By Ethan Brooks, payment-platform support analyst with 9 years of experience troubleshooting small-business checkout and invoicing systems
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
FreshBooks business users sign in to create reusable Checkout Links that collect fixed-price payments without preparing a separate invoice for every buyer. Customers open the shared payment page rather than the business owner’s FreshBooks login.
This independent guide is not affiliated with FreshBooks.
Check the payment processor first. A Checkout Link cannot collect money until a supported online payment option is connected and enabled.
What FreshBooks Checkout Links Are
FreshBooks Checkout Links are reusable payment pages for a defined item or service. A business can publish the same link on its website, send it directly to customers, place it on social media, or display a QR code for in-person payment.
They differ from invoices.
An invoice is usually prepared for a named client and records a specific amount owed. A Checkout Link can be used repeatedly by different buyers who select and pay for the fixed-price offer presented on the page.
This makes Checkout Links suitable for standard consultations, deposits sold at a fixed amount, event tickets, classes, products, and other repeatable purchases. The business remains responsible for describing the item accurately and confirming whether taxes, delivery, cancellations, or other terms apply.
A Checkout Link does not replace every invoice workflow. Work involving changing quantities, negotiated pricing, tracked time, detailed payment schedules, or a named accounts-receivable balance may still require an invoice.
Choose the document first.
Pick the Correct FreshBooks Route
| What you need to do | Correct starting point |
|---|---|
| Manage the business account | FreshBooks login |
| Recover access | Forgot Your Password? |
| Connect a payment processor | Settings > Online Payments |
| Create a browser Checkout Link | Payments > Checkout Links |
| Create one on Android | More > Checkout Links |
| Collect payment in person | Mobile Checkout Link QR code |
| Review Checkout Link transactions | Online Payments or payment reports |
| Record an offline invoice payment | Add a payment to the invoice |
| Resolve an account problem | FreshBooks Help Centre and FreshBot |
FreshBooks supports Checkout Links with FreshBooks Payments, Stripe Standard, and PayPal. Disabling a connected processor removes that option from invoices and Checkout Links.
Do this first: open Settings > Online Payments and confirm that the intended processor is active. Skip building or promoting a payment page when no usable payment method is connected.
Log In to the Correct FreshBooks Business
FreshBooks users can sign in with an email and password, Google, or Apple. Direct FreshBooks login may also require a six-digit two-factor authentication code. Users with several businesses choose the intended company after authentication.
That business selection matters.
A user can create a perfectly functional Checkout Link under the wrong company. The page may display another business name, use another processor connection, and place the payment in a different set of books.
Check the active company before creating the link.
FreshBooks says emailed verification codes remain valid for 10 minutes. Selecting Remember this device can keep the device recognized for 30 days, although browser changes, operating-system updates, or some extensions can cause FreshBooks to request another code.
Too many failed attempts can temporarily lock the account. Use the documented recovery route rather than repeatedly trying the same rejected credentials.
Priority one is the original business account. Skip creating another profile because a new account will not contain the existing payment processors, Checkout Links, clients, reports, or transaction history.
Connect Online Payments
FreshBooks places processor controls under:
Settings > Payments and Client Billing > Online Payments
This area shows available payment gateways and lets the business activate, deactivate, reconnect, or manage supported processors. FreshBooks Payments powered by Stripe is available to businesses based in the United States and Canada, while Stripe Standard and PayPal have broader international availability.
Processor availability varies by country.
FreshBooks Payments can accept supported debit cards, credit cards, and ACH bank transfers. FreshBooks states that clients can pay from more than 190 countries and in more than 135 currencies, although the merchant account itself must be based in Canada or the United States.
Check the processor status and business country before troubleshooting the link itself. A published page cannot offer a processor that has been disconnected from FreshBooks.
Do not confuse default invoice payment settings with a Checkout Link’s own setup. FreshBooks’ default Payment Options apply to new invoices, recurring templates, and retainers; Checkout Links are configured separately when created.
Create a Checkout Link in a Browser
The documented browser route is:
Payments > Checkout Links > New Checkout Link
FreshBooks then asks the user to select or create an item or service, add an optional description, enter terms and conditions where needed, set a price, and apply up to two taxes.
The description has a 256-character maximum.
Review these fields before saving:
- item or service name;
- description;
- fixed price;
- currency;
- tax selection;
- terms and conditions;
- payment processor;
- whether the link should remain active.
A short product name can create confusion when several offers have similar prices. “Consultation” may be too broad if the business sells several consultation types with different durations or deliverables.
Use a precise name.
The terms field should address relevant purchasing conditions without making unsupported promises. Cancellation, rescheduling, delivery, expiration, and refund wording should match the business’s actual policy and applicable law.
Create and Share a Link on Android
In the FreshBooks Android application, the current route begins with:
More > Checkout Links > plus button
The business enables the intended online payment method, adds an item or service, reviews the description, rate, tax, line total, and currency, then saves the Checkout Link.
Android users can share the saved link or generate a QR code. This allows a customer to scan and open the payment page during an in-person interaction without the business creating an invoice first.
Short pause. Test it.
Open the link on a device or browser that is not signed into the business account. Confirm that the correct business identity, item, amount, currency, tax, and payment choices appear.
Do not discover a wrong price after placing the QR code on printed material.
Priority two is client-side testing. Skip public distribution until one complete test has confirmed the page displays as intended.
Checkout Link or Invoice?
