Cashfree Payment Links

Cashfree Payment Links lets businesses collect payments through a branded checkout page without a website or coding. Merchants can share links by WhatsApp, SMS, email, QR code, social channels, or invoices. WhatsApp-native links show a branded widget within the chat rather than redirecting customers to a browser. Customers can pay using UPI, cards, net banking, wallets, and more than 180 payment methods. Merchants can offer partial payments, set a link expiry date, or leave it open until deactivation. CSV or Excel uploads can create hundreds of links in one batch. APIs can create, manage, and track links, while dashboard creation is also available. Eligible businesses can receive settlements starting from 15 minutes. Link creation and reminders are listed as free, though standard Payment Gateway charges apply. Payment limits depend on account configuration, business profile, and regulatory requirements. Listed integrations include Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, PayPal, WordPress, and Zoho. Use cases include school and coaching fees, loan collections, social selling, invoices, bookings, and B2B collections. Cashfree says the service runs on RBI-authorised, PCI DSS-compliant infrastructure and is ISO 27001 certified.

Cashfree Payment Links supports multiple sharing channels, payment methods, and link-management options. The listed free price covers link creation and reminders, while standard gateway charges and account-dependent limits still apply.

It suits businesses collecting payments through shareable links, including for fees, invoices, bookings, or B2B collections. Businesses can also use bulk creation or APIs to manage links.

Cashfree Payment Links gives businesses branded checkout pages without requiring a website or coding. It suits merchants collecting fees, invoices, bookings or social-commerce payments through shared links, particularly when WhatsApp checkout and bulk link creation matter. The strongest case is broad payment coverage with free link creation; gateway charges and account-specific limits still determine the practical cost.

Overview

Merchants can distribute payment requests through WhatsApp, SMS, email, QR codes, social channels and invoices. WhatsApp-native checkout shows a branded widget inside the conversation instead of moving customers to a browser, a useful advantage for sellers who close transactions in chat. Customers can pay by UPI, cards, net banking, wallets and more than 180 payment methods.

Staged payments are supported, so a business can collect an amount in installments rather than requiring the entire balance upfront. Links can expire on a chosen date or remain open until deactivated. Eligible businesses may receive settlements starting from 15 minutes. Payment ceilings vary by account configuration, business profile and regulatory requirements, which makes the service less suitable when every account needs one predictable transaction limit.

Key features

• Broad payment coverage: UPI, cards, net banking, wallets and more than 180 methods accommodate varied customer preferences. The trade-off is that standard gateway charges still apply.
• WhatsApp checkout: The in-chat branded widget removes a browser handoff, fitting conversational sales and support-led collections.
• Bulk link creation: CSV or Excel uploads can create hundreds of links in one operation, a meaningful time saver for schools, coaches, invoice teams and other repetitive collection workflows.
• Link controls: Expiry dates help close time-sensitive requests, while deactivation keeps an open-ended link under merchant control.
• Partial payments: Installment-style collection works for fees, bookings and other charges where demanding the full amount at once would be inconvenient.
• API and tracking: APIs can create, manage and track links, alongside dashboard and bulk-upload workflows. This gives technical teams automation while smaller businesses can stay with the dashboard.
• Checkout and infrastructure: Basic checkout customization supports branded pages without building a site. Cashfree says the service runs on RBI-authorised, PCI DSS-compliant infrastructure, is ISO 27001 certified and targets 99.99% uptime.
• Integrations and support: Listed integrations include Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, PayPal, WordPress and Zoho. A support center, customer-query resolution and a Discord community provide assistance channels.

Pricing

There is one free plan rather than a tiered seat or quota structure. It is a strong fit for businesses that want to start collecting without a subscription, but “free” applies to creation and reminders, not payment processing. Limits depend on the account, business profile and regulatory requirements, so high-volume or higher-value merchants should confirm their allowed limits before relying on the service.

Platforms

Cashfree Payment Links supports Android, web and API access. Android and web suit merchants creating or sharing links directly; the API is the relevant route for software-driven creation, management and tracking.

Who it's for

This is a practical match for schools and coaching providers collecting fees, lenders handling loan collections, social sellers, invoice-based businesses, booking operators and B2B collection teams. It is especially compelling when customers arrive through WhatsApp or when hundreds of individualized links must be produced from a spreadsheet. Businesses needing a fixed, universally stated payment ceiling or more than basic checkout customization should look carefully at account constraints before choosing it.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free link creation and reminders: There is no subscription charge for the core link workflow.
• Over 180 payment methods: Customers get extensive choice across UPI, cards, net banking and wallets.
• WhatsApp-native checkout: A branded in-chat widget avoids a browser redirect.
• Bulk and API workflows: Spreadsheet uploads and programmatic controls support both batch operations and automation.
• Flexible collection controls: Partial payments, expiry dates and manual deactivation cover varied billing situations.

Cons

• Gateway fees remain: The free price does not remove standard Payment Gateway charges.
• Account-dependent limits: Transaction capacity is not one universal figure for every merchant.
• Basic customization: Businesses wanting deeply tailored checkout presentation may find the controls insufficient.

Alternatives

Choose Dojo instead if you want a freemium service with Android, API, iOS and web support, a free Essential plan, major card types, real-time transactions and PCI-compliance tools.

Mollie is the better comparison for pay-as-you-go processing with no contract or commitment and published domestic and other consumer-card rates.

Pick PayPal Invoicing when creating and sending invoices without setup or subscription fees is the central need, with transaction fees charged when customers pay.

Checkout.com suits organizations seeking registered-charity processing or tailored pricing rather than a single link-focused free plan.

HitPay Payment Links offers no setup or monthly fee, charging per transaction with a Payment Links fee plus payment-method processing.

Pay. Pay by Link is an alternative with no monthly charges and per-transaction pricing.

SumUp Payment Links uses a no-monthly-cost model with a stated 2.50% transaction fee.

Mercado Pago Payment Link charges no monthly fee and applies processing fees when a sale occurs.

For a wider shortlist, see Payment Link Software.

Verdict

Cashfree Payment Links is a strong choice for merchants that need branded, no-code collection across WhatsApp, invoices, QR codes and bulk campaigns, with unusually broad payment-method coverage and API access. Choose it for flexible collection workflows and free link creation; look elsewhere if gateway costs, account-specific limits or basic checkout customization conflict with your operating requirements.