Payment Links Overview
Hosted, zero-maintenance checkout and deposit flows replacing legacy embedded widgets.
Depa Payment Links provide a fully hosted, branded checkout and deposit experience. Instead of embedding complex client-side widgets, maintaining iframe wrappers, and dealing with client-side PCI compliance, your application generates a secure URL that routes end users to a payment page managed by Depa.
POST /payment_links
Your backend creates a link with amount, currency, and customer details.
Hosted Checkout
Customer chooses SEPA, Card, Open Banking, or USDC on a secure Depa page.
Book Posting
Funds clear directly into your account with balanced double-entry lines.
Webhook & Redirect
Depa fires signed webhook to your server and redirects user to your app.
Why Payment Links Replace Widgets
Legacy embedded widgets introduced significant challenges for enterprise developers:
- Iframe Sandboxing & Mobile Issues: Mobile browsers frequently throttle or block third-party cookies and camera access required for biometric KYC checks.
- Security & PCI-DSS Scope: Hosting embedded forms in your client frontend introduces security compliance friction.
- Maintenance Overhead: UI updates, translations, and rail-specific quirks required frontend code updates.
With Payment Links:
- Zero Client SDK Overhead: Generated via a single backend API call.
- Built-in Compliance & KYC: When identity checks are required, Depa’s Identity Hub automatically guides the user through KYC within the hosted flow before accepting funds.
- Card or Crypto: Each link collects a card payment (with 3-D Secure) or a crypto payment, chosen when you create it.
- Instant Ledger Settlement: Once authorized, funds post directly into your sub-account on The Book.
Payment Methods
| Method | What the customer does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Card (card) | Pays by debit or credit card, with 3-D Secure. | The currency must be enabled on your vault's card gateway. |
Crypto (crypto) | Sends stablecoins or crypto on-chain from their own wallet. | Depa handles the on-chain flow. |
The Customer Journey
- Link Generation: Your platform creates a payment link with the amount, currency, payment method and your own reference (
trx_uuid). - Hosted Page: The customer opens the payment link on web or mobile.
- Compliance: Depa runs its compliance checks on the hosted page, so you don't have to build them into your checkout.
- Execution & Webhook: The customer pays. Depa processes the payment, sends a
widget_session_completedorwidget_session_failedwebhook, and redirects the customer to your success or failure URL. Each link accepts one payment attempt.