Quietbill / Stripe Payment Link invoice
Stripe Payment Link invoice
A Stripe Payment Link invoice is not automatic. By default, a customer who pays through a Payment Link gets a confirmation and a receipt. If they need an invoice with their company name and VAT number, you have to set that up. This page covers the options, what each one costs, and where each one falls short.
What a customer gets by default
A receipt. It confirms that a payment happened. It usually doesn’t carry an invoice number or the customer’s company details, which is what an accountant asks for. The difference is covered in Stripe receipt vs invoice.
Option 1: turn on invoice creation for the link
Stripe can create an invoice for each payment made through a Payment Link. In the API the setting is invoice_creation.enabled. For a one-time Checkout or Payment Link purchase, Stripe charges 0.4% of the payment per invoice, capped at $2.
- Worked example: a $100 sale costs $0.40 to invoice. A $500 sale costs $2, and so does a $5,000 sale.
- Limit: it applies to payments made after you turn it on.
- Limit: Stripe doesn’t let you edit a paid invoice, so a customer who asks later to add a VAT number can’t have it added to that one.
Use the Stripe invoice fee calculator to see what that adds up to at your volume.
Option 2: ask for the tax ID at checkout
Payment Links can collect a tax ID from the buyer before they pay (tax_id_collection in the API). If the buyer enters their VAT number there, it is on the record from the start. It works well when customers know they need it. It doesn’t help the customer who realizes later, or anyone who paid before you turned it on.
Option 3: let customers get their own invoice after paying
Quietbill reads your successful Stripe payments with a read-only key and gives you one link to share. Your customer confirms their email, picks a payment, adds a company name, address and VAT ID, and downloads a numbered PDF. Amounts, dates, line items and tax come from Stripe and are locked. It works for Payment Links, Checkout and subscriptions, and for payments made before you signed up. You can see what customers see in the demo.
Which option fits
| Your situation | What to use |
|---|---|
| Mostly consumers, few invoice requests | The Stripe receipt may be enough. Check the rules where you sell. |
| You’ll invoice every sale from the start | Stripe invoice creation, plus tax ID collection on the link. |
| You have payments from before invoices were on | Quietbill. |
| Customers ask for a VAT number after paying | Quietbill. |
Questions
Does a Stripe Payment Link send an invoice automatically?
No. By default a customer who pays through a Payment Link gets a payment confirmation and a receipt. Invoice creation is a setting you turn on for the link.
How much does a Stripe Payment Link invoice cost?
Stripe’s post-payment invoice for a one-time Checkout or Payment Link purchase costs 0.4% of the payment, capped at $2. That is $0.40 on a $100 sale and $2 on any sale of $500 or more. Check Stripe’s pricing page for the current rate.
Can I create an invoice for a Payment Link payment that already happened?
Stripe’s documentation describes invoice creation as a setting that applies when the payment is made. We did not find a documented way to add a Stripe invoice to a payment made before the setting was on. Quietbill reads past successful payments, so customers can get an invoice for those.
Can the customer add a VAT number to a Payment Link invoice?
Before they pay, yes, if you turn on tax ID collection for the link. After they pay, Stripe doesn’t let you edit the paid invoice. Quietbill lets the customer add a company name, address and VAT ID after payment and download a numbered PDF.
Is a Quietbill invoice a valid tax invoice?
Quietbill invoices include a sequential number, issue and payment dates, your business details and tax ID, the customer’s VAT ID, and a tax breakdown when Stripe collected tax. Rules differ by country, so check the details with your accountant.
Stop writing invoices by hand
Quietbill gives your Stripe customers one link to find their payment, add their company and VAT number, and download a numbered PDF invoice. $49 once, no subscription, no per-invoice fees.
Set up and preview for free. Not quieter within 30 days? Email us for a full refund.