Getting money from friends
is now just one link
No more typing your PayPal or Venmo handle into a group chat. Enter an amount, generate a link, and share it. Your friend opens it and pays in one tap.
One link, done
No need to spell out your handle and the amount. Share one link that has it all — your friend just taps to pay.
Nothing stored
Your details live inside the link and are processed in your browser. We don't save them on any server.
Apps you already have
Works with PayPal and Venmo. We never touch your money — payment happens inside the official app.
How it works
Three steps, about 3 seconds.
PayPal or Venmo — whichever you use.
Add the amount and an optional note.
Send it in any chat. They pay in one tap.
Used by people worldwide
Live totals across everyone using the service.
Create a payment link
Pick a payment app, enter the amount, and share the link.
This is the handle in your paypal.me/yourname link.
See exactly what your friend gets
When you share a PayLink, it doesn't show up as a scary raw URL. It arrives as a clean preview card that says who's asking and how much — so your friend knows it's legit before they even tap. Switch between PayPal and Venmo to see it.
Why Americans are ditching "what's your Venmo?"
Splitting money should take seconds — not a back-and-forth in the group chat.
No more awkward asking
Stop typing out your handle and chasing people one by one. Drop a single link and let everyone pay themselves — no nagging required.
The amount is already filled in
Your friend taps once and PayPal or Venmo opens with the exact amount pre-loaded. No "wait, how much was it again?"
Safer than posting your handle
Share a purpose-built link instead of broadcasting your payment username in a public thread. Nothing about you is stored on our servers.
Free, forever
No account, no download, no subscription. PayLink is completely free — you only ever use the apps you already have.
Works on any phone
It's just a link. Send it over iMessage, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snap, email — anywhere. Opens instantly in the browser.
Everyone sees the same thing
One link, one amount, one note. No confusion about who owes what — the request is crystal clear for the whole group.
Perfect for the moments money gets awkward
Split the check without passing your phone around the table.
Collect from roommates every month with a link you can reuse.
Gas, Airbnb, tickets — settle the whole trip in one message.
Front the cost, then get paid back the second you share the link.
Chip in for a birthday or farewell gift without a spreadsheet.
Order for the dorm or office and collect everyone's share fast.
How PayLink works, step by step
PayLink is intentionally simple. There's nothing to sign up for and nothing to install — you're just building a smart link around the payment app you already use.
- 1. Choose PayPal or Venmo. Pick whichever app you want to be paid in. PayPal works worldwide and supports multiple currencies; Venmo is US-only and always in USD.
- 2. Enter your username. For PayPal, that's the handle in your paypal.me/yourname link. For Venmo, it's your @username. That's the only thing that identifies where the money should go — and it stays inside the link, never on our servers.
- 3. Add an amount and a note. Type how much you're owed and, optionally, what it's for ("Dinner," "Trip," "Concert tix"). The amount gets pre-filled in the payment app automatically.
- 4. Share the link. Copy it and drop it in any chat. Your friend opens it, sees a clean request card, and taps one button to pay you inside PayPal or Venmo.
Why we built PayLink for the US
In the US, PayPal and Venmo are everywhere — but the actual moment of getting paid back is still clumsy. You type out your handle, someone mishears it, another person forgets the amount, and you end up sending three follow-up texts to collect $12. It's a tiny friction that happens after basically every dinner, trip, and group purchase.
PayLink removes that friction completely. Instead of spelling out your username and repeating the amount, you share one link that carries all of it. Your friends don't need to download anything or make an account — they just tap and pay in the app they already have. It turns "hey can you Venmo me?" from a conversation into a single, effortless message.
And because it's built as a privacy-first tool, none of your payment details are ever stored on a server. The information lives inside the link and is processed in your browser. You get the convenience without handing your data to anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Do you store my payment details?
No. Your handle, amount, and note are encoded into the link itself and processed entirely in your browser. We do not save them in any database. See our Privacy Policy.
Q. Does PayLink handle the money?
Never. PayLink only builds the link. The actual payment happens 100% inside PayPal or Venmo. We don't touch, hold, or transfer your funds, and we can't see your card or bank details.
Q. Is it really free?
Yes — no fee, no account, no app to install. PayPal or Venmo may charge their own fees for certain payment types (like credit-card or business payments), but PayLink itself is always free.
Q. Which apps are supported?
PayPal (worldwide, multiple currencies) and Venmo (US only, USD). Pick one when you create your link and your friend is taken straight to that app to pay.
Q. Does my friend need an account with anything?
They just need the payment app you chose (PayPal or Venmo), which most people in the US already have. They do not need a PayLink account — there's no such thing. They tap the link and pay.
Q. Is it safe to share the link publicly?
The link only contains a request to pay you — it can't pull money from anyone. Still, treat it like any payment request: only share it with people you actually expect to pay you, and always confirm the recipient inside your app before sending.
Q. Can I reuse the same link?
Yes. A link with a fixed amount can be shared with as many people as you like — great for collecting the same amount from a group (rent, dues, tickets).
Q. What if I don't have a PayPal.me link?
You can create one for free at paypal.me — it takes about a minute. Then just use that username in PayLink.
Who made this?
PayLink is an independent, one-person project — not a company, not a startup chasing your data. It started as a simple tool to make splitting bills as easy as sending a link, and it's kept that way on purpose: no accounts, no tracking, no catch.
It's free because it should be. If it saved you an awkward "hey can you pay me back?" text, that's the whole point. Questions, ideas, or bugs? Reach out any time at [email protected].