How to Send Checkout and Payment Invoice Links for Draft Orders in Shopify

Sending a checkout or payment invoice link for a draft order in Shopify is straightforward. Go to Orders > Drafts, open the draft order, then either click Send invoice to email the customer or Share link to copy the secure checkout URL and send it manually.

I have worked with Shopify merchants for years and build apps in this ecosystem myself, so I have seen draft orders used for everything from phone orders and custom quotes to B2B wholesale invoices and pre-orders. In most cases, the fastest route to payment is not creating a complicated workflow. It is simply creating the draft correctly, sending the right link, and avoiding the common mistakes that stop customers from paying.

If you are trying to figure out how to send checkout/payment invoice links for draft orders, this guide covers the exact steps, the latest Shopify considerations, and the practical issues merchants usually hit in the real world.

What is a draft order in Shopify?

A draft order is an order you create manually in Shopify on behalf of a customer. It lets you add products, discounts, shipping, taxes, notes, and customer details before sending a secure payment link.

Draft orders are especially useful when the customer is not checking out through the storefront. For example, you might be taking an order over the phone, sending a custom quote by email, or creating a one-off wholesale deal with adjusted pricing. Once the customer pays using the link, Shopify converts the draft into a normal paid order in your admin.

Shopify itself documents draft orders as a standard workflow for email sales, in-person sales, and discounted or wholesale orders. In my experience, they are also one of the easiest ways to close sales when a customer wants a human touch before paying.

How do I send a checkout or payment link for a draft order?

You can send a draft order payment link in two ways. The recommended method is to email an invoice from Shopify, but you can also copy and share the checkout link directly.

Both methods send the customer to a secure Shopify checkout where they can enter billing and shipping details, choose shipping if needed, and complete payment. After payment, the draft order becomes a regular order and appears in your Orders page as paid.

Method 1: How do I send an invoice email with the payment link?

The easiest way to send a payment link is to use Shopify's built-in invoice email. This is the best option for most merchants because it looks more professional and keeps the process inside Shopify.

1. Log in to your Shopify admin.
2. Go to Orders.
3. Click Drafts or click Create order if you have not made the draft yet.
4. Open the relevant draft order.
5. Click Send invoice.
6. Check the customer's email address.
7. Add an optional custom message.
8. Click Review invoice.
9. Click Send invoice to deliver the email.

The customer receives an email with a direct checkout link. They can open it, review the order, and pay online using your normal Shopify checkout.

If you are creating the order from scratch, the flow usually looks like this:

1. Go to Orders > Create order.
2. Add the products or custom items.
3. Add the customer.
4. Apply discounts if needed.
5. Adjust shipping, taxes, notes, tags, or market settings.
6. Save the draft or send the invoice immediately.

Shopify also lets you customise parts of the draft order before sending. You can add line item discounts, order-level discounts, custom shipping charges, and even change the market or local currency where relevant. That makes draft orders particularly useful for bespoke sales and B2B workflows.

Method 2: How do I share the payment link directly?

If you do not want to send an email invoice, you can copy the checkout link and send it manually. This is useful for text messages, WhatsApp, Messenger, or quick support conversations.

1. Open the draft order in Shopify admin.
2. Click Share link or the equivalent share option shown in your admin or app.
3. Copy the secure checkout URL.
4. Paste it into your preferred communication channel.

This method is handy when the customer is already in a live conversation with your team. I have seen merchants recover sales quickly by sending the link straight into a support chat rather than asking the customer to go back through the storefront.

If you manage orders on mobile, you can also use the Shopify app to share the draft order checkout link through messaging apps. That is useful for merchants handling orders on the go, at pop-ups, or in-store.

How do I create a draft order before sending the invoice?

To send a payment link, you first need to create the draft order. The setup takes only a few minutes, but getting the details right matters because the customer will see exactly what you configure.

Here is the standard workflow in Shopify admin:

1. Go to Orders.
2. Click Create order.
3. Add one or more products.
4. Add the customer record or create a new customer.
5. Apply discounts if required.
6. Add shipping charges or choose shipping behaviour.
7. Turn taxes on or off as needed.
8. Add tags, internal notes, or a custom message.
9. Save as draft or send the invoice immediately.

