Payment invoicing and pay-by-link for high-risk and low-risk businesses
Payment invoicing lets you email or text a branded invoice with a secure pay-by-link, so customers pay by credit card or ACH in seconds — settled to your own dedicated merchant account. Send the invoice, accept the payment, and get paid on a high-risk merchant account built to last. 99% approval of qualified applications, $0 setup, decision in 48 hours.
What is payment invoicing and pay-by-link?
Payment invoicing turns a bill into a way to get paid. Instead of mailing a static PDF and waiting on a check, you send a branded invoice by email or text that carries a secure pay-by-link. Your customer taps the link, lands on a hosted payment page, and pays by card or ACH bank transfer in seconds. There is no card reader to buy, no checkout cart to build, and no phone call to make — the invoice itself becomes the point of sale.
This is the fastest way to send an invoice and accept a credit card when you bill remotely. It is built for businesses that quote a job, deliver a service, or ship a wholesale order and then need to collect — often on net terms, sometimes with a deposit up front. Because the payment page is hosted and PCI-DSS compliant, sensitive card data never touches your own website or back office. The card is tokenized and vaulted, so you can charge it again later without ever seeing the raw number.
For high-risk invoicing, the account behind the link matters more than anything. Aggregators that offer easy pay-by-link tools routinely freeze or terminate merchants in higher-risk verticals without warning, trapping the funds you already earned. Gray Merchants underwrites you onto a dedicated high-risk merchant account through 70+ banking and acquirer relationships, so your invoicing runs on a stable MID with transparent interchange-plus pricing — not a shared platform that treats you as disposable. Whether you are a low-risk retailer or one of 50+ high-risk verticals, the invoice runs on an account built for chargeback resilience and long-term stability.
Who uses pay-by-link invoicing
If you bill customers away from a counter, pay-by-link gets you paid faster — across 50+ high-risk industries.
B2B & net terms
Bill wholesale buyers and clients on net-15 or net-30 terms, then let them settle by card or ACH the moment they open the link.
Service businesses
Consultants, agencies, contractors, and clinics invoice after the work is done and collect payment without chasing a check.
Deposits & retainers
Collect a deposit to lock in a booking, a retainer to start a project, or a milestone payment mid-engagement — all by link.
How invoicing works
Four steps from a blank invoice to reconciled cash.
Build a branded invoice
Add the customer, line items, and amount to a branded invoice inside your dashboard. Set it as a full charge, a deposit, or a partial-payment invoice. No card reader, no checkout cart, no code.
Deliver the pay-by-link
Send the invoice by email or text. It carries a secure pay-by-link that opens a hosted, PCI-DSS payment page. Automated reminders chase any invoice that goes unpaid so you follow up less.
Customer pays by card or ACH
The customer taps the link and pays by credit, debit, or bank transfer in seconds. The card is tokenized and vaulted, AVS and CVV are checked, and the payment routes through your dedicated MID.
Settle, re-bill, and report
Funds settle to your bank account. Real-time reporting shows paid, pending, and overdue invoices, and tokenized re-billing lets you charge the balance or set a recurring schedule without re-keying the card.
Invoicing features
Everything you need to bill, collect, and re-bill — on a dedicated high-risk merchant account.
Branded invoices
Your logo, colors, and business details on every invoice
Send professional, on-brand invoices by email or SMS that customers recognize and trust.
Hosted pay pages
Secure, PCI-DSS payment page — no cart required
Each pay-by-link opens a hosted checkout so card data never touches your website or systems.
Card + ACH
Accept credit, debit, and bank (eCheck) payment
Let customers choose the way to pay — cards for speed, ACH for large B2B invoices.
Tokenized re-bill
Charge the stored card again — no re-keying
Vault the card on first payment, then bill the balance or a recurring schedule securely.
Automated reminders
Scheduled nudges for unpaid and overdue invoices
Cut down on late payments with automatic follow-ups until the invoice is settled.
Partial payments
Deposits, retainers, and split balances
Accept a deposit now and the remainder later on the same invoice — ideal for services.
Reporting
Real-time paid, pending, and overdue status
Track every invoice, reconcile deposits, and export data for your accounting stack.
