A customer wants to buy several products or services, but you do not run a full online shop? A Virtual Basket lets you prepare a specific order, show the customer what it contains and the total amount, then share the completed basket using a link, unique ID or QR code.
Unlike a simple payment link, a Virtual Basket can give the customer more information about the complete order. This makes it particularly useful when a sale contains several items, different products or a combination of products and services.
JustPayFor also lets you use custom labels, a unique basket ID, customer details, expiry dates and payment statuses, while managing everything from one place.
How does a Virtual Basket work?
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Prepare the order
Add the products, services and other information needed to prepare the customer's order.
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Share the basket
The customer receives a link, unique basket ID or QR code leading to the prepared order.
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The customer checks and pays
They review the order summary and continue to the payment handled by the provider connected to your account.
Why use a Virtual Basket if you do not have an online shop?
A traditional online shop works well when customers browse a catalogue, choose products themselves and build their own order.
Not every business sells this way.
Sometimes the customer speaks to you first by phone, WhatsApp, Messenger or email. You agree what they need together, and only then is it time to arrange payment.
In this situation, you can prepare a ready-made Virtual Basket for the customer without building a full ecommerce website.
When does a Virtual Basket work best?
Several products
The customer is buying several items and you want to show them individually rather than presenting only the final amount.
Products and services
One order can combine physical items, services, additional work or other elements agreed with the customer.
Bespoke orders
Each customer needs something slightly different, so you prepare a basket specifically for their order.
Selling through WhatsApp
Once the order has been agreed in the conversation, prepare the basket and send the customer the ready-to-use link.
Phone orders
Take the order during the call, then send the customer an online summary once the conversation is finished.
Selling without an online catalogue
You do not need to build a full online shop simply to prepare a specific order for one customer.
What can a Virtual Basket contain?
A basket is more than simply a web address leading to a payment. It contains information that helps identify and manage the order.
Order items
The customer can see the products or services included in the prepared order together with its total value.
Unique basket ID
Each prepared basket can have its own identifier, helping you and the customer find the correct order.
Customer details
The basket can be associated with information needed to identify the customer who placed the order.
Custom label
Additional labels can help organise baskets by customer, service, order type or any other system that suits your business.
Expiry date
You can control how long the prepared basket should remain available to the customer.
Payment status
Information received from the connected payment provider can be used to update the status of the prepared order.
How can the customer open their basket?
A Virtual Basket can be shared in several ways, depending on how you communicate with the customer.
| Method | How does it work? | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| Basket link | The customer clicks the address you send them. | WhatsApp, text message, email, Messenger |
| Basket ID | The customer uses the identifier provided to access the correct basket. | Phone call or short message |
| QR code | The customer scans the code with their phone and opens the prepared basket. | Premises, stalls or face-to-face customer interactions |
The QR code is simply a way to reach the basket. It is not a payment method itself.
If you are particularly interested in using QR codes, see Scan to Pay.
Example: a customer orders three products through WhatsApp
Imagine a customer sees your products on social media and then contacts you through WhatsApp.
They decide to order:
- product A for £20,
- 2 units of product B at £15 each,
- product C for £40.
The total value of the order is £90.
You could simply send the customer a payment for £90, but a Virtual Basket lets them see exactly how that total has been calculated.
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Prepare the basket
Add the products and quantities agreed with the customer.
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Send the link
Paste the ready-made basket directly into the WhatsApp conversation.
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The customer checks and pays
They review the individual items and total amount, then continue to payment.
Why does an order summary matter?
If a customer is paying £120 for one agreed service, they may not need a detailed itemised order. When several products are involved, the situation is different.
Showing the individual items lets the customer check that the order matches what was agreed before they pay.
This can be particularly useful for sales handled by phone or messaging services, where a traditional ecommerce basket was never created.
Custom labels and organising larger numbers of orders
Managing a few baskets is straightforward. Once a business starts preparing dozens or hundreds of them, being able to organise orders in your own way becomes much more useful.
Custom labels help you create a system that matches the way your business actually works.
For example, you can use them to distinguish between customers, types of service, locations or different order categories.
Virtual Basket expiry dates
A basket prepared for a customer does not always need to remain active indefinitely.
It may contain a price agreed for a limited period or products whose availability can change.