In my experience, the most common reason draft orders go wrong is not technical. It is simply that the merchant forgets to add the customer email address before trying to send the invoice. If the contact information is incomplete, the workflow becomes messy very quickly.

For merchants selling internationally, Shopify can also associate the draft with a specific market so the customer sees the correct local currency and regional pricing. If you sell cross-border, that is worth double-checking before you send anything.

What are the best use cases for Shopify draft order payment links?

The best use cases are any sales scenario where the customer is not completing a normal storefront checkout. Draft orders are ideal for assisted selling, custom pricing, and manual order creation.

Common examples include:

• Phone orders where the customer wants to pay later through a secure link
• In-person sales that need to be completed after the customer leaves
• Email orders for bespoke or made-to-order products
• Wholesale and B2B pricing with negotiated discounts
• Pre-orders for products not yet available on the storefront
• Custom products where the final price is confirmed manually
• Customer service recovery when a shopper has trouble checking out normally

If you sell products with custom options, lead times, or production notes, you may also want to pair this workflow with a more robust order-note system. I wrote about this in How to Track Customized Orders in Shopify: Workflows, Tags, and Automation Guide and it fits nicely with manual draft order processes.

What should I check before sending a draft order invoice?

Before you send the invoice, check the customer details, stock availability, pricing, and payment status. A few quick checks can prevent failed payments and awkward back-and-forth emails.

Here is the checklist I recommend:

• Confirm the customer email address or phone number is correct
• Make sure the products are available in stock
• Check that the price, discount, and shipping charges are correct
• Verify the currency and market if selling internationally
• Do not mark the order as paid unless you have already received payment offline
• Review any custom notes or tax settings

This last point is the big one. Do not mark the draft order as paid yourself if you want the customer to use the checkout link. If you mark it paid first, the payment link will no longer work as intended because Shopify treats the order as already settled.

Another common issue is inventory. Shopify notes that if the invoice includes products with no available stock, the customer may be blocked from completing checkout. That can be frustrating if you have already sent the link, so it is worth checking availability before you hit send.

What happens after the customer pays the invoice?

After the customer completes payment through the draft order link, Shopify automatically converts the draft into a regular order. The order then appears in your main Orders section and is marked as Paid.

From there, the order behaves like any other Shopify order. You can fulfil it, print packing slips, trigger automations, and send notifications based on your normal setup. This is one reason draft orders are so useful. They are manual at the start, but they drop back into your standard order workflow once paid.

If you are trying to improve conversion after checkout starts, it is also worth looking at adjacent optimisations like upsells and cart recovery. I have covered that in How to upsell on Shopify in 2026 and How to Create Shopify Cart Drawer Upsells That Boost AOV.

Can draft orders expire or get deleted?

Yes, inactive draft orders can now be deleted automatically by Shopify. Draft orders created on or after 1 April 2025 are automatically deleted after 1 year of inactivity.

Any edit to the draft order resets that timer. This matters if you use draft orders for long sales cycles, wholesale negotiations, or made-to-order products that are quoted far in advance.

In practice, I would not rely on old draft orders sitting there forever. If a customer has not paid, follow up promptly, update the draft if needed, and keep your pipeline tidy. It is a small operational detail, but it can save confusion later.

What is the difference between sending an invoice and sharing the checkout link directly?

Both methods lead to the same secure checkout, but they suit different situations. Sending an invoice is better for formal communication, while sharing a direct link is better for speed and convenience.

My own view is simple. Email invoice is the default choice for most stores. Direct link sharing is the backup when speed matters more than presentation.

What are the most common problems when sending payment links for draft orders?

The most common problems are incorrect contact details, out-of-stock items, and orders being marked paid too early. None of these are difficult to fix, but they can stop the customer from completing checkout.

Here are the issues I see most often:

• No customer email added before trying to send the invoice
• Order marked as paid before the customer actually pays
• Inventory unavailable when the customer opens the checkout
• Wrong shipping rate or tax setting on the draft
• Wrong market or currency for international customers
• Message sent in the wrong channel and the customer never sees it

When I tested these workflows with merchants, the biggest operational improvement was not adding more apps. It was creating a simple internal checklist so staff knew exactly what to verify before sending the invoice.

