# Payment links concept

A **Payment Link** is a Txn-hosted page that lets your end user select the cryptocurrency and network they want to use before a transaction is created. You create the link via API, send your end user to the `hostedPageUrl`, and Txn handles the rest — creating the child invoice or payout once the user makes their selection.

Payment links work with both invoices and payouts:

* **Invoice payment links** — the end user picks a cryptocurrency to pay with. Txn creates a child invoice and redirects them to the invoice payment page.
* **Payout payment links** — the end user picks a cryptocurrency and submits their wallet address. Txn creates a child payout and sends funds to that address.

## Invoice payment links

<figure><img src="/files/E82QYpykVqh3GwXEBlKZ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

See [Invoices concept](/invoices/invoices-concept.md) and [Invoice status flow](/invoices/invoice-status-flow.md) for details on the child invoice lifecycle.

## Payout payment links

<figure><img src="/files/FQFRudDLbz17dqBVPjli" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

See [Payouts concept](/payouts/payouts-concept.md) and [Payout status flow](/payouts/payout-status-flow.md) for details on the child payout lifecycle.

## Payment link status

Payment link status is independent of its child invoice or payout status.

| Status    | Final? | Description                                                                                                                                                                        |
| --------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| created   | No     | The link has been created. The end user has not yet interacted with the hosted page.                                                                                               |
| pending   | No     | The end user has selected a cryptocurrency and triggered a child invoice or payout. Transitions to `completed` on success, or `expired` if the child transaction is not completed. |
| completed | Yes    | The end user successfully initiated a child invoice or payout through the payment link.                                                                                            |
| expired   | Yes    | The payment link expired before the end user completed the flow, or was manually expired via the [Expire Payment Link](/payment-links/expiring-payment-link.md) endpoint.          |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Payment link expiry is independent of child invoice and payout expiry.** A payment link and the invoice or payout it triggers each have their own expiry windows, configured separately.

For example: a payment link is set to expire in 20 minutes, and invoices on your account are configured to expire in 60 minutes. An end user opens the hosted page, selects a cryptocurrency at minute 15 (triggering an invoice with a fresh 60-minute window), and completes payment at minute 25. The payment link will show `expired` — it passed its 20-minute window — while the invoice will show `completed`. This is expected behaviour.

**Always use the child invoice or payout status to determine payment outcome**, not the payment link status. Subscribe to [invoice webhooks](/api-basics/webhooks.md) and [payout webhooks](/payouts/payout-webhooks.md) to receive real-time status updates on the actual transactions.
{% endhint %}

For child invoice and payout statuses:

* [Invoice status flow](/invoices/invoice-status-flow.md)
* [Payout status flow](/payouts/payout-status-flow.md)

## Hosted page examples

### Invoice payment link

The end user selects their preferred cryptocurrency and network:

<figure><img src="/files/C49TX3f5M877aRjDbQUY" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

After clicking **Continue**, Txn creates an invoice and redirects the end user to the invoice payment page:

<figure><img src="/files/YaOD9cW1qB6zTtpH8Bcj" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Payout payment link

The end user selects a cryptocurrency, network, and submits their wallet address:

<figure><img src="/files/AiuEUqyVPpKF6myV5P7m" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

After clicking **Continue**, the end user reviews the payout details:

<figure><img src="/files/atvP5eQgB2trqIzOzeql" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

After clicking **Confirm**, Txn initiates the cryptocurrency transfer to their wallet:

<figure><img src="/files/8xp1TwaggrguxzhyajaJ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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