An expiry date gives you more control over these orders and helps prevent an old basket from being used after the agreed period has passed.
Payment status in the dashboard
Once you have sent a basket, it is useful to know whether the customer completed the payment.
JustPayFor can receive transaction-result information from the connected payment provider and use it to update the status of the prepared order.
The basket therefore becomes more than an order summary. It can also form part of the way you manage the order after it has been sent.
Tools for managing Virtual Baskets
Copy
Copy the basket link and share it with the customer through the messaging service of your choice.
Send
The prepared basket can also be sent directly to the customer's email address.
QR code
Generate a QR code that opens the prepared basket directly.
Edit
Manage the available information associated with the prepared basket from your dashboard.
Duplicate
Use an existing basket as the starting point for a similar order for another customer.
Delete
Remove baskets you no longer need to keep your list of active orders easier to manage.
Why duplicate a Virtual Basket?
If customers regularly order similar combinations of products or services, there may be little reason to build every order from the beginning.
Duplicating a basket allows you to use an existing order as a starting point and then adjust it for the next customer.
This can be particularly useful for businesses that sell repeat product bundles or similar service packages.
Virtual Basket or payment link?
These are not competing solutions. Each is designed for a slightly different situation.
| Situation | Payment link | Virtual Basket |
|---|---|---|
| One agreed amount | Usually enough | Possible, but often unnecessary |
| Several products | Mainly presents the payment | Better choice |
| Customer should see individual order items | Limited use | Yes |
| Quick payment after a conversation | Very convenient | Useful for a more detailed order |
| Share through WhatsApp | Yes | Yes |
| QR access | Yes | Yes |
If you are not sure which option to choose, see our guide: “Payment Link or Virtual Basket? Which Should You Send to a Customer?”
You can also learn more about Payment Links.
Which payment methods can the customer use?
The Virtual Basket prepares the order, but the actual transaction is processed by the payment provider connected to the seller's account.
JustPayFor can work with different payment providers. The provider and payment methods available to a particular seller depend on the market and account configuration.
Depending on the provider, customers may be able to use cards, digital wallets, bank-based payments or other local and alternative payment methods.
Does the customer need a JustPayFor account?
No. The customer does not need to create a JustPayFor account simply to open the prepared basket and continue to payment.
They receive the link, ID or QR access from the seller, review the order and continue to the payment process.
What about payment security?
JustPayFor does not store the customer's payment card details and does not process the actual payment transaction itself.
Payment processing and the security mechanisms used during the transaction are handled by the payment provider connected to the seller's account.
This separates the preparation and management of the order from the infrastructure responsible for processing the payment.
Where does the money go?
Customer funds do not first go to JustPayFor.
The transaction is processed by the payment provider connected to the seller's account, and funds are settled according to the terms of the merchant's agreement with that provider.
JustPayFor receives the information needed to manage the order status but does not hold sales revenue.
How much does a Virtual Basket cost?
monthly JustPayFor fee
JustPayFor does not charge a monthly subscription or its own percentage fee on the value of each sale.
Transaction processing
The cost of processing the actual payment depends on the pricing and terms of the provider connected to your seller account.
So when we describe the Virtual Basket as free to use, this refers to the JustPayFor platform. It does not mean that the connected payment provider will not charge its own transaction-processing fees.
Frequently asked questions
A Virtual Basket is an order prepared by the seller that can contain several products or services. The customer receives access to the basket, reviews its contents and can continue to online payment.
No. You can prepare a basket for a specific customer without running a traditional online shop, for example after a phone order or WhatsApp conversation.
Yes. You can copy the link to the prepared basket and send it through WhatsApp, Messenger, text message, email or another communication channel.
A payment link is usually suitable for one previously agreed amount. A Virtual Basket is particularly useful when the order contains several products or services and the customer should see a more detailed summary before paying.
No. The customer can open the prepared basket and continue to payment without creating their own JustPayFor account.
Yes. JustPayFor can receive information about the transaction result from the connected payment provider and use it to update the status of the prepared basket.
JustPayFor does not charge a monthly subscription or its own percentage fee on the value of each sale. Transaction-processing fees depend on the payment provider connected to the seller's account.
Prepare customer orders without building an online shop
Add products or services, prepare a basket for your customer and send the completed order using a link, ID or QR code.
