How to Accept Card Payments as a Small Business: Payment Links, QR Codes and Invoices (2026 Guide)

You do not need a card machine to get paid by card. Here is exactly how to take card, Apple Pay and Google Pay payments by link, QR code or invoice with TRANSMONY Payments.

How to Accept Card Payments as a Small Business: Payment Links, QR Codes and Invoices (2026 Guide)

Card payments5 November 20265 min read

The questionMy customers want to pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay – in my shop, on WhatsApp or online. How can my small business take card payments without a card machine?

Short answer

Open TRANSMONY Payments at pay.transmony.com. Once we approve your business, you create a payment link to send by WhatsApp, email or text, print a QR code for your counter, or email an invoice with a pay button. Customers pay on their own phone by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the money is paid out to your own business bank account. From 2% + 20p per standard UK card payment, with no monthly or set-up fee. Your business must be registered in one of 42 countries.

How to do it with TRANSMONY

You need: TRANSMONY Payments – for card, wallet and local payments from your customers (not the TRANSMONY Account).

  1. Open a free accountGo to pay.transmony.com and click Open a free account. Do not use “Create TRANSMONY Account” on transmony.com – that is a different service for receiving bank transfers.
  2. Sign in with your emailEnter your email and the 6-digit code we send you. No password needed.
  3. ApplyTell us your business name, country of registration, whether you are a limited company or a sole trader, your phone number and your website (optional), and accept the merchant terms.
  4. We approveWe review every application personally and reply within one working day.
  5. VerifyConfirm your identity and the business bank account where you want to be paid, on our secure page (5–10 minutes). Then come back – the page updates by itself.
  6. Take your first paymentCreate a payment link (a fixed amount, or let the customer type it), copy it and share it on WhatsApp, or download the QR code from your dashboard and put it at your counter. For a client who wants paperwork, email an invoice with 7, 14 or 30 days to pay.
  7. Follow your moneyOpen Payouts & refunds at the top of your page to see every payment and payout. Refund a payment or answer a dispute from Payments.

Which way to take payment

SituationUse
Order taken on WhatsApp, by phone or chatPayment link – send it while the customer is still talking to you
Customer at your counterQR code – they scan and pay on their own phone
Business client, service or depositInvoice by email with a secure pay button
Monthly service or membershipRepeating payment link – charged automatically until they or you cancel
Your own online storePayments on your website with a simple integration

Examples

A boutique in Dubai selling on WhatsAppThe shop is registered in the UAE, one of the 42 countries. It sends a payment link in AED to a customer in India, who pays by card on her phone. Cards issued in more than 195 countries are accepted.
A café in LondonOne printed QR code next to the till: customers pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and every payment shows in the dashboard for the accountant.
A business registered in India or IndonesiaThese countries are not among the 42 where the business can be registered, so TRANSMONY Payments cannot be opened yet. If your clients abroad pay you by bank transfer, ask us which account fits – we tell you honestly, 24/7.

Your customers can pay with Visa, Mastercard and other major cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, Clearpay, and bank and local methods such as bank transfer, Bacs Direct Debit, SEPA Direct Debit, BLIK, Przelewy24 and MobilePay, depending on the country and currency. You can charge in 19 currencies.

What it costs

From 2% + 20p per standard UK card payment; international and business cards cost a little more. No monthly fee, no set-up fee and no contract – if you take no payments, you pay nothing. The exact fee for every payment is shown in your dashboard, and TRANSMONY Payments adds nothing to a TRANSMONY Account or Platinum Account you may also have. See Services & fees.

Common mistakes

  • Opening the TRANSMONY Account for card payments. It gives you account details for bank transfers and does not take cards. For card payments open TRANSMONY Payments. Opened the wrong one? Tell us and we help you open the right one.
  • Taking payments outside TRANSMONY tools. Every payment must be taken through TRANSMONY links, QR codes or tools.
  • Applying for a business registered elsewhere. Your business must be registered in one of the 42 countries listed on How to use TRANSMONY. Your customers can pay from anywhere.
  • Forgetting your monthly limit. Every account has a monthly limit and new sole traders start lower. Check it on your page before a busy season and ask us to raise it in good time.
  • Vague payment descriptions. Write what the payment is for on every link and invoice, so customers recognise it on their statement and do not dispute it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a card machine to accept card payments?

No. With TRANSMONY Payments you send a payment link, show a QR code at your counter or email an invoice. Your customer pays by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay on their own phone.

Which businesses can open TRANSMONY Payments?

Limited companies and sole traders registered in one of 42 countries in Europe, the UAE, Asia-Pacific and North America. Customers can pay you from more than 195 countries.

How much does it cost?

From 2% + 20p per standard UK card payment, with no monthly fee, no set-up fee and no contract. International and business cards cost a little more.

Can customers pay by card into my TRANSMONY Account?

No. The TRANSMONY Account receives bank transfers. To take card, Apple Pay or Google Pay payments, open TRANSMONY Payments.

Where does the money go?

To your own business bank account, in your own country and local currency. You can charge in 19 currencies.

The TRANSMONY service for thisTRANSMONY Payments

Customers pay you by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay: payment link, QR code or invoice. Paid out to your own business bank account.

  • For businesses registered in 42 countries
  • From 2% + 20p per payment
  • No monthly fee and no set-up fee
New TRANSMONY guides every week:TelegramWhatsApp