Dedicated MID
Your own high-risk merchant account
Funds settle to your bank on a stable MID — not a shared aggregator that can freeze you.
A dedicated invoicing account vs. a shared aggregator
What a dedicated Gray Merchants invoicing account gives you versus a shared aggregator pay-by-link.
| Capability | Gray Merchants invoicing | Shared aggregator |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant account | Dedicated high-risk MID | Shared aggregator ID |
| High-risk industries | 50+ verticals underwritten | Often declined or frozen |
| Branded invoices | Your logo, colors, details | Generic template |
| Payment methods | Card + ACH / eCheck | Card only, limited ACH |
| Tokenized re-bill | Vault and recharge | Limited |
| Partial payments | Deposits and split balances | Full amount only |
| Automated reminders | Scheduled follow-ups | Manual |
| Chargeback alerts | Ethoca + Verifi | Not included |
| Pricing | Interchange-plus, disclosed in writing | Blended markup |
| Setup fee | $0 | Varies |
| Approval | 99% across 70+ banks | Automated, easily reversed |
Is pay-by-link right for you?
If any of these describe your business, invoicing and pay-by-link will get you paid faster.
Security and compliance
Every pay-by-link opens a hosted payment page served over TLS, so card data is entered on a PCI-DSS compliant page and never lands in your inbox, your CRM, or your invoicing spreadsheet. Cards are tokenized and vaulted, which means you can re-bill a stored card for a balance or move it onto recurring billing without ever handling the raw number yourself.
Fraud controls run on every transaction — AVS and CVV verification screen mismatched cards, and Ethoca and Verifi chargeback alerts flag disputes early so you can refund and resolve before a chargeback ever posts against your MID. Layered chargeback defense and dispute management matters most in high-risk verticals, where chargeback ratios decide whether an account survives — so invoicing here is built to keep those ratios low.
Explore more ways to get paid
Virtual terminal
Key in card payments by phone, mail order, or back office.
Recurring billing
Automate subscriptions and scheduled re-bills on stored cards.
Mobile payments
Take card payments in the field from your phone or tablet.
Pricing
Transparent interchange-plus rates with $0 setup fee.
Chargeback defense
Ethoca and Verifi alerts plus dispute response to protect your MID.
Invoicing FAQ
What is payment invoicing and pay-by-link?
Payment invoicing lets you send a customer a branded invoice by email or text that contains a secure pay-by-link. When the customer clicks the link, they land on a hosted payment page where they enter their card or ACH details and pay in seconds. You get paid without a card reader, a checkout cart, or a phone call — the invoice itself becomes the point of sale.
Can I send an invoice and accept a credit card on a high-risk merchant account?
Yes. Gray Merchants issues a dedicated merchant account through 70+ banking and acquirer relationships and serves every risk level — from low-risk retail and services to 50+ high-risk industries. Your invoicing and pay-by-link run on your own MID, not a shared aggregator that can freeze funds without notice. Credit card and ACH payments both settle to your bank, and pricing is transparent interchange-plus with $0 setup.
Who uses pay-by-link invoicing?
B2B sellers billing on net terms, service businesses invoicing after a job, and any business collecting deposits, retainers, or milestone payments. It suits consultants, agencies, contractors, wholesalers, clinics, and subscription businesses that need to bill remotely and get paid fast.
Can customers pay an invoice in installments or make a partial payment?
Yes. Invoices support partial payments so a customer can pay a deposit now and the balance later, and tokenized re-billing lets you charge the stored card again for the remaining balance or a recurring schedule — without asking for the card number a second time.
Is invoicing and pay-by-link secure?
Every hosted pay page is served over TLS and card data is tokenized and vaulted, so raw card numbers never touch your systems. The gateway is PCI-DSS compliant and supports AVS and CVV checks, plus Ethoca and Verifi chargeback alerts to stop disputes before they post.
How fast can I start sending invoices?
Underwriting runs on a 48-hour approval target with a 99% approval rate across 50+ high-risk industries. Once your dedicated MID is live you can send your first branded invoice the same day — there is no hardware to install and $0 setup fee.