> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.paddle.com/llms.txt).

# Set your default payment link

Your default payment link is a quick way to open Paddle Checkout for a transaction, and used when updating a payment method. Set it in the Paddle dashboard.

---

Transactions have a checkout payment link that you can use to open a checkout to collect for payment. Set a default payment link to tell Paddle which page in your app or website that checkout payment links should point to by default.

Your default payment link is also used to open a checkout to let customers update their payment method. It's included automatically in emails sent by Paddle to customers.

{% callout type="warning" %}
You must set your default payment link to start selling with Paddle. You can't create transactions without it — including [manually-collected transactions (invoices)](https://developer.paddle.com/build/invoices/create-issue-invoices.md).
{% /callout %}

## How it works

Every Paddle account has a default payment link. It's used for:

- Unique payment links against [transactions](https://developer.paddle.com/api-reference/transactions/overview.md) that automatically open a [Paddle Checkout](https://developer.paddle.com/concepts/sell/self-serve-checkout.md) to collect for payment.
- As a redirect for the payment method update URL against automatically-collected subscriptions to let customers update payment details.
- In emails sent by Paddle to customers to let them update their payment details for automatically-collected subscriptions.

Your default payment link should be a page for an approved website that [includes Paddle.js](https://developer.paddle.com/paddlejs/include-paddlejs.md). You don't need to do anything to get Paddle.js to open a checkout, it automatically opens a checkout for the transaction when the query parameter is present.

### Transaction payment links

All automatically-collected transactions include a checkout payment link.

Manually-collected transactions don't include a checkout payment link by default, but you can set `billing_details.enable_checkout` to `true` when [creating or updating](https://developer.paddle.com/build/invoices/create-issue-invoices.md) to include one. When enabled, this link is automatically included on invoice documents sent by Paddle.

Checkout payment links are returned in transaction responses as `checkout.url`. They're made up of your default payment link with a `_ptxn` query parameter appended. The value of the query parameter is the transaction ID. For example:

```{% title="Example checkout payment link" %}
https://aeroedit.com/pay?_ptxn=txn_01h2b0qpjc0xt8k5aw6nsdec4p
```

In this example:

| Description                                           | URL component                                 |
|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **Default payment link**                   | `https://aeroedit.com/pay`       |
| **Query parameter key**                    | `?_ptxn=`                        |
| **Query parameter value** (transaction ID) | `txn_01h2b0qpjc0xt8k5aw6nsdec4p` |

You can pass any of your other approved websites as `checkout.url` when [creating or updating a transaction](https://developer.paddle.com/build/transactions/create-transaction.md) to override the default checkout link, if you want to point to another page.

### Payment method update links

For compliance, subscription emails from Paddle include a link to let customers update their payment method and cancel their subscription. Links are also returned when working with [subscription entities](https://developer.paddle.com/api-reference/subscriptions/overview.md) against `subscription.management_urls`.

The link to [update a payment method](https://developer.paddle.com/build/subscriptions/update-payment-details.md) redirects to your default payment URL to open a checkout to update a payment method.

## Before you begin

You'll need to add your website to **Paddle > Checkout > Website approval**, then wait for approval.

## Build your default payment link page

Your default payment link should be a page for an approved website that [includes Paddle.js](https://developer.paddle.com/paddlejs/include-paddlejs.md). It might be your checkout page, or you might create a separate page specifically for it.

{% callout type="info" %}
If your page calls [`Paddle.Checkout.open()`](https://developer.paddle.com/paddlejs/methods/paddle-checkout-open.md) on load with a list of `items` or a `transactionId`, this takes priority over the query parameter.
{% /callout %}

By default, Paddle.js opens an overlay checkout for the passed transaction. You can [set default checkout settings](https://developer.paddle.com/build/checkout/set-up-checkout-default-settings#default-settings.md) by passing them to [`Paddle.Initialize()`](https://developer.paddle.com/paddlejs/methods/paddle-initialize.md). Paddle.js uses default settings when opening a checkout payment link.

{% accordion %}
{% accordion-item title="Set default checkout settings (inline)" %}

This example sets default checkout settings for all checkouts opened on a page. When using a checkout payment link, Paddle.js opens an inline checkout with these settings.

```javascript
Paddle.Initialize({
  token: 'live_7d279f61a3499fed520f7cd8c08', // replace with a client-side token
  checkout: {
    settings: {
      displayMode: "inline",
      theme: "light",
      locale: "en",
      frameTarget: "checkout-container",
      frameInitialHeight: "450",
      frameStyle: "width: 100%; min-width: 312px; background-color: transparent; border: none;"
    }
  }
});
```

{% /accordion-item %}
{% accordion-item title="Set default checkout settings (overlay)" %}

This example sets default checkout settings for all checkouts opened on a page. When using a checkout payment link, Paddle.js opens an overlay checkout with these settings.

Paddle.js opens an overlay checkout by default, but this is a good way to [pass additional settings](https://developer.paddle.com/build/checkout/set-up-checkout-default-settings.md) like `locale` and `theme`.

```javascript
Paddle.Initialize({
  token: 'live_7d279f61a3499fed520f7cd8c08', // replace with a client-side token
  checkout: {
    settings: {
      displayMode: "overlay",
      theme: "light",
      locale: "en"
    }
  }
});
```

{% /accordion-item %}
{% /accordion %}

## Set your default payment link

You can set your default payment link in the Paddle dashboard. You must set a default payment link — even if you only sell by invoice or only sell one-time products.

{% callout type="info" %}
Your [sandbox](https://developer.paddle.com/sdks/sandbox.md) and live systems are separate. You should set a default payment link for both systems. They don't have to be the same.
{% /callout %}

{% instruction-steps %}

1. Go to **Paddle > Checkout > Checkout settings**.
2. Enter your website homepage under the **Default payment link** heading. If you don't have one, enter `https://localhost/`.
3. Click {% mock-button %}Save when you're done.

{% /instruction-steps %}

{% /dashboard-instructions %}