How payment links work
A payment link is a URL you generate for a specific amount in the currency you want to receive, such as Philippine pesos. You share the link with a U.S.-based buyer, who opens it, connects their U.S. bank account, and authorizes a debit. Meridian converts the debited U.S. dollars automatically so you are paid the target amount in your currency. You create and manage links through Meridian’s REST API, or through the Meridian Realtime Collections portal. Both work against the same links, so you can create a link in the portal and read it back through the API. Every link carries a merchant-definedreferenceId, so payments reconcile against the contract, invoice, or account number your own systems already use.
Currency support
Customers pay in USD, and merchants are paid out in PHP. These are currently the only supported currencies for collection and settlement.Recurrence types
Each payment link is created with a recurrence type that determines how many times it can be paid.VARIABLE suits collections where the amount is not known in advance and arrives period by period, such as monthly amortization. RECURRING suits a fixed amount on a regular schedule.
Automatic payments
For recurring links, customers can set up an Auto Pay so Meridian collects each payment automatically on a scheduled day of the month, rather than the customer returning to the link each time. A link reports its Auto Pay arrangements, so you can tell whether a customer has automated their payments or is paying manually.Link access and security
Payment links are protected in two ways:- First-access deadline. Every link carries a deadline for its first access. If the customer does not open the link by then, it expires automatically and can no longer be paid. The window is set in your merchant configuration.
- Authentication challenge. You can require the customer to answer a challenge before viewing the link. This is required for recurring payment links, since they can be charged more than once.
Meridian configures your first-access expiry window during onboarding.