You can create a PayIn payment link for free without registering an account or connecting your receiving wallet. Enter your payment page title, choose how the amount is set, and supply a receiving address for a supported network. Customers open the link and approve payment in their own wallet.
This guide follows the current hosted PayIn flow. You do not need an API integration, a dedicated terminal or a website to start.
Before you create the link
Have a compatible wallet ready to receive USDC on Base, Polygon or Solana. Your customer needs USDC on a network you accept. A matching network matters just as much as a matching address: USDC on one chain is not automatically spendable on another.
Copy your public receiving address from the wallet. Never paste a seed phrase or private key. For Solana, the receiving wallet's USDC token account must already be prepared; the checkout cannot silently create it for you. See the receiving wallet guide if you are unsure.
Step 1: Give the payment a recognizable title
Open Create link. In Payment page title, enter what your customer should recognize, such as “Saturday ceramics workshop” or “Design consultation.” That title appears on the customer-facing page.
Choose Fixed amount if everyone should pay the same price. Otherwise, use Customer enters the amount. For example, a workshop could have a fixed price of 25 USDC; a stall with varying purchases could let the customer enter the agreed total. These are examples, not active payment requests.
Step 2: Choose networks and receiving addresses
Select only networks that your wallet and intended customers can use. Supply the Base / Polygon receiving address if you select either EVM network, and a Solana address if you select Solana.
Read the full address before continuing. Do not infer the selected network from an address starting with 0x: the same address format is used on more than one network. Keeping one familiar network enabled is often easier than offering choices you cannot support.
Step 3: Review and save the management link
Review the title, amount and receiving details, then create the link. The success screen gives you a private management link. Save or back it up before closing the page: it is your access to this receiving setup and its records.
The management link is not a customer payment link. Do not include it in a public post, email campaign or printed QR code.
Step 4: Share the payment link
Open the management page and select Links. Copy Payment link for a message, invoice email or website button. If you want a customer-facing screen at a counter, open POS display instead. The QR on that display leads to the payment page.
Keep the three roles separate:
| Link | Who uses it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Payment link | Customers | Opens the title, amount and wallet payment flow |
| POS display | Your counter device | Displays the QR and can announce newly confirmed payments |
| Management link | You | Shows payment records, links and settings |
Treat the POS link as staff access too: it receives payment status and is not the link to post publicly.
What happens after a customer pays?
The customer opens the payment link, reviews the details, connects a compatible wallet and approves the request. Check Payments in your management page for the confirmed amount and transaction before delivering the item or service. A signature request or an “Awaiting payment” record alone is not proof of receipt.
Unsubmitted attempts expire after 15 minutes and remain in history. Transactions already submitted for confirmation continue to be checked; expiry is not a reason to ask the customer to pay again.
Is it really free and account-free?
PayIn currently offers creation and use without a subscription or registration. This does not mean every blockchain operation, wallet service or conversion to a bank balance has zero cost. Settlement depends on network and payment-service availability, and free service conditions can change. Review any wallet fee or approval before proceeding.
You do not need to buy USDC simply to create a receiving link. Your customer does need the correct USDC balance to pay.
Can one link identify every order?
A reusable link can receive multiple payments, but it does not automatically know which customer ordered which product. Match the payment record with your own customer or order reference. Automated fulfillment requires a separate integration and verification process.
For the distinction from a bare address, read payment link vs wallet address.
Originally published on PayIn Blog — Create a Free USDC Payment Link.
