Is Link Payment Safe? How to Pay and Get Paid Safely
Yes, link payment is safe when the link comes from a seller you know and opens a secure checkout run by a certified payment company. The danger sits in fake links, not in the technology.
People reported losing $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025, according to FTC testimony, and scams that started on social media cost $2.1 billion.
What is a link payment?
A link payment is a sale you collect by sending your customer a checkout page instead of taking their card in person. The link carries the amount, and the customer pays from their own phone or computer.
With a JIM Payment Link, you type the amount in the JIM app, choose Payment Link, and share it by text, email, or DM. Your customer pays with a card or a digital wallet, with no app to download. Sellers use it for remote orders, deposits before an appointment, and invoices. For the full business setup, read payment links for business.
Some online stores also offer a saved one-click checkout that fills in your card for you. The checks in this guide work for both, because what matters is who sent the link and where it takes you.
Is JIM Payment Link safe?
Yes. JIM Payment Link follows the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS, the security rulebook that the PCI Security Standards Council maintains and that Visa and Mastercard require. On top of that, every sale passes an automatic security review before it goes through.
| Protection | What it does | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| PCI DSS 4.0.1 | Annual security assessments and regular vulnerability tests | Card data follows the standard card networks require |
| No stored card data | JIM keeps no card numbers, expiration dates, or security codes | A lost phone exposes no customer cards |
| Tokenization | Replaces card details with a stand-in value | Intercepted data is useless to a thief |
| 3D Secure | Lets the customer's bank ask for a code, app approval, or biometrics | A stolen card number alone can't complete the sale |
| Security review | Checks every sale in real time before approval | Unusual payments get declined |
You never see the customer's card number either. JIM does not let sellers type card numbers into the app, so card details only exist on the secure checkout page. The same standards protect in-person sales, as the guide on contactless payment security explains.
How does a JIM Payment Link protect each payment?
Each JIM Payment Link moves through five checkpoints, and the customer's card stays inside the checkout at every one of them.
In practice, ask customers to pay with a digital wallet when they can. Wallet checkout is faster, and the phone's face, fingerprint, or passcode lock guards the card, as the guide to digital wallets shows.
What are the real risks of paying by link?
The real risk is a fake link from someone pretending to be a seller, a bank, or a payment company. The FTC warns that legitimate companies won't email or text you a link to update your payment information, so treat any message like that as a scam.
| Red flag | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpected request | A link for something you never ordered | Contact the seller through a channel you already use |
| Details don't match | Wrong business name or a different amount | Close the page and ask for a new link |
| Code request | Someone asks you to read back a one-time code | Never share it with anyone |
| Pressure | Pay in 10 minutes or lose the deal | Slow down and verify the seller |
| No lock icon | The page address doesn't start with https | Leave the page without paying |
Scammers also impersonate JIM itself. JIM has no sales representatives, in person or on social media, so anyone who contacts you as a JIM rep outside the app or official email is a scammer. Report it in the official chat and don't click the link.
How can customers tell a payment link is safe?
Pay only when you expected the link and the checkout matches what you agreed on. Run these five checks before you enter a card.
If something looks wrong after you paid, contact the seller first, then your card issuer. Report the fake link at ReportFraud.ftc.gov so the FTC can track it.
How do sellers stay safe when they send payment links?
Send one link per order, describe what it pays for, and deliver only after the payment clears. Those three habits prevent most disputes before they start.
A chargeback happens when a customer asks their bank to reverse a card payment. The bank decides the case, not JIM, and JIM informs you of the result, so strong records matter more than anything you say later. The guide on credit card chargebacks covers how to respond.
How much does a JIM Payment Link cost?
A JIM Payment Link costs 4.99% + $0.30 per sale, with no monthly fee, and the money lands on your JIM Card in seconds. When the customer stands in front of you, Tap to Pay costs 1.99% instead.
| Sale | Payment Link fee | You keep | Tap to Pay fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $80 | $4.29 | $75.71 | $1.59 |
| $200 | $10.28 | $189.72 | $3.98 |
| $1,000 | $50.20 | $949.80 | $19.90 |
Fees from jim.com/pricing. Turn on Transfer fees to customer if you want the customer to cover the fee in the total. Your JIM Card is a virtual Visa prepaid card you spend free anywhere Visa is accepted, and a transfer to your bank by Automated Clearing House, or ACH, costs 1.99% + $0.99. The step-by-step lives in JIM's selling guide.
Customer standing in front of you? Use Tap to Pay, and see how Tap to Pay works. Customer somewhere else? Send the link. For other ways to take cards, read how to accept credit card payments.
Should you use a payment link for your next remote sale?
Yes, whenever the customer can't tap. On a $200 order, a JIM Payment Link costs $10.28 and puts $189.72 on your JIM Card seconds after the customer pays, with PCI DSS protection and 3D Secure on card payments. Put the link in your first message, as the templates for asking a client for payment show. Create my first Payment Link.
The JIM Card is issued by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Instant settlements subject to terms. Fees and T&C apply. See jim.com for more details.
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