Use a Checkout Link when multiple buyers can purchase the same fixed-price item or service from one reusable page.
Use an invoice when the business needs:
- a named client balance;
- individualized line items;
- negotiated pricing;
- a deposit tied to a specific invoice;
- installment dates;
- tracked time or expenses;
- a documented amount remaining due;
- invoice-specific reminders.
Checkout Links collect payment without requiring an invoice first.
That convenience can become a bookkeeping problem when the business uses the link for work that should have been connected to a client invoice. A Checkout Link transaction and an invoice payment are not automatically the same record merely because the buyer and amount match.
Pick one billing route before collecting money. Skip marking an invoice paid manually until you know whether the Checkout Link payment should be associated with that obligation through the business’s accounting process.
Why a Checkout Link Shows No Payment Option
The most likely configuration checks are:
The processor is disabled: A disconnected Stripe Standard or PayPal account is removed from Checkout Links.
The link was created without an active payment method: Open the Checkout Link and inspect its online payment setting.
The processor is unavailable for the business region: FreshBooks Payments is limited to U.S. and Canadian businesses.
The link is inactive: Review its current status inside the Checkout Links area.
The wrong business is open: The processor connection may exist under another company.
Do not ask a customer to send payment details through email or chat as a workaround. Use a properly configured FreshBooks payment page or another approved business payment route.
When a processor connection was recently changed, FreshBooks provides a Reconnect Account control for Stripe Standard. Reconnection refreshes FreshBooks after changes made in the Stripe dashboard.
Review Checkout Link Payments
Checkout Link payments appear within FreshBooks’ payment records rather than as ordinary manually entered invoice payments. FreshBooks’ payment documentation groups Checkout Links with Online Payments, and its Payments Collected reporting includes Checkout Link transactions.
Review the transaction before fulfilling the purchase.
Confirm:
- payment status;
- amount and currency;
- item or service;
- customer details supplied through checkout;
- taxes;
- processor;
- associated payout status where relevant.
A customer showing a payment-page confirmation is helpful, but the business’s own transaction record should control fulfillment. The payment may be pending, declined, refunded, or involved in another processing state.
Do not enter the same transaction as a manual invoice payment merely because it is absent from an invoice. Manual payment tools are intended for recording legitimate invoice payments received through other means. FreshBooks lets users add, edit, or delete those records, but deleting a payment is not the same as issuing a refund.
Keep those actions separate.
Fixed Prices, Taxes, and Quantity
FreshBooks describes Checkout Links as fixed-price payment links. The business sets the item or service price and can add up to two taxes during creation.
This structure should be reviewed against the actual offer.
A business selling several quantities, optional add-ons, changing shipping costs, or custom service scopes may need separate links or an invoice-based workflow. Do not assume that one fixed-price page captures every possible order variation.
Tax treatment also varies by location, buyer, product, and service. FreshBooks records the taxes selected by the business; it does not determine whether a particular purchase is legally taxable.
Use current guidance from the relevant tax authority or a qualified adviser where classification is uncertain.
Do not hide material terms in an unrelated message after the customer has paid. Put relevant conditions on the payment page or in the linked purchasing agreement before checkout.
Protect Public Payment Links
FreshBooks expressly permits sharing Checkout Links on websites, social media, and other online locations.
Public availability does not eliminate operational controls.
Review the link periodically for:
- outdated pricing;
- discontinued services;
- old tax rates;
- expired campaigns;
- incorrect terms;
- a disconnected processor;
- unexpected purchases after the offer ended.
Deactivate a link when the offer is no longer available. Leaving an old page active can allow another customer to purchase at an obsolete price.
The payment page should never ask the customer to send credentials, verification codes, or card details outside the designated checkout fields.
Contact FreshBooks Support
Signed-in users can reach support through the FreshBooks support page and FreshBot. Depending on region, plan, and request time, FreshBot may provide an email route or region-specific phone number. FreshBooks also provides a Support Key that can be shown inside the account or opened with Shift + K for supported calls.
Someone unable to log in can select Contact Us in the Help Centre, ask FreshBot for assistance, enter “contact support,” and follow the available route.
Prepare a focused description:
- business region;
- browser or mobile application;
- payment processor;
- whether other Checkout Links work;
- payment status;
- currency;
- non-sensitive error wording;
- whether the issue affects creation, display, payment, or reporting.
Do not include passwords, authentication codes, complete card information, or unnecessary customer financial data.
FreshBooks FAQ
Do customers need a FreshBooks login?
No. They open the Checkout Link.
Can one Checkout Link be reused?
Yes. FreshBooks describes Checkout Links as reusable pages that multiple clients can use for a fixed-price item or service.
Which payment processors work with Checkout Links?
FreshBooks Payments, Stripe Standard, and PayPal. Availability varies by country and account setup.
Can I create a QR code?
Yes. FreshBooks’ mobile applications can generate QR codes for Checkout Links.
Does a Checkout Link create an invoice first?
No. It collects an online payment without requiring an invoice to be created beforehand.
Why did PayPal disappear from my Checkout Link?
The PayPal connection may have been disabled. FreshBooks says disabling PayPal removes it from invoices and Checkout Links.
Can I add taxes to a Checkout Link?
Yes. FreshBooks currently allows up to two taxes during browser setup.
Should I manually mark an invoice paid after a Checkout Link purchase?
Not automatically. Confirm what the Checkout Link payment represents and review the payment records first. Recording an additional manual payment without reconciliation can duplicate the transaction.