How to take payments over the phone: virtual terminal, payment link or Pay by Bank?

Taking payment during a phone conversation gives you three practical routes. You can enter card details into a virtual terminal, send a card payment link for the customer to complete, or send a Pay by Bank link so the customer can approve an account-to-account payment through their bank. The right route depends on who enters the payment information, which data reaches your staff and systems, how quickly the customer can complete the next step, and which status your team will use before confirming the order or booking.

Choose by who completes the payment

A business may use more than one route. A florist might send a Pay by Bank link for a phone order, while a trade supplier might offer a virtual terminal for card-paying customers and invoices for approved account customers.

Use a virtual terminal for staff-completed card payments

A virtual terminal is a browser-based tool used by a business to enter a customer's card payment. It can complete a phone order without a physical card reader or ecommerce checkout. Providers may require a business account, an application or approval and a compatible browser.¹

The payment information passes through your telephone and staff environment before it reaches the provider. PCI DSS applies to mail-order and telephone-order card acceptance. PCI Security Standards Council guidance says the endpoint where an agent enters spoken card data is in scope, along with connected or security-impacting systems that apply to the setup.²

Check the complete card-data path

Map where card data can be heard, viewed, entered, transmitted or recorded. Include the phone system, call-recording service, staff device, browser, home-working setup, network and any notes or customer record. Your acquirer, payment provider or qualified adviser can confirm the responsibilities and validation route for your setup.

Keep card details out of email, text, chat and social media. PCI guidance specifically warns against sending cardholder data through unencrypted end-user messaging channels. Call and screen recordings also need careful treatment when they could capture card data.²

Ask providers these questions

• Which card types and customer locations can the service accept?
• What application, monthly and transaction charges apply?
• Which devices, browsers and staff roles are permitted?
• How does the service report approved, declined and incomplete attempts?
• How will the payment reference connect with the order, booking or invoice?
• What PCI DSS validation and call-recording controls apply to your exact setup?

Send a card payment link for customer entry

A card payment link moves the entry step onto a hosted page that the customer opens on their own device. Your team agrees the sale during the call, creates the request and sends the link through an agreed channel. The customer then enters their card details and completes the provider's checkout.

This route can suit a deposit, booking, made-to-order item or remote sale where a short pause after the call is acceptable. Current provider pages describe no-code links that can be shared directly with customers.³

The hosted page still needs an operating process around it. Confirm the amount and purpose on the call, tell the customer which channel the message will arrive through, and use a clear reference. Check the provider's recorded payment status before confirming the order. A sent message or opened link only shows progress through the communication journey.

Ask the provider how its hosted page affects your PCI DSS scope and responsibilities. The answer depends on the implementation, the services involved and any other place where card data enters your environment.

Send a Pay by Bank link for bank-authorised payment

A Pay by Bank link lets the customer complete an account-to-account payment on their own device. With Wonderful, you create a payment request, share the link by text, WhatsApp or email, and the customer selects their bank. They authenticate and approve the payment through their bank's journey.⁴

Wonderful's payment links use Pay by Bank. They do not accept card payments. The route therefore fits phone sales where the customer can use a supported bank and is comfortable approving the payment on their own device.

Keep each stage separate

1. Order agreed: the product, service, amount and customer details are confirmed.
2. Request created: the payment link carries the intended amount and reference.
3. Link sent: the customer receives the request through the agreed channel.
4. Bank selected: the customer chooses the bank account journey they want to use.
5. Authentication completed: the bank verifies the customer through its process.
6. Payment authorised: the customer approves the payment instruction.
7. Provider status checked: your team reads the recorded result for the attempt.
8. Funds and sale reconciled: the payment, bank entry and commercial record match.

The step-by-step Pay by Bank guide explains those stages in more detail. The payment-link guide covers single-use and reusable requests, sharing and reconciliation.

Compare the complete operating cost

Model the route using your real phone-order volume and average order value. Include application or setup charges, monthly fees, transaction charges, percentage fees, overage, staff time, call duration, exception handling and reconciliation.

Wonderful's current business plans include Pay by Bank payment links, monthly payment allowances and a 0.0% percentage fee. Check the live plans and pricing page for the current amounts and included capabilities before making a purchasing decision.⁵

Cost also appears in the work around the payment. A cheap transaction can become expensive when staff chase incomplete links, investigate unmatched references or repeat a request before checking the first attempt.

Decide what happens during the call

A virtual-terminal payment is completed by your team while the customer provides the required card details. A customer-completed link creates a second step on the customer's device. Decide whether the member of staff should remain on the call while that step happens or give the customer time to complete it independently.

