Payment link or QR code: which one should you use?

Neither, because it is not a choice. In FiatFlex, every payment request exists as a link and as a QR code at the same time, for the same amount: the QR code is simply a way of displaying the link. The only decision that matters is made earlier, when you create the request, and it is about how you get paid: card or stablecoin.

A QR code is a channel, not a payment method

When you create a payment request in the app, you get two things for a single transaction: a link you can copy and send, and a QR code that points to exactly that link. Same amount, same reference, one line in your history. You can show the QR code on screen, share it as an image, or send the link in a message. It is the same payment.

That is why "link or QR code?" is not a question you settle once. It comes back with every sale, and the answer fits in one sentence: the QR code when the customer is standing in front of you, the link when they are not.

The real decision: card or stablecoin

That one is yours, and you make it when you create the request. The customer does not pick a payment method after scanning. A card payment link opens a card payment page. A crypto payment request opens a Solana Pay request in USDC or EURC. If your customer only has a card, send the card link; if you want to be paid in stablecoin, create a crypto request.

We are launching in France: the three ways of getting paid described here are for merchants in France, and Tap to Pay on iPhone is available there at launch.

The home screen offers three ways to get paid, and only one of the three has neither a link nor a QR code.

• Tap to Pay: no link and no QR code. The customer holds their card or phone against yours.
• The card payment link: link and QR code. The customer lands on a card payment page.
• The crypto payment request: link and QR code. The customer pays from a Solana wallet, in USDC or EURC.

What each one costs, in euros

The format changes nothing about the price. A link sent in a message and the same link shown as a QR code cost exactly the same. What changes the price is the method.

On a €100 payment:

• Tap to Pay: €2.10.
• Card payment link: €2.25.
• Stablecoin received, not converted: €0.
• Stablecoin received in EURC and converted into euros: €1.26.

On a €10 payment:

• Tap to Pay: €0.39.
• Card payment link: €0.45.
• Stablecoin received, not converted: €0.
• Stablecoin received in EURC and converted on its own: €0.10 of commission, plus the flat bank fee of 0.30 USD per SEPA transfer.

The detail, because the fixed parts matter:

Card. Our commission is 0.50%. On top of that come Stripe's fees, billed to your own Stripe account: 1.4% + €0.20 with Tap to Pay, and 1.5% + €0.25 on a payment link, for an EEA consumer card. On €100 taken through a link, that is €0.50 plus €1.50 plus €0.25, so €2.25. On €10, that is €0.05 plus €0.15 plus €0.25, so €0.45.

Stablecoin. Accepting a payment is free: you receive the full amount, nothing is deducted on the way in. What is charged is the conversion to euros, and it costs our 1% commission, plus a flat bank fee of 0.30 USD per SEPA transfer, plus 0.50% of spread on USDC only, since EURC is at par. That bank fee is flat: it is charged once per SEPA transfer, whatever the amount moved, and the exact amount is shown to you before you confirm.

The rest. Withdrawing your card balance to your bank is free for you. No subscription, no account opening fee, no hardware to buy.

And the honest consequence, the one most comparisons quietly skip: on a €10 ticket converted on its own, the flat bank fee of 0.30 USD lands in full on that single conversion, which puts the stablecoin in the same order of magnitude as the €0.39 of a Tap to Pay. That is the same thing, not cheaper. Small amounts are decided by the fixed parts, €0.20, €0.25 and 0.30 USD, and a percentage shown on its own makes them disappear. Stablecoin gains the advantage when you group several payments into one conversion, or when the ticket is large. The full breakdown is in our article on pricing, and the summary sits on the pricing section.

When the QR code, when the link

The QR code, when the customer is there:

• at the counter, at a market, in a pop-up stand;
• on delivery, at the door;
• whenever you would rather nobody had to type anything, because showing a screen is enough.

The link, when the customer is not there:

• an invoice sent by email;
• an order taken by phone or by message;
• a sale closed in a private message thread;
• a deposit requested before you travel out to a job.

And nothing forces you to pick one: the same request can be shown as a QR code at the counter, then sent as a link if the customer leaves without paying.

What to know before you start

• A payment request stays valid for 24 hours, card or crypto. After that, you create another one.
• A card payment link is created in euros, from €1.
• A crypto request is taken in USDC or EURC on Solana. You pick the token when you create the request: the amount is still entered in euros, and your customer pays the equivalent in the token you chose.
• Card disputes: €20 per dispute received, and €20 more if you contest it, that second €20 returned to you if you win. This concerns card payments, so payment links and Tap to Pay. The terms are in our terms and conditions.
• FiatFlex is not a bank, not a payment institution and not an electronic money institution. Stripe handles the cards, Bridge handles the conversion to euros and the SEPA transfer. The Solana wallet we operate on your behalf is custody: FiatFlex holds those funds, and it is not self-custody.

Frequently asked questions

Does a QR code cost more than a link?

No. It is the same payment request at the same price. The cost depends on how you get paid, card or stablecoin, not on the channel the customer arrives through.

Can my customer choose between card and stablecoin after scanning?

No. The method is fixed when you create the request. A card link leads to a card payment page, a crypto request leads to a Solana Pay request. If you do not know how your customer wants to pay, ask before creating the request.

Can I offer both card and stablecoin in the same shop?

Yes. The three ways to get paid sit side by side on the home screen, and every payment shows up in the same history.

Do I need a terminal or a card reader?

No. A link, a QR code and Tap to Pay are all created from the app, with no hardware. You only need to download the app and have a verified account.

Does the card link's QR code work with a phone camera?

Yes. The QR code of a card payment link contains the address of the payment page, so the camera opens it like any other link. The QR code of a crypto request is a Solana Pay request instead, which the customer opens with a compatible wallet.

In short

The link and the QR code are not rivals: they carry the same request at the same price, and you pick the one that fits the situation at the last moment. The question worth your attention is elsewhere, in how you get paid, because that is what decides what the sale costs you.