Stripe Link is Stripe's digital wallet: your customers save cards, bank accounts and other payment methods once, then check out with a one-time passcode and autofilled details. As a merchant you turn it on under Wallets in your payment method settings, and it works with Checkout, Payment Links, Elements and Invoicing.
Here's what most people miss. Link isn't the same thing as Stripe Payment Links, which is the shareable URL product. And the way you integrate Link changes what you see afterwards. Added as a payment method, every Link transaction has a type of link and doesn't expose how the customer paid, so you won't see the card brand or last 4 digits. If you need those details, Stripe says to use a card-specific integration instead.
What your customers see at checkout
Where available, customers can pay with cards, bank accounts, buy now, pay later options and other methods. Link recognises an enrolled customer from their email address, phone number or a browser cookie. They get a one-time passcode, and once that's accepted Link fills in their card or bank details and shipping address. The details follow them: a logged-in Link customer gets autofill on your Checkout page even if they first saved their details on a different business's checkout.
After enrolling, customers can add backup payment methods and change shipping addresses. For anything else, from account changes to purchase history and support, Stripe sends them to link.com, so those questions don't land in your inbox.
What Link means for your Stripe account
| Property | As of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Customer locations | Worldwide except India |
| Payment Element support | Not supported in Brazil or Thailand |
| Payment confirmation | Immediate, for every Link transaction |
| Settlement | Same timeline as card payments, whatever funds the payment |
| Recurring payments | Yes |
| Refunds | Full and partial |
| Disputes and manual capture | Supported |
| Currencies | All currencies Stripe supports for card payments |
On cost, Stripe says Checkout supports Link with no additional fees and the same pricing as other card payments. The bigger lever is that customers can pay with lower-cost alternatives to cards, such as Instant Bank Payments, which are available only through Link and can cut your processing costs.
The two ways to integrate it
| Link as a payment method | Link inside a card integration | |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe's view | Recommended, works with dynamic payment methods | For card-only businesses or when you need card details |
| PaymentMethod type | link, with no wallet hash | card, with a wallet hash of type link |
| Card brand and last 4 | Not exposed | Available |
| Backup payment source | Link suggests one and retries with it if the first attempt fails | Not described |
| Limits | No IC+ pricing; no extended or incremental authorization or overcapture | None listed |
Both types accept everything Link supports, including credit cards, debit cards, Instant Bank Payments and Klarna. Klarna on Link is also available as a payment method in public preview. The IC+ limit matters if you're on that pricing: Stripe bills Link-as-a-payment-method transactions at a single blended rate instead.
How to turn on Link
- In the Stripe Dashboard, open your payment method settings and enable Link under Wallets.
- For Checkout, use dynamic payment methods. If your integration lists payment methods manually, remove the payment_method_types parameter, and some methods, including cards and wallets, turn on automatically.
- If you collect card details for later use with Setup Intents, list payment methods manually instead and include link.
- For invoices, go to the Invoice template, select Manage under Payment methods, toggle Link on and click Save.
- Test in a sandbox before you go live.
Once it's enabled and integrated, Stripe shows Link automatically on eligible transactions. If you're a Connect platform, Link is automatically available to connected accounts using Checkout, and each connected account manages it in its own Dashboard.
Testing Link in a sandbox
You can create sandbox Link accounts with any valid email address. Any 6-digit passcode succeeds, except three fixed values: 000001 returns an invalid code error, 000002 an expired code and 000003 too many attempts. Stripe's warning here is worth repeating: don't store real customer data in sandbox Link accounts, because they're tied to your publishable key and should be treated as public.
Refunds, disputes and switching it off
Link supports full and partial refunds from the Dashboard or the API, and the process usually completes within 5 to 10 business days, depending on the customer's bank. Disputes follow a similar process to card disputes, though timelines can vary depending on whether a card or a bank account funded the payment.
To switch Link off, go back to your payment method settings. You have to change it separately for each payment method configuration, and the change can take a few minutes to show on your website.
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My verdict on Stripe Link
I'd switch Link on for most small businesses already using Stripe's hosted pages, because there's no extra fee on Checkout and returning customers skip typing their card details. Use the payment method route unless you need card brands in your reporting or you're on IC+ pricing. If you're still choosing your checkout set-up, start with how Stripe Checkout works, and if all you need is a link to send a customer, Stripe Payment Links is the simpler product.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Stripe Link the same as Stripe Payment Links?
No. Link is Stripe's digital wallet that saves and autofills payment details. Payment Links is a separate product for shareable payment URLs, and Link works inside it.
Does Stripe charge extra for Link?
Stripe says Checkout supports Link with no additional fees, and the same pricing applies as for other card payments.
Can I see the card brand on a Stripe Link payment?
Not if you integrate Link as a payment method. Use a card-specific integration if you need the card brand or last 4 digits.
Where is Stripe Link not available?
Link isn't available in India, and the Payment Element doesn't support Link in Brazil or Thailand.
How long do Stripe Link refunds take?
Refunds are typically completed within 5 to 10 business days, depending on the customer's bank.
