> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ringup.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send Link

> For a first-time caller with no saved card, send_link texts a secure pay link; the caller taps it, pays, and is recognized on every call after.

When a caller has no saved card, or a recognized caller wants to use a different one, there is
nothing to charge yet. `send_link` texts them a secure pay link so they can pay on their own
phone, without ever reading a card number aloud on the call.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl -X POST https://ringup.dev/api/tools/send_link \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "X-Caller-Number: +14155550142" \
    -H "X-Ringup-Merchant: tonys-pizza" \
    -d '{ "amount_cents": 1900 }'
  ```

  ```javascript Node theme={null}
  const res = await fetch("https://ringup.dev/api/tools/send_link", {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      "X-Caller-Number": "+14155550142",
      "X-Ringup-Merchant": "tonys-pizza",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ amount_cents: 1900 }),
  });
  const link = await res.json();
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  link = requests.post(
      "https://ringup.dev/api/tools/send_link",
      headers={
          "X-Caller-Number": "+14155550142",
          "X-Ringup-Merchant": "tonys-pizza",
      },
      json={"amount_cents": 1900},
  ).json()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

```json Response theme={null}
{ "ok": true, "sent_to": "+14155550142", "link": "https://ringup.dev/pay" }
```

## What happens

The caller taps the link and pays on a Ringup-hosted page. The card number is entered there, on a
web page, so it never touches the call. Once the payment clears, the card is saved by phone
number, so the same person is [recognized](/concepts/identity) on their next call, at any Ringup
merchant, and can pay from a saved card with no link at all.

Only send the link after the caller clearly agrees to the text.

## During the call or after

Payment can complete either way:

* **During the call.** The caller pays while still on the phone. You can poll the payment state so
  your agent knows the moment it clears and can close the call knowing the order is paid.
* **After the call ends.** The caller hangs up and pays later from the same link. The call does not
  have to wait.

Either way, the caller gets an SMS receipt, and your server learns the outcome from a
`checkout.completed` [webhook](/concepts/webhooks) with `method: "link"`. A link payment is not a
separate event: it is a `checkout.completed` like any other, so one webhook handler covers both a
saved-card charge and a first-time link payment.

Once the caller has paid once, prefer a direct [`charge`](/concepts/charge) on their saved card
next time.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Charge" icon="credit-card" href="/concepts/charge">
    The recognized-caller path: run a saved card without a link.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="webhook" href="/concepts/webhooks">
    A first-time link payment lands as checkout.completed too.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>