell to.

Create your hosted payment page with Airwallex.

Examples of great hosted payment pages

Each of these pages adapts to the customer, not the other way around. Currency feels familiar, payment methods match expectations, and the flow fits the purchase.

Arsenal FC hospitality tickets

This page removes currency friction for international buyers. Prices automatically display in the customer’s local currency, with the option to switch if they prefer.  

Why it works

• Detects the buyer’s location and suggests the right currency

• Lets customers choose their preferred currency before paying

• Removes uncertainty around exchange rates and final cost

City Spare Space luggage storage

This page is designed for travellers who need to pay quickly, often from overseas. It supports a wide range of local payment methods, so customers can use what they already trust.

Why it works

• Supports cards alongside local methods like Alipay and WeChat Pay

• Removes barriers for international customers

• Speeds up checkout for on the move users

Planet Rail luxury travel

This page fits the buying journey rather than forcing full payment upfront. Customers can pay a deposit first, then settle the balance later through the same flow.

Why it works

• Supports deposit and balance payments

• Keeps the payment experience consistent across both steps

• Reduces hesitation on high value purchases

Narakeet software subscriptions

This page makes upgrades and subscriptions simple for existing users. Customers can move to a paid plan or upgrade using a payment link, without navigating a full checkout.

Why it works

• Enables quick upgrades via payment links

• Reduces steps for returning customers

• Supports subscriptions without complex setup

Why you should use a hosted payment page

These examples show why most businesses choose this approach.

You avoid almost all PCI responsibility

If your website handles card details, you must follow strict security rules known as PCI. A hosted payment page avoids this because the card data never touches your site. The provider collects and protects it, so you don’t have to.

You can go live faster

You don’t need weeks of development time. Many businesses start taking payments on the same day.

You get built in security and fraud protection

Your provider handles card authentication, fraud checks, and compliance. You don’t need to run these systems yourself.

Your checkout converts better

Hosted pages are designed to be clean and trustworthy. They work well on mobile and offer clear payment choices, which helps more customers complete their purchase.

You spend less time maintaining your checkout

Your provider keeps everything secure and up to date. You don’t need to make technical or security changes whenever rules shift.

What’s the difference between hosted, embedded, and self hosted checkout?

You’ve got three choices when it comes to payments. Most businesses go for a hosted checkout when they want speed, simplicity, and low risk. Larger businesses with specific design needs sometimes choose embedded or self hosted options.

Hosted checkout

The customer leaves your site to pay. It’s the quickest to launch and the safest for teams that want minimal compliance work.

Embedded checkout

Your provider gives you a payment form that sits inside your site. You get more control over the look, but the provider still handles sensitive data. It’s a middle ground.

Read more: What are embedded payments? Benefits and best practices for your business

Self hosted checkout

You build and run everything yourself. You control the whole experience but you take on all PCI responsibility. It’s for businesses with strong engineering and security teams.

Ready to launch your hosted payment page?

A hosted payment page gives you a simple way to start taking payments without the cost, time, or risk of building a checkout yourself. It lets you launch faster, stay secure without extra work, and offer customers a smooth experience from day one. If you’re growing into new markets or want to support more payment methods, it’s one of the easiest upgrades you can make.

Airwallex makes this even simpler. You can set up a hosted payment page in minutes, accept cards, bank payments and local methods, and track everything in one place. If you’re ready to start taking payments quickly and give your customers a checkout that works, you can create your account and set up your first page today.

FAQs

What is a hosted payment page?

A hosted payment page is a secure checkout page managed by your payment provider. Customers leave your site to pay and return once the payment is complete.

How does a hosted payment page work?

Your customer clicks pay, gets redirected to a secure page, enters their details, the provider authorises the payment, and the customer returns to your confirmation page.

Do I need technical skills to set one up?

No. Most providers let you create a hosted payment page in their dashboard by choosing a product, price and payment methods, then generating a link.

Is a hosted payment page secure?

Yes. The provider handles all card data, fraud checks and PCI compliance, so your business doesn’t need to manage this yourself.

Can I brand a hosted payment page?

Most providers let you add your logo and colours so the page matches your site and feels trustworthy to customers.

What payment methods can customers use?

This depends on your provider, but most support cards, bank payments and local methods. Platforms like Airwallex support many global options.

Can I use a hosted payment page for subscriptions?

Yes. Many providers support recurring payments, so you can collect monthly or annual charges through the same page.

How is a hosted payment page different from embedded checkout?

Hosted checkout takes customers off your site. Embedded checkout places a payment form on your site but still uses the provider’s secure infrastructure.