A CryptoLike payment link is the address of one payment page: a fixed amount, a deadline and a live status. Create it in the cabinet (Invoices → Create invoice) or with /pay in the Telegram bot, then share it to a chat, by e-mail or as a QR code. The payer sees the amount, the network and the address; you get the status.
This guide walks through both ways step by step, with the exact buttons. If you are still deciding whether links fit your sales at all, start with crypto payment links without a website; for invoices with an order number and a webhook, see how to create a crypto invoice.
Before you start
You need a CryptoLike account, a role that may create payments and at least one coin switched on for invoices. No website, plugin, API key or KYB check is involved: account verification applies only to payouts.
- Role. Owner, Admin and Developer can create payments. Finance and Viewer can see them but not create them.
- Coins. In the cabinet, Coins has two switches per asset: Enabled and For invoices. Only the owner or an admin changes them. "The payer chooses" needs at least two coins that can pay the amount: for an amount in USD or EUR, any two coins available for invoices; for an amount in crypto, that ticker on two networks, which today means USDT on TRON and Ethereum.
- Telegram (optional). To use the bot, link your Telegram account in Settings → Notifications → Connect Telegram. The cabinet shows a one-time code valid for 10 minutes: press Open in Telegram, or send the bot the
/startcommand it shows.
Cabinet or Telegram bot: which one to use
Both create the same payment with the same payment page and statuses. The cabinet gives you every field; the bot is faster from a phone in the middle of a conversation.
| Aspect | Cabinet | Telegram bot |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Invoices → Create invoice | /pay or the "Create a payment" button |
| Amount and currency | Decimal amount; a coin, USD or EUR | Amount typed in the chat; currency from buttons: the coin, USD, EUR, UAH, GBP or CAD |
| Coin | One coin or "The payer chooses" | One asset or "Payer chooses on the payment page" |
| Time to pay | 15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 6 h, 24 h or a custom lifetime up to 30 days | Your account's default (30 minutes unless set otherwise) |
| Order ID, description | Yes | Yes, both can be skipped |
| Sharing | Message editor, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber, phone share menu, Copy link, QR | A payment card sent to any chat, or "Share as link" |
| 2FA code | Not needed | Not needed |
Need a link that stays open for days? Use the cabinet: the bot has no time-to-pay step.
1. Create the payment in the cabinet
Open Invoices and press Create invoice. Enter the Amount as a decimal number, such as 120 or 0.015, and pick the Currency: the Fiat group has the fiat currencies enabled for your account and starts on your Default fiat currency from Settings, the Crypto group has the tickers enabled for your account. With a fiat currency, the form shows an approximate crypto amount; the server locks the exact rate itself.
Under "How the payer pays", choose:
- In a specific coin — the address is issued now for this coin, and the rate (for a fiat price) is locked at creation.
- The payer chooses — the payer picks a coin on the payment page, and the rate is locked at that moment.
Set the Time to pay, then add a Description (what the payment is for, up to 512 characters) and an Order ID (your reference, up to 128 characters, searchable later). Advanced holds Custom lifetime (up to 30 days), a Return URL, a Webhook URL (the events of this invoice are also sent there) and "Platform fee paid by": Merchant by default, or Payer; the rates are on the pricing page. Press Create invoice.
2. Or create it in the Telegram bot
Send /pay to the CryptoLike bot or tap "Create a payment". The bot asks one question at a time:
- "Asset the payer pays with" — pick an asset, or "Payer chooses on the payment page".
- "Amount of the payment, e.g. 100 or 0.01." A comma works as the decimal separator too.
- The currency of that amount: the asset itself or a fiat currency, priced at the current rate.
- A description for the payer and your order id. Skip either with the Skip button.
- "Create a payment for 100 USD?" — press Confirm.
The bot answers "Payment created." and sends the payment card: the link for the payer, "Valid until" in UTC, the address and the amounts. /cancel or the Cancel button stops the dialogue at any step without creating anything.
3. Share the link with the payer
The payment link goes wherever your customer reads messages: a messenger, e-mail, a social network or a printed QR code. The payer does not need an account or an app to open it.
From the cabinet. After Create invoice, the payment card opens with the "Share payment link" block:
- Message — a ready text you can edit: "Payment request from {your name}: {amount}. Valid until {date}. Pay here: {link}". Reset text restores it; the link stays the same.
- Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber — open the app with that message. On a phone, Share… opens the phone's own share menu.
- Copy link and a QR code — "Scan to open the payment page", for a screen or a printout.
From the bot. Press Share on the payment card and pick a chat. Telegram posts a card "Payment request 100 USD" with your name, the deadline and a Pay button that opens the payment page. The card works in any chat where you can write, as long as the payment is still open. If the chat picker is not convenient, "Share as link" sends the bare link through Telegram's own share screen.
