QR codes and payment links
MONEI gives you four ways to charge a customer without building a checkout. This page helps you pick the right one and walks through the most common setups.
Which tool fits your sale?
| MONEI Pay app | Permanent QR code | Pay by Link | Payments API | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Staff charging in person | Printed or displayed checkout | One-off remote charges | Custom integrations |
| Amount | Entered per sale | Fixed, or customer enters it | Set per link | Set per payment |
| Reusable | New charge per sale | Yes — unlimited payments | No — one payment per link | No — one payment per QR |
| Expires | — | Never (until disabled) | 7 days by default | 5 minutes |
| Needs | A phone | Nothing after printing | Nothing | A developer |
| How it's shared | Tap to Pay, QR on screen, Bizum request | Print, screen, link, | Email, WhatsApp, SMS | Your checkout or device |
All four accept the payment methods enabled in your account and appear together in your payments list, so refunds and reporting work the same way.
Retail counter
Staff charge each customer in person with the MONEI Pay app — no card reader needed:
- Open MONEI Pay, enter the amount.
- Charge with Tap to Pay (contactless card or wallet on your phone), show a QR code, or send a Bizum request to the customer's phone number.
- The customer gets a receipt by email — or automatically by WhatsApp for Bizum payments. You can also send one from the payment detail: see digital receipts.
Payments inherit the staff member's store and point of sale, so each location reports separately.
Unattended: kiosks, parking, donations, tickets
Nobody attends the checkout — a printed permanent QR code does the work. Configure its point of sale once:
- Fixed amount — the customer scans and pays a set price without entering anything. Leave it off for donations, where the customer chooses the amount.
- Callback URL — your system gets notified the moment someone pays: open the barrier, log the donation, register the ticket sale.
- Require email + Include order QR in email — for tickets and pickups, the customer's confirmation email carries a scannable order QR.
Validate orders with the email QR
The order QR in the confirmation email encodes the order ID. To validate at the entrance, at pickup, or at a parking exit:
- Scan the customer's QR with any camera or scanner app — it reads the order ID.
- Search that order ID in MONEI Pay or the dashboard payments list.
- Confirm the payment status is Succeeded.
Set a QR code text like "Scan this code at the entrance" so customers know what the code is for. This feature is separate from Verifactu tax compliance.
Remote: invoices, WhatsApp, and a link that always works
Two options, depending on whether the amount changes:
- One-off charge for a specific order — create a Pay by Link payment: set the amount, pick the delivery channel (email, WhatsApp, SMS), and the customer pays from the link. The link is tied to that order and expires (7 days by default).
- A link you share once and reuse forever — use a from a QR code: put it on invoices, in your email signature, or on social media. With a custom short link like
monei.me/my-shop, customers can even type it by hand.
For recurring charges on a schedule, create a subscription instead — subscription payment links work the same way.
Common questions
Can I take payments without a website?
Yes. Every tool on this page works without a website. During onboarding, select Physical store as your business type — see Pay by Link without a website.
Can the same QR code charge different amounts?
Yes. Set the point of sale's payment flow to Manual amount — the customer enters the amount after scanning. Use Fixed amount for set prices.
When do payment links and QR codes expire?
- A permanent payment link never expires — it works until you disable its QR code.
- A Pay by Link payment expires 7 days after creation by default; set a custom expiration date when you create it. An expired link shows an expiration message — create a new payment to charge again.
- A one-time API QR expires after 5 minutes (or the
expireAtyou set). - A short link for a QR code works until you delete it; a short link for a Pay by Link payment expires with the payment.
Do links and QR payments cost more?
No. They are regular MONEI payments — standard fees for the payment method used apply.
Which payment methods can customers use?
All the methods enabled in your account, unless the point of sale or link restricts them — see configure payment methods.