5 Reasons to Create a Payment Link to Get Paid Instead of Chasing Invoices

Most small businesses are owing money right now. A payment link removes the friction between sending an invoice and actually receiving the funds, and Zil Money makes it easier to create one than most owners expect.

Most small businesses are carrying a receivables balance right now that belongs in their bank account. Invoices go out, due dates pass, and the follow-up starts: a reminder email, then another, then a phone call. Research consistently shows that a majority of small businesses carry unpaid invoice balances that represent real earned revenue sitting idle. Zil Money lets businesses create a payment link to get paid without adding more follow-up steps to the cycle.

The Real Problems with Waiting to Get Paid

Late payment is the norm, not the exception. In fact, the Kaplan Group’s analysis of B2B payment data shows that 55% of all B2B invoiced sales in the US are currently overdue, with 73% of small businesses reporting that customer delinquency numbers increased over the past year.

The core issue is friction. Traditional invoice-to-payment flows require the customer to open an email, read an invoice, decide to act, find their checkbook or log in to their bank, and complete the transfer. Every step is an opportunity to set the invoice aside and return to it later. As a result, “Later” often turns into 30, 60, or 90 days overdue.

For small businesses without dedicated AR staff, chasing payments consumes time that would otherwise go toward operations, service, or growth.

How Zil Money Solves These Problems

1. Create a payment link with no technical setup. Zil Money’s payment link feature lets businesses build a customized payment page and generate a standalone URL without writing any code. Additionally, businesses can personalize the link to fit the nature of the transaction and send it directly to the customer.

2. Share the link by email or SMS, wherever the customer is. Once you create the link, you can send it through any channel: email, text message, or wherever the business already communicates with its customers. As a result, a customer who receives a payment link via text has the payment action one tap away. That reduces the gap between “invoice received” and “payment sent.”

3. Use the same link more than once. Moreover, you can share links from Zil Money as many times as needed. For businesses with recurring customers or standard payment amounts, a single link covers multiple payment requests, saving setup time.

4. Accept payments from any device. Furthermore, Zil Money’s platform is accessible on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Customers can complete a payment from whatever device they have in front of them at the moment, which removes the “I’ll do it when I get to my desk” delay.

5. Keep accounts receivable and payable in the same place. In addition, Zil Money connects payment links to the broader accounts receivable workflow, alongside invoice management, ACH, check printing, and wire transfer. The full payment picture is visible in one place.

The Bigger Picture on Getting Paid

A payment link is a small intervention with a measurable effect. When the distance between an invoice and a completed payment shrinks, cash flow becomes more predictable.

However, small businesses that still rely on checks and manual follow-up as their primary collection method are carrying more friction than necessary, and the tools to reduce it are available.

Instead, Zil Money helps businesses create payment links that work across channels, reach customers where they are, and remove the steps that slow down collections. Sign up and set up your first payment link today.

Frequently Asked Questions