How to Accept Payments on Instagram

Selling your products or services directly on Instagram is no longer a future idea - it's happening right now. The platform has powerful tools to help creators and businesses turn followers into paying customers without them ever having to leave the app. This guide will walk you through the different ways you can set up your account to accept payments on Instagram, from fully integrated shopping features to simple, effective workarounds.

Before You Begin: The Most Important First Step

To access any of Instagram's professional features, including most payment options, you need to switch your account from a personal profile to a Business or Creator account. If you haven't already, this is your first task. It's free and only takes a minute.

How to Switch to a Professional Account:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the menu icon (☰) in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings and Privacy.
3. Scroll down and tap on Account type and tools.
4. Tap Switch to professional account and follow the on-screen prompts to choose a category that best describes your business.

Once you've done this, you'll unlock analytics, promotion options, and the tools you need to start getting paid a lot more easily.

Method 1: Go Direct with Instagram Shopping & Checkout

The most direct way to get paid on Instagram is by using its native e-commerce tools: Instagram Shopping and Instagram Checkout. This turns your profile into a storefront, allowing users to browse, tap, and buy your products directly within the Instagram app.

When someone sees a product they like in a post, Story, or Reel, they can tap on it to see the price and details, then proceed to purchase without being redirected to another website. This seamless experience is fantastic for reducing friction and capturing impulse buys.

Setting Up Your Instagram Shop

Getting your shop up and running involves a few steps, primarily handled through Meta's Commerce Manager. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

1. Check Your Eligibility

First, make sure your business ticks all the right boxes. According to Meta, you need to:

• Be located in a supported market.
• Sell eligible physical products (services aren't supported for Instagram Shopping yet).
• Agree to Meta’s Commerce Eligibility Requirements.
• Connect your Instagram account to a business domain.

2. Set Up Your Shop in Commerce Manager

Once you've confirmed you're eligible, it’s time to build your shop.

• Choose Your Checkout Method: You can have customers check out directly on Facebook or Instagram, or you can send them to your website to complete the purchase. For this guide, we're focusing on the integrated Checkout on Instagram.
• Connect Your Business Accounts: Link your Facebook Page and Instagram Business Account in the Commerce Manager setup.
• Add Your Product Catalog: This is a list of all the products you want to sell. You can add them manually, one by one, or you can sync your catalog directly from an e-commerce platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce. Syncing is highly recommended if you have many products, as it keeps your inventory and pricing up to date automatically.
• Submit for Review: After you’ve set everything up, your account will be submitted for review. This can take a few days. Once approved, you can turn on the shopping features in your Instagram settings.

How to Use Your Instagram Shop

With an approved shop, you can now start tagging products across your Instagram content:

• In Feed Posts: When creating a post, you'll see an option to “Tag Products.” You can tag up to five products per image or video. A shopping bag icon will appear on your post, signaling to users that it’s shoppable.
• In Stories: Use the "Product" sticker to tag an item from your catalog. Viewers can tap the sticker to see the product page.
• In Reels: You can tag products in your Reels for immediate purchase. This is huge for product demos or styling videos.
• Profile Shop Tab: Your profile will get a dedicated “View Shop” button, allowing users to browse your entire catalog just like a mini online store.

When a customer makes a purchase through Instagram Checkout, you'll manage the order, handle shipping, and see your payouts within the Commerce Manager dashboard.

Method 2: Use Action Buttons for Service-Based Businesses

Instagram Shopping is fantastic for physical goods, but what about services? If you’re a consultant, coach, artist, or run a restaurant, you can use "Action Buttons" on your profile to direct users to book appointments or place orders through third-party platforms.

While the payment doesn't technically happen on Instagram, your profile is the direct gateway to that transaction.

How to Add an Action Button

1. On your Instagram profile, tap Edit Profile.
2. Under "Public Business Information," tap on Action Buttons.
3. Choose a button type, like Book Now, Reserve, or Order Food.
4. Select a partner platform from the list to integrate. For scheduling, this might be Acuity, Calendly, or another booking service. For food, it could be DoorDash or Grubhub.
5. Log in to your account with the partner platform and connect it to your Instagram profile.

Once set up, the button will appear on your profile under your bio, giving followers a direct path to pay for your time or your food. The partner platform handles all the payment processing, so you just guide the customer to them from your Instagram page.

