Payment link messages

A payment link message asks a customer to pay for an order they have already placed, through a link that opens a checkout page where they can pay by UPI or card. Restaurants and cloud kitchens send it for prepaid orders, home bakers and caterers for advances, and tiffin services for monthly plans. The one thing that makes it work is that the customer can see exactly what they are paying for before they tap: the order ID, the amount and what happens once the money is in. A bare link with no amount looks like a scam, and most customers have learnt not to tap those.

Put the amount and the order ID in the same message as the link. Say how long the link stays valid and what happens if it expires; 15 minutes is normal for a food order, a day or two for an advance on a custom order. Send payment links only from your business number, never from a staff member's personal phone, so customers learn that payment requests come from one place. Never ask for a PIN, OTP or card number in chat, and say so if your customers are new to paying online. A link for an order the customer just placed is a service message, so no opt-out line is needed. If the customer has not paid by the deadline, follow up with a payment reminder message rather than a fresh link with no context.

Hi [Name], your order [Order ID] at [Restaurant] comes to ₹[Amount]. Pay here by UPI or card: [Link]. The kitchen starts as soon as the payment is received. This link is valid for [Minutes] minutes.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] पर आपका order [Order ID] ₹[Amount] का है। UPI या card से यहाँ pay करें: [Link]। Payment आते ही kitchen काम शुरू कर देगी। यह link [Minutes] मिनट तक चलेगा।

Hi [Name], to book your [Item] for [Date], please pay an advance of ₹[Advance] out of the ₹[Amount] total: [Link]. The balance of ₹[Balance] is due at [Pickup or Delivery]. We reserve the slot and start preparing once the advance is in.

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] के लिए आपका [Item] book करने के लिए ₹[Amount] में से ₹[Advance] advance यहाँ pay कर दीजिए: [Link]। बाकी ₹[Balance] [Pickup or Delivery] के समय देने होंगे। Advance आते ही हम slot पक्का करके तैयारी शुरू कर देंगे।

Hi [Name], thank you for confirming the order for [Guests] guests on [Date]. The advance is ₹[Advance], which is [Percent] percent of the ₹[Amount] quote. Pay here: [Link]. Your date is blocked once it is paid, and the GST bill will follow on this chat.

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] को [Guests] लोगों का order confirm करने के लिए शुक्रिया। Advance ₹[Advance] है, यानी ₹[Amount] के quote का [Percent] प्रतिशत। यहाँ pay करें: [Link]। Payment होते ही आपकी date block हो जाएगी, और GST bill इसी chat पर भेज देंगे।

Hi [Name], your [Plan Name] tiffin plan for [Month] is ₹[Amount] for [Meals] meals, after adjusting ₹[Credit] for last month's skipped days. Pay here: [Link]. Please pay by [Date] so deliveries continue from [Start Date] without a break.

नमस्ते [Name], [Month] के लिए आपका [Plan Name] tiffin plan [Meals] meals का ₹[Amount] है, पिछले महीने के skip वाले दिनों के ₹[Credit] घटाकर। यहाँ pay करें: [Link]। [Date] तक pay कर दें ताकि [Start Date] से delivery बिना रुके चलती रहे।

Hi [Name], as you asked, here is the link to pay for order [Order ID] online instead of cash: ₹[Amount], [Link]. Once it is paid, the rider will not collect anything at the door.

नमस्ते [Name], जैसा आपने कहा, order [Order ID] का payment cash की जगह online करने का link यह है: ₹[Amount], [Link]। Payment हो जाने के बाद rider दरवाज़े पर कुछ नहीं लेगा।

Hi [Name], your order [Order ID] has been updated: [Change]. The new total is ₹[Amount]. Please use this link: [Link]. The earlier link has been cancelled, so please do not use it.

नमस्ते [Name], आपके order [Order ID] में बदलाव हुआ है: [Change]। नया total ₹[Amount] है। इस link से pay करें: [Link]। पुराना link cancel कर दिया गया है, उससे pay मत कीजिए।

Hi [Name], the payment link for order [Order ID] expired before the payment went through. Here is a fresh one for ₹[Amount]: [Link]. If money was already deducted from your account the first time, do not pay again. Reply here and we will check.

नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] का payment link payment होने से पहले expire हो गया। ₹[Amount] का नया link यह है: [Link]। अगर पहली बार में आपके account से पैसे कट गए थे तो दोबारा pay मत कीजिए, यहीं reply करें, हम check कर लेंगे।

Hi [Name], your [Item] for order [Order ID] is ready. The balance of ₹[Balance] can be paid here before you come: [Link]. You can also pay at the counter when you collect. Pickup at [Pickup Point] from [Time].

नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] का आपका [Item] तैयार है। बाकी ₹[Balance] आने से पहले यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link]। चाहें तो counter पर लेते समय भी दे सकते हैं। Pickup [Pickup Point] से, [Time] के बाद।

Table [Table Number], your bill for order [Order ID] is ₹[Amount]. You can pay from your phone here: [Link], or ask your server to pay at the counter. Thank you for dining with us.

Table [Table Number], order [Order ID] का आपका bill ₹[Amount] है। अपने phone से यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link], या staff को बोलकर counter पर pay कर दीजिए। हमारे यहाँ आने के लिए शुक्रिया।

Hi [Name], here is the secure link to pay ₹[Amount] for order [Order ID]: [Link]. It opens a payment page where you can choose any UPI app or a card. We will never ask for your PIN, OTP or card number in this chat.

नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] के ₹[Amount] pay करने का secure link यह है: [Link]। इससे payment page खुलेगा, जहाँ आप कोई भी UPI app या card चुन सकते हैं। हम इस chat में कभी आपका PIN, OTP या card number नहीं माँगेंगे।

Tips for sending these on WhatsApp

• Send the link straight after the order summary, while the customer still has the chat open. A link that arrives ten minutes later competes with everything else on their phone.
• Avoid asking for UPI transfers to a number followed by a screenshot. Screenshots can be edited, and checking each one against your bank app eats time in a rush. How restaurants verify UPI payments explains the checks.
• On Tezzu, customers who choose online payment pay by UPI or card through Razorpay inside the ordering flow, so the payment shows against the order in the dashboard. If you connect your own Razorpay account, there is no Tezzu platform fee on those payments.
• When a customer says the payment failed, ask before sending a new link whether money left their account. A second payment on top of a pending one means a refund later. The guide to sending a payment link on WhatsApp covers the failure cases.
• Once the money lands, close the loop with a payment received message so the customer is not left wondering.

Frequently asked questions

What should a payment link message include?

The customer's name, the order ID, the exact amount, the link on its own, and how long the link is valid. Add one line on what happens after payment, such as "the kitchen starts as soon as it is received". For advances, state the balance and when it is due. Leave out offers and menu links so the message reads as a payment request and nothing else.

Is it safe to send payment links on WhatsApp?

Yes, when the link opens a proper payment page from a known gateway and comes from your business number. Customers pay inside their own UPI app or card page, and you never see their details. Problems start when links come from personal numbers or ask for OTPs in chat. Tell customers you will never ask for a PIN, and keep every payment request on one number.

How long should a payment link stay valid?

For a food order that is cooked on payment, 15 to 20 minutes is enough; after that, the order should be cancelled or re-confirmed. For an advance on a cake, a catering booking or a monthly tiffin plan, a day or two is reasonable, with a reminder before it expires. State the time limit in the message so the customer knows the order is not held forever.