If you take orders by phone, handle B2B transactions, or create custom quotes, you need a way to collect payment outside the normal storefront checkout. Shopify makes this possible through draft orders - and more recently, through a standalone Payment Links feature.

This guide walks through every method for sending a Shopify payment link to your customers, step by step.

Key Takeaways
1
Draft orders let you create manual orders in Shopify and send a payment link or invoice to your customer.
2
You can send an invoice email or share a direct checkout link - both methods give the customer a secure page to pay.
3
Shopify’s Payment Links feature (launched 2024) lets you create a payment link without building a full draft order first.
4
Partial payments are supported - you can collect a deposit up front and the remaining balance later.

What Is a Draft Order?

A draft order is a manual order you build inside the Shopify admin. Unlike regular orders that customers create by adding items to their cart and checking out, a draft order is one you put together on behalf of the customer.

You pick the products, set quantities, apply discounts or custom pricing, choose shipping, and add the customer’s details. Once the draft order is ready, you send the customer a payment link so they can pay and complete the purchase.

Draft orders are useful in several situations:

  • Phone and email orders - A customer calls in wanting to place an order. You build it as a draft and email them a checkout link.
  • B2B and wholesale - You negotiate pricing with a business buyer, then create a draft order with their custom rates.
  • Custom or made-to-order products - Items not listed in your store can be added as custom line items with a set price.
  • Invoicing for services - If you offer services alongside physical products, draft orders work as simple invoices.
  • Pre-orders - Accept payment for products before they’re available in your store.

How to Create a Draft Order in Shopify

Before you can send a payment link, you need a draft order to attach it to. Here’s how to set one up:

Step 1 - Open Draft Orders

Log into your Shopify admin. Go to Orders in the left sidebar, then click Drafts. Click the Create order button in the top-right corner.

Step 2 - Add Products and Customer Details

Search for existing products in your catalog, or click Add custom item to enter a product name, price, and quantity manually. Custom items are helpful when selling something that isn’t listed in your store.

Next, add the customer. You can search for an existing customer or create a new one by entering their name and email. Adding the customer here is important - Shopify needs their email address to send the invoice.

Step 3 - Set Discounts and Shipping

Apply any discounts by clicking Add discount. You can set a percentage or fixed amount. For shipping, click Add shipping and select a rate, enter a custom rate, or mark the order as free shipping.

You can also add notes or tags to the order for internal tracking. Once everything looks right, click Save to create the draft order without sending it yet.

Option 1: Send an Invoice Email

Sending an invoice is the most common way to share a Shopify payment link. The customer gets an email with a button that takes them straight to a checkout page where they can pay.

Step 1 - Open the Draft Order

From your Shopify admin, go to Orders > Drafts and click on the draft order you want to send.

Step 2 - Click Send Invoice

Click the Send invoice button. A dialog box opens where you can:

  • Confirm or change the recipient email address
  • Add a custom subject line
  • Write a personal message to the customer
  • Add BCC recipients (useful for sending yourself a copy)

Step 3 - Review and Send

Click Review invoice to preview what the customer will receive. If everything looks correct, click Send invoice. The customer gets an email with a link to a secure checkout page.

Important: Do not mark the order as paid before the customer completes payment. Marking it paid removes the checkout link, and the customer won’t be able to pay.

Option 2: Share a Checkout Link Directly

If you’d rather send the link through a channel other than email - like SMS, WhatsApp, or social media - you can copy the checkout link and share it yourself.

Step 1 - Open the Draft Order

Go to Orders > Drafts in your Shopify admin and select the draft order.

Step 2 - Copy the Checkout Link

Look for the Share checkout link option (on desktop) or the share icon (on the Shopify mobile app). Click it to copy the URL to your clipboard.

Step 3 - Send the Link

Paste the link into a text message, chat app, email, or any other channel. When the customer clicks it, they land on a checkout page with the order details pre-filled. They just need to enter payment information and confirm.

Option 3: Shopify Payment Links (No Draft Order Needed)

In 2024, Shopify introduced a Payment Links feature that lets you create a payment link without setting up a full draft order. This is useful for quick transactions - like collecting a flat fee for a service, selling a single item over the phone, or requesting a specific amount from a customer.

To create a payment link:

  1. Go to Settings > Payments in your Shopify admin.
  2. Look for the Payment Links section.
  3. Click Create payment link.
  4. Enter a description and the amount to charge.
  5. Copy and share the generated link with your customer.

The customer clicks the link, enters their payment details, and completes the transaction. No product listing, no cart, no draft order - just a direct payment page.

This feature is especially useful for service-based businesses that don’t need line-item detail on every transaction.

Customizing the Invoice Email

The invoice email that Shopify sends can be customized to match your brand. Go to Settings > Notifications in your admin and find the Draft order invoice template.

You can edit the subject line, body text, and include your logo and brand colors. If you know HTML, you can make deeper changes to the template layout. Personalizing this email helps it look professional and reduces the chance that customers ignore it or mistake it for spam.

Partial Payments and Deposits

Shopify supports partial payments on draft orders. This is useful when you want to collect a deposit before starting work or manufacturing.

When creating or editing a draft order, you can set the payment terms. Options include:

  • Due on receipt - Full payment when the invoice is sent
  • Net 7 / Net 15 / Net 30 - Payment due within 7, 15, or 30 days
  • Custom deposit - Collect a specific amount or percentage up front

When partial payment is enabled, the customer pays the deposit amount through the checkout link. The remaining balance shows as outstanding on the order. You can send a follow-up invoice for the rest when the time comes.

This is especially helpful for B2B orders, custom manufacturing, and high-value items where full payment up front isn’t practical.

Tips for Sending Payment Links

A few things to keep in mind when using Shopify payment links for draft orders:

  • Don’t mark the order as paid manually - This disables the checkout link and the customer can’t complete payment.
  • Check the email address - If the invoice bounces, the customer never sees the link. Double-check the address before sending.
  • Set clear payment terms - For B2B orders especially, setting explicit due dates avoids confusion later.
  • Follow up if unpaid - You can resend the invoice from the draft order page. There’s no limit on how many times you can send it.
  • Use custom items for non-listed products - You don’t need to add a product to your store just to invoice for it. Custom line items work fine on draft orders.
  • Test the link yourself first - Before sending to a customer, open the checkout link in an incognito window to make sure everything displays correctly.