Method 3: Payment Links in Your Bio, Stories, and DMs

This is arguably the most flexible and widely used method, especially for those who can't use Instagram Shopping or who sell a mix of products and services. The strategy is simple: put a link to your checkout page wherever you can.

Your “Link in Bio” is Your Best Friend

Since you only get one clickable link in your Instagram bio, make it count. Don't just link to your homepage, create a dedicated landing page for your Instagram traffic. Tools like Linktree, Carrd, or even a custom page on your website work perfectly.

On this page, you can include multiple links:

• Direct links to best-selling products.
• A link to book a consultation call.
• Your general shop page.
• A link to sign up for your email list.

Then, in your posts, the call-to-action is always "Link in bio to shop!" This trains your audience where to go when they want to make a purchase.

The Game-Changing Link Sticker in Stories

One of the best updates for sellers has been the "Link" sticker in Instagram Stories, which is now available to everyone. You no longer need 10,000 followers to add external links. Just create a Story promoting a specific product, tap the sticker icon, and paste the direct checkout link.

This bypasses the need for your audience to go to your bio, making it far easier to drive traffic from an in-the-moment Story to a purchase page.

Example: Post a Story showing off your new handmade candles. Add a Link sticker that goes directly to the candle’s product page on your Shopify store.

Sliding into DMs with Payment Links

Direct Messages are where relationships (and many sales) are built. If you sell custom goods, high-ticket items, or coaching packages, sales conversations often start and finish in the DMs.

When a customer is ready to buy, you can create and send a direct payment link using services like:

• Stripe Payment Links: Create a link for a specific product or service and send it to your customer.
• PayPal.Me: A simple, personal link where people can send you a specific amount.
• Square Invoices: Create and send an electronic invoice they can pay online.

This manual approach is more personal and gives you a chance to answer last-minute questions, solidifying the customer’s trust before they hand over any money.

Method 4: Manually Selling Through DMs

For some businesses, especially small-scale creators or those offering personalized services, the entire sale can be conducted right within Instagram DMs. This is a high-touch, conversational way to sell that builds incredibly strong customer loyalty.

Here's how it typically works:

1. You post about a new item or service, perhaps a one-of-a-kind painting or a limited number of coaching slots.
2. Your call-to-action is simple: "DM me to claim yours!" or "Send me a message to get started."
3. When people message you, you finalize the details: color, size, shipping address, or project scope.
4. Once everything is settled, you request payment via an external method like Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, or a PayPal payment request.

Although it requires more hands-on work, this method is highly effective because it treats each customer as an individual. Many people prefer buying from a person rather than a faceless shopping cart, and DMs facilitate that connection perfectly.

Tips for Promoting Your Products and Getting Paid

Setting up your payment method is just step one. You still have to do the marketing and make people want what you're selling. Here are some final tips:

• High-Quality Visuals are Non-Negotiable. Instagram is a visual platform. Use clean, bright, and scroll-stopping photos and videos of your products in action.
• Write Captions that Sell. Don't just describe the product - tell a story. Explain the problem it solves or the feeling it evokes. Always end with a clear call-to-action telling your audience exactly what to do next (e.g., "Tap the product tag to shop now," "Head to the link in our bio," "DM us to order").
• Engage With your Audience. When someone takes the time to comment or ask a question, reply promptly! Good customer service builds trust, and trust leads to sales.
• Leverage Video Content. Use Instagram Reels to show how your product works. Create Stories to offer behind-the-scenes looks at your process. Video content is more engaging and helps potential customers feel more connected to your brand.

Final Thoughts

Getting paid on Instagram comes down to choosing the right method for your business, whether that's the fully integrated Instagram Shopping for physical products or a simple payment link in your bio for services. By making your purchase process clear and easy, you turn your profile from a simple content feed into a genuine revenue stream that can support your brand’s growth.

Once you’ve sorted out how you'll accept payments, the next challenge is creating a consistent flow of content that keeps your products in front of the right people. This is exactly why we built Postbase. We realized that juggling shoppable posts, promotional Reels, and daily Stories across multiple platforms was becoming a huge chore. Our visual calendar lets you plan and schedule all that content in one clean space, turning chaotic promotion into a streamlined process. Posting consistently is what drives traffic to your checkout links, and Postbase makes that part of the job feel effortless.