Practical tip: If a customer says the payment link does not work, first check whether the draft was accidentally marked as paid or whether one of the items is now out of stock.

Should I use draft orders for B2B, wholesale, or custom orders?

Yes, draft orders are a strong option for B2B, wholesale, and custom-priced orders. They give you manual control over pricing and let the customer still pay through Shopify's secure checkout.

For small and mid-sized merchants, this is often the simplest way to handle negotiated orders without building a complex custom system. You can apply special discounts, add custom line items, and send a professional invoice link without changing your storefront pricing.

If your workflow becomes more complex, especially around customer records, negotiated pricing, or sales follow-up, you may also want to improve your CRM setup. These guides may help:

• Best CRM for Shopify in 2025: Complete Merchant’s Guide
• Free CRM Apps for Shopify: 5 Best Options
• How to Manage Shopify Customer Data Without Losing Sales

Do I need an app to send draft order invoice links?

No, Shopify already includes this feature natively. Most merchants do not need an app just to send draft order invoices or payment links.

That said, some merchants use invoicing or automation apps when they need extra formatting, PDF invoices, accounting integrations, or more advanced follow-up. If you are only trying to send a secure payment link, Shopify's built-in draft order feature is usually enough.

For reference, the Shopify App Store has many order and invoicing tools, but I would avoid adding one unless you have a clear need. As a developer, I have seen too many stores overcomplicate simple admin tasks with unnecessary apps. Keep the workflow lean unless the native functionality genuinely falls short.

Shopify app

How can I make draft order payment links convert better?

The best way to improve conversion is to reduce friction before the customer opens the link. Make the invoice clear, send it quickly, and explain exactly what the customer needs to do next.

Here are a few practical ways to improve completion rates:

• Send the invoice while the conversation is still active
• Include a short message explaining what the order is for
• Double-check that shipping and discounts match what was promised
• Use direct link sharing for customers already talking to you by text or chat
• Follow up if the invoice is not paid within 24 to 48 hours

In my experience, speed matters more than clever copy here. If a customer has just agreed to buy, sending the payment link immediately can make a huge difference. Wait until tomorrow and the intent often drops.

If increasing order value matters as well, pair draft orders with stronger upsell strategy across the rest of your funnel. Related reads include How to Maximize Revenue from Your Shopify Product Pages and How to Cross-Sell Matching Variants and Boost Your Shopify Store’s AOV in 2025.

Step-by-step: the fastest way to send a draft order payment link

If you just want the quickest answer, the fastest method is to create the draft, open it, and click Send invoice. That sends the customer a secure checkout link by email in a few clicks.

1. Go to Shopify admin > Orders
2. Click Create order or open an existing draft
3. Add products, customer details, discounts, shipping, and taxes
4. Click Send invoice
5. Add a message if needed
6. Click Review invoice
7. Click Send invoice

If you need to send it through chat or text instead, use Share link, copy the payment URL, and paste it into your message.

What is my recommended workflow for most Shopify stores?

My recommended workflow is simple: create the draft order, verify the details, send the invoice email, and follow up if it is not paid within a day or two. This is the most reliable and lowest-friction approach for most merchants.

For customer support teams, I would also keep a saved response ready. Something like: "Here is your secure payment link for the order we discussed. Click the invoice link to complete checkout." That small process improvement keeps things consistent and reduces mistakes.

If the customer is already messaging you live, send the direct link as well. I often recommend using both methods for higher-value orders: email for formality, chat link for convenience.

Where can I find the official Shopify documentation?

The official Shopify Help Centre is the best source for the latest interface details and policy changes. Shopify updates admin workflows over time, so it is worth checking the documentation if a button label has moved.

• Sending invoices for draft orders
• Draft orders and invoices
• Creating draft orders
• Accepting payment for draft orders
• Changing the currency on draft orders

If you are using draft orders as part of a broader checkout or conversion strategy, you may also want to read How to Optimize Your Shopify Store for AI Shopping Agents and How to Get Your Shopify Store into ChatGPT. They are not directly about invoices, but they do matter if your sales process increasingly starts outside your storefront.