# One-Time Payments (Payment Requests) Your guide to accepting one-time payments with guest checkout and login options available. ### Overview **One Time Payments is currently available for US-based partners only.** With One-Time Payments, you can generate an instant payment link for a specific amount. No invoice required, no customer login needed, and no AP portal user relationship involved. You simply send the link to your client, they pay, and that is it. Think of it as a virtual terminal for those out-of-scope or one-off transactions. This keeps your standard billing workflow clean and separate from these edge cases. One-Time Payments are commonly used for quotes, deposits, ad-hoc charges, or any situation where you need to collect a payment without creating an invoice. *** ### When to use One-Time Payments You may want to use One-Time Payments when: * You need to collect payment for a quote or proposal * You want to accept a payment without creating an invoice * The payer should not be required to log in * You need to send a payment link manually * You are collecting a deposit or a one-off payment This flow is designed to reduce friction and allow customers to complete payments quickly. *** ### How One-Time Payments work One-Time Payments use a **Payment Request**, which generates a hosted payment page with a fixed dollar amount. When the customer opens the payment link: * The payment amount is already set * Your company branding is displayed * The customer can pay using the available payment methods * No login or account is required
After the payment is completed, the transaction will appear in the **Transactions** section of your Alternative Payments dashboard. One-Time Payments are standalone payments and are not synced to external integrations such as ConnectWise, QuickBooks, HaloPSA, or other accounting or PSA systems.\ Payments can be viewed in the **Transactions** section of the Partner Dashboard only. *** ### Payment Request Flows #### Payment Request Creation Link This flow allows you to generate a payment link without using the API. You can create a link using the following format: `https://[billing link]/payment-request?amount=[amount]&referenceId=[reference ID]` Example: `https://pay.yourcompany.com/payment-request?amount=250.00&referenceId=QUOTE-123\` {% hint style="warning" %} **Important:** Reference id is required. If reference id is missing, the link will return an error page. The reference id can be any string, but it must be unique per payment within your account.\ Different partner accounts can reuse the same reference id without conflict. Using something meaningful, such as a quote number, customer name, or date, makes tracking payments easier. {% endhint %} When the customer opens the link: * A Payment Request is created automatically * The customer is redirected to the payment page * The amount is fixed * The payment can be completed immediately If the same link is opened again before payment is completed, the system returns the existing Payment Request and does not create a duplicate. If the payment has already been completed, the page will show: "This payment has already been completed" and no additional payment can be made. #### API Payment Request To create a payment request via API, reference our full API documentation [here](https://docs.alternativepayments.io/getting-started/quick-start). *** ### What the customer sees When the customer opens the payment link, they will see: * Your company logo and branding * The payment amount * Available payment methods After payment: * If a redirect URL was set when the Payment Request was created, the confirmation screen shows a **Return to \[Partner Name]** button * If no redirect URL was set, a generic confirmation screen is shown with no redirect button The customer does not need to log in or create an account. *** ### Supported payment methods One-Time Payments support: * Credit card * Debit card * ACH bank transfer Card payments are usually completed immediately.\ ACH payments remain pending until the bank transfer fully clears. *** ### Viewing One-Time Payments in the dashboard All One-Time Payments appear in the **Transactions** section. You can view: * Status (pending / completed) * Amount * Reference ID * Created date * Completed date Because One-Time Payments are not linked to invoices or customers, they will appear as standalone transactions.
*** ### Processing One-Time Payments Refunds Follow these steps to process refunds for One-Time Payments: 1. Log in to your Partner Dashboard 2. Navigate to the “Transactions” section 3. Locate and click on the "See details" option next to the One-Time Payment you want to refund
4. Select the “Refund payment” option from the Payment Details page
5. Enter the refund details and select “Next”
6. Review the refund details and select “Apply Refund”
7. You are all done!
{% hint style="info" %} **Note:** Refunds for One-Time Payments work the same way as refunds for any other payments made through Alternative Payments. The refunded amount will be deducted from the following payout batch. {% endhint %} *** ### Important notes * One-Time Payments do not create invoices * One-Time Payments are not linked to customer records * One-Time Payments are not recorded in your accounting platform * Customers do not need to log in * The payment amount cannot be edited * Partial payments are not supported * The same link cannot be paid twice * Failed payments can be retried using the same link * Partner branding is automatically shown on the payment page \ **Love our platform?** Rate us on [Channel Program](https://channelprogram.com/v/alternativepayments) and check out our [Referral Program page](https://www.alternativepayments.io/referral-partners/)!
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