Staying on the call can help when a booking or time-sensitive order needs a quick answer. Keep the conversation focused on the commercial details and the next step. For Pay by Bank, the customer should complete bank selection and authentication through their bank's journey. Your staff can explain which business name, amount and reference the customer should expect, then check the provider's recorded status.

Giving the customer time can work better for an invoice, considered purchase or request that needs another person's approval. State how long the quote, stock allocation or booking will remain available and which event confirms it. Use a realistic deadline that matches your terms and operating process.

Build an exception process before the first call

Phone payments often need a human response when the journey pauses. Give staff a short process for each common exception so they can help the customer without creating a second payment or collecting information through an unsuitable channel.

• The link has not arrived: confirm the agreed contact channel and masked destination, then resend through the approved provider workflow if needed;
• The customer cannot open the page: check the URL came from the expected message and offer the provider's supported route or another approved payment method;
• The journey stops: check the provider status before creating another request;
• The customer says they paid: inspect the provider record, bank evidence and commercial reference before deciding the next action;
• Two successful records appear: pause fulfilment and investigate both references through the provider's current support and correction process; and
• The amount or order changes: cancel or retire the old request where the provider supports it, then issue a clearly identified replacement under your normal controls.

Record the outcome against the same order, booking or invoice. A timestamp, staff owner, provider reference and short reason give the next person enough context to continue the case.

Use an invoice when the sale needs a later decision

An invoice can be the strongest route when the buyer needs a purchase-order number, internal approval, credit terms or a final amount that will be known after delivery. The call agrees the commercial position and contact details. The invoice then records the amount, due date, payment instructions and reference.

Payment timing becomes part of the credit-control process. Decide when the order can begin, what remains reserved before payment and who follows up after the due date. The invoice payment methods guide compares the routes that can sit behind the invoice.

A payment link can still sit inside the invoice or accompanying email. Use the same invoice number in the payment request and accounting record so the receipt can be matched without a manual search.

Match the route to the sale

A florist taking a same-day order

Confirm the bouquet, delivery address, message, total and delivery window on the call. Send a single-use payment link with a recognisable reference. Check the provider status before releasing the order for delivery.

A venue taking a booking deposit

Agree the date, service, deposit amount and booking terms first. Send the request through the channel named during the call. Connect the payment reference to the booking record and confirm the next step once the provider status supports it.

A trade supplier with account customers

Use the call to confirm stock, delivery and commercial terms. A virtual terminal can serve an approved card route, a payment link can let the buyer complete payment on their own device, and an invoice can support an agreed credit process. Keep the order reference consistent across every route.

Use this phone-payment checklist

1. Confirm the item, service, amount, tax, delivery and customer contact details.
2. Choose the payment route that fits the customer's device, method and timing.
3. Explain the next step before ending or pausing the call.
4. Create the request with a recognisable order, booking or invoice reference.
5. Send it through the channel agreed with the customer.
6. Keep card data out of informal notes and unencrypted messages.
7. Check the provider's payment status before fulfilment or booking confirmation.
8. Match the payment with the bank and commercial records.
9. Record how staff should handle a declined, expired, duplicated or unmatched attempt.

If Pay by Bank fits your phone-order workflow, Wonderful lets you create a payment link and send it by text, WhatsApp or email. The customer completes the bank-authorised journey on their own device, while your team keeps the amount and commercial reference connected to the sale.

Frequently asked questions

Is a virtual terminal the same as a payment link?

They use different entry journeys. With a virtual terminal, your staff enter the customer's card data into a business-facing browser tool. With a payment link, the customer opens a hosted payment page and completes the payment on their own device.

Can a customer send card details by text or email?

Keep cardholder data out of email, text, chat and social media. Use the payment route and security process agreed with your acquirer or provider, and make sure staff know how to handle card data and recordings.

Can Wonderful take card payments over the phone?

Wonderful's payment links use Pay by Bank. Your customer selects their bank and authorises an account-to-account payment through the bank's journey. Wonderful does not provide a card virtual terminal.

How do I know when a phone payment has completed?

Use the payment provider's recorded status for the attempt, then connect it with the relevant bank and commercial records. A call, sent message, opened link or customer return page describes one part of the journey.

Footnotes

1. PayPal UK, Virtual Terminal, accessed 10 November 2026. This is a current route example only. No provider ranking is intended.
2. PCI Security Standards Council, Protecting Telephone-Based Payment Card Data, version 3.0, November 2018, accessed 10 November 2026.
3. Stripe UK, Payment Links, accessed 10 November 2026. This is a current route example only. No provider ranking is intended.
4. Wonderful, Payment links for UK businesses, updated 8 September 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.
5. Wonderful, Plans and pricing, accessed 10 November 2026.