You sell on Shopify and you want to get paid by card with Core. This guide shows you how to set up secure payment links on your store. It takes about 5 minutes, once.

How it works

1. Your customer places an order and picks "Secure payment link" at checkout.
2. You receive the order and send them a Core payment link.
3. They pay by card, you confirm the order. Done.

No module to install, no code.

Why a payment link, and not a native module

Shopify does not currently let Core be added as a built-in payment method inside its checkout. This is a restriction of the Shopify platform, not a Core limitation. The secure payment link is the supported way to accept Core card payments on your Shopify store today. It works on any Shopify plan, needs no module and no developer, and your customer still pays securely by card.

What you need

• admin access to your Shopify store
• an active Core account to generate your payment links

Part A: Set up (do this once)

You set this up one time. After that, it is ready for every order.

Step 1: Open your payment settings

• In your Shopify admin, go to Settings (bottom left), then Payments.

Step 2: Add a manual payment method

• Scroll down to the Manual payment methods section.
• Click Add manual payment method,
• then Create custom payment method at the bottom of the list.

Step 4: Fill the details

This text shows at checkout when the customer selects this method. Copy and paste:

• English version:

"Pay securely by link. After you place your order, you will receive a secure payment link by email to pay by card. Your order is confirmed as soon as the payment is received."

• French version:

"Paiement sécurisé par lien. Après validation de votre commande, vous recevez par email un lien de paiement sécurisé pour régler par carte. Votre commande est confirmée dès réception du paiement."

Step 5: Fill in "Payment instructions"

This text shows on the order confirmation page and email. Copy and paste:

• English version:

"Thank you for your order. You will receive a secure payment link by email within a few minutes. Click it to pay securely by card. As soon as we receive the payment, we process your order. Any question? Just reply to this email."

• French version:

"Merci pour votre commande. Vous allez recevoir un lien de paiement sécurisé par email d'ici quelques minutes. Cliquez dessus pour régler par carte en toute sécurité. Dès réception du paiement, nous traitons votre commande. Une question ? Répondez simplement à cet email."

Step 6: Activate

Click Activate payment method. The method now appears at checkout for all your customers.

Step 7: Turn on order notifications

So you never miss an order, make sure you get notified the moment one comes in:

• go to Settings then Notifications
• under Staff order notifications, add the email address that should handle payments
• tip: install the Shopify mobile app to get a notification on every order

This is the most important step: with this payment method, nothing starts until you see the order arrive.

What your customer sees

Once activated, "Secure payment link (Core)" appears at checkout with your message. After placing the order, your customer gets a confirmation showing the payment instructions.

Part B: For every order

When a customer chooses this method, here is what to do each time:

1. You get a new order marked Pending (payment not received yet), plus an email notification.
2. Open the order and check the total.
3. In your Core Payment account, create a payment link for that amount.
4. Send the link to your customer: reply to the order email, or send it by message. Keep it quick.
5. Your customer clicks the link and pays by card.
6. Check in your Core Payment account that the payment came through.
7. Back in Shopify, open the order and click Collect payment, then Mark as paid.
8. Prepare and ship the order as usual.

Refunds

Refund window: 3 days. A payment made through a Core link can be refunded from your Core account within 3 days. After that, the refund is no longer possible through Core and you will need to refund your customer another way (for example a bank transfer). So handle refunds quickly.

To refund a customer:

1. Refund from your Core account, within 3 days of the payment. This is what actually sends the money back.
2. Then, in Shopify, open the order and record the refund so your orders and reports stay accurate. Recording it in Shopify does not send any money by itself, it only keeps your records correct.

FAQ

Do my customers need a Core Payment account?
No. They simply click the link and pay by card, like any other online payment.

Is the payment secure?
Yes. Payments go through Core's secure payment page. Common cards are accepted, including Visa, Mastercard and CB.

Why is there no Shopify app or module to install?
Shopify only allows a limited set of approved payment providers to appear natively in its checkout. The secure payment link is the supported way to accept Core payments on Shopify today, on any plan, with no module and no developer.

Once the customer pays, is the order marked paid automatically?
No. This is a manual method. After the customer pays, you mark the order as paid yourself, once you have confirmed the payment in Core.

Can I keep my other payment methods too?
Yes. It appears as one option at checkout, next to any others you offer.

How quickly should I send the payment link?
As soon as you see the order. The sooner you send it, the sooner you get paid and can ship.

Still stuck? Contact the Core team and we will help you set it up.

Updated on: 04/08/2026