Once a payment has expired or been cancelled, the share block disappears. The cabinet shows "Create a new payment", which opens the form with the same amount and currency.
4. Check what the payer sees
The payer lands on the CryptoLike payment page, the same one online stores use. Open the link yourself before sending it to a new customer: what you see is what they get.
- Amount to send in the coin, with "≈" in your fiat currency and "Rate locked for N min" for a fiat price.
- The network. The coin icon carries a small network badge for tokens — TRX for USDT on TRON, ETH for USDT and USDC on Ethereum — and the page warns: "Send only USDT on the TRON (TRC20) network to this address. Funds sent on another network cannot be recovered."
- The address with Copy address, Copy amount and Open in wallet, and a QR code. For Bitcoin and Litecoin the QR carries the amount too; for Ethereum and TRON it carries the address only, so the payer copies the amount.
- A timer to the deadline and a live status: Waiting, Detected, Confirming n/N, Paid.
- The language — English, Russian or Spanish, picked from the browser and switchable on the page.
With "The payer chooses", the page first asks "Choose what to pay with" and shows an estimated amount per coin; the exact amount and rate are fixed when the payer picks one. The page shows no fees: a platform fee paid by the payer is already inside the amount. If your customer is unsure which network to use, the comparison of USDT on TRC20 and ERC20 explains the difference.
5. Follow the status until the payment is paid
The payment card in the cabinet and the bot show the same statuses as the API. If payment alerts are on for your Telegram account, the bot messages you: "Payment confirmed. 100 USD · order A-17", "Payment underpaid. Received 60 of 100 USDT", or "Payment expired."
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
new |
Link sent, nothing received yet | Wait, or cancel the payment while it is still new. |
pending |
A transfer is detected, confirmations are being counted | Wait; do not hand over the goods yet. |
paid |
The amount is confirmed and credited to your balance | Deliver. An overpayment is also paid, the surplus is credited. |
underpaid |
Less than due arrived | Before the deadline, the payer sends the rest to the same address. After it, the payment stays underpaid for good: agree with the customer how to settle the rest. |
expired |
The deadline passed before any transfer was confirmed | Create a new payment and send the new link. |
cancelled |
You cancelled it | Create a new payment if the deal is still on. |
A shortfall within your account's tolerance (0.5 % by default) still counts as paid. Money that arrives after the deadline is credited too and marked as a late payment; the status stays the same, so agree with the customer what happens next. More on these cases: underpaid, overpaid and late payments.
Errors and fixes
Most problems with payment links are a closed payment, a role without the right permission or a coin that is switched off. The cabinet and the bot say which one it is.
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
No Create invoice button, or the bot refuses /pay |
Your role is Finance or Viewer | Ask the owner or an admin for the Developer, Admin or Owner role. |
| "No assets enabled for the account" in the bot | No coin is switched on | Owner or admin: Coins → Enabled and For invoices. |
| "The payer chooses" cannot be selected | Fewer than two coins can pay an amount in this currency | Price the payment in a fiat currency (with two coins on for invoices) or in USDT with both networks on. BTC, ETH, LTC and TRX have one network each, so an amount in them always fixes the coin. |
| The link opens an expired payment | The time to pay ran out | Create a new payment; from the cabinet, with a longer time to pay. |
| The Share card does not appear in the chat | The payment is closed, or your Telegram account is not linked | Check the status; link Telegram in Settings → Notifications. |
| "Too many messages" from the bot | More than 20 messages a minute from one account | Wait a minute and continue. |
FAQ
Can I send the same payment link to several customers?
Better not. A link is one payment with one amount and one address, and the first transfer that covers it closes it. For several customers create several payments, or give a regular customer a permanent address — compare the options in invoice or static address.
How long does a crypto payment link stay valid?
As long as the time to pay you set: from 1 minute to 30 days in the cabinet. A payment created in the bot uses your account's default, 30 minutes unless it was changed. The shared message says "Valid until" with the date, and after it the payment is expired.
Which coins can the payer use?
Any asset switched on for invoices in your account, from the CryptoLike list: BTC, LTC, ETH, TRX, USDT on TRON and on Ethereum, and USDC on Ethereum. See the coins catalogue, and the article on USDT or USDC for business for choosing between the stablecoins.
Do I need 2FA to create a payment link?
No. Creating and sharing a payment needs no TOTP code, in the cabinet or in the bot. The code is asked when money leaves your balance: payouts, adding a payout address and changing payout settings.
Can I try a payment link without real money?
Yes, in the CryptoLike test environment, which runs on test networks with test coins. Access comes from CryptoLike support; the whole flow is in the guide to testing crypto payments.