By: Money Navigator Research Team
Last Reviewed: 29/01/2026
FACT CHECKED
Quick Summary
Tide Payment Links availability is conditional: Tide sets eligibility criteria (including account age, business nature and account activity) and also excludes certain business types entirely. Even when enabled, Payment Links can be limited or made unavailable if Tide’s payment or regulatory checks require it.
This article explains the common requirements and the most frequent blockers, plus what “Pending/Active/Unavailable” tends to mean in practice.
This article is educational and not financial advice.
What “eligibility” means for Tide Payment Links
Tide Payment Links isn’t simply a toggle inside an app. It’s a form of card payment acceptance with its own onboarding and ongoing monitoring.
Tide describes access as potentially restricted based on factors such as business age (including a minimum period after opening the Tide account), business nature/size, how long the Tide account has been held, and transaction frequency/volume, alongside a list of business types it currently can’t sign up (not exhaustive) as published in Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links.
The terms also make clear that Tide relies on a payment processor to provide Payment Links and that eligibility applies to who receives the feature (Tide Payment Links Terms and Conditions).
Common requirements Tide states it considers
1) Minimum account age and early-stage restrictions
Tide states that at least 90 days must have passed from the day the Tide account was opened before Payment Links may be available (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
In practical terms, this is an availability gate: it can apply even where the business itself is older, because the reference point is the Tide account opening date.
2) Business nature and size (including sector risk)
Tide explicitly links availability to “the nature of your business and its size” (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
Separately, Tide publishes a long (non-exhaustive) list of company types it can’t currently sign up. The categories span areas commonly treated as higher-risk in card acquiring (for example adult-content-related services, gambling, some financial/money-service activities, certain high-risk digital models, weapons, drugs, and crypto exchange activity), which can operate as a hard blocker regardless of trading history.
3) Account tenure and transaction profile
Tide also states it considers how long the Tide account has been held and the “number and frequency of transactions” (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
That matters because payment acceptance is typically underwritten on observed behaviour as well as declared business activity. In the wider UK framework, payment firms and e-money/payment providers still operate under anti-financial-crime expectations and risk-based controls (see the FCA’s overview of AML expectations and risk-based due diligence at Money laundering and terrorist financing).
Common blockers (what most often stops Payment Links being enabled)
Blocker 1: The business falls into an excluded category
If the business model maps to Tide’s excluded list, Payment Links may remain unavailable even if the Tide account is otherwise in good standing (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
It also helps to understand that processors maintain their own prohibited/restricted categories to meet legal, scheme and risk obligations.
For example, Adyen publishes a prohibited/restricted list and explains restrictions can be driven by law, card network requirements, assessed fraud/chargeback risk and reputational factors (Adyen prohibited and restricted products & services list).
This is relevant because Tide’s Payment Links terms state Tide relies on a processor for the service (Tide Payment Links Terms and Conditions).
Blocker 2: The Tide account is too new
Even where the business category is permitted, Tide’s stated 90-day account age condition can prevent initial onboarding (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
Blocker 3: “Pending” onboarding that doesn’t complete
Tide describes onboarding statuses and what they represent: “Pending” is the onboarding process underway between Tide and its payment provider, while “Active” indicates successful onboarding and availability (Tide onboarding status types for Payment Links).
Where onboarding can’t be completed (for example due to business-type restrictions or unresolved verification points), a member can remain in a non-active state.
Tide explicitly defines “Unavailable” as access being deactivated, “usually as a result of regulatory obligations” (Tide onboarding status types for Payment Links).
This can overlap with broader account controls and reviews. For background on how reviews tend to run and what outcomes look like, see Tide account under review: stages, timelines and typical outcomes.
Blocker 5: Transaction limits or “high-risk” transaction declines
Tide publishes transaction limits, including differing maxima depending on whether an invoice is used (Tide Payment Links transaction limits). Tide also states that attempts to process transactions it has considered high-risk may be declined and the member notified (Tide guidance on transactions subject to a limit).
Blocker 6: Transaction verification requests can pause or constrain use
Tide explains that it may request information to verify transactions (examples given include a signed invoice, signed contract, and proof of delivery), and frames this as part of verifying security and lifting limits (Tide guidance on verifying transactions).
In practice, this means Payment Links can be “enabled” yet still operationally constrained if verification evidence is needed before higher-risk activity is cleared.
Summary Table
| Scenario | Outcome | Practical impact |
|---|---|---|
| Tide account opened less than 90 days ago | Payment Links may not be available yet | Card payments via links can’t be relied on for early-stage collections |
| Business category matches excluded list | Sign-up can be blocked | Alternative collection methods may be needed for that model |
| Onboarding status shows “Pending” | Onboarding is in progress with provider | Payment Links may not work until status becomes “Active” |
| Status becomes “Unavailable” | Access is deactivated (often cited as regulatory obligations) | Collections may need to switch to bank transfer/invoicing without link |
| Payment amount exceeds published limits | Transaction can’t be processed via link | Larger invoices may require different settlement route |
| Transaction is treated as high-risk | Decline/limit notification | Collections become less predictable for certain payer/amount patterns |
| Tide asks for transaction evidence | Limits may remain until verification resolves | Delays in cashflow timing if evidence isn’t immediately available |
Scenario Table
| Scenario-level | Process-level (what happens behind the scenes) | Outcome-level (what changes) |
|---|---|---|
| New account / low observed history | Eligibility gate uses account age and activity signals | Feature not surfaced or not activated |
| Sector/business-model risk | Category screening against restricted/prohibited segments | Hard “not eligible” or manual review |
| Unusual transaction pattern | Risk controls flag higher verification need | Per-transaction declines or temporary limits |
| Verification request triggered | Evidence review (invoice/contract/delivery/customer details) | Limits lifted, maintained, or access removed depending on assessment |
| Regulatory constraint event | Controls applied to meet compliance obligations | “Unavailable” status and operational disruption |
| Payer-side errors/outage | Payment attempt fails or method unavailable | Payer prompted to retry or use bank transfer |
Tide defines the main statuses as follows: “Available” (not yet onboarded), “Pending” (onboarding underway), “Active” (successfully onboarded and available), and “Unavailable” (access deactivated, usually due to regulatory obligations) in its status explainer.
A key practical point: these statuses describe Payment Links onboarding/access, not necessarily the overall status of the Tide account. Where broader account review is happening, the feature status can change as part of the wider controls described in Tide account under review: stages, timelines and typical outcomes.
Why “legitimate” businesses still get blocked (without assuming wrongdoing)
Payment acceptance is commonly constrained by a combination of:
- Prohibited/restricted categories
- Fraud/chargeback exposure
- Regulatory/financial-crime obligations
Two useful reference points:
Processors explain restrictions can flow from law, card network requirements and assessed chargeback/fraud risk (Adyen prohibited and restricted products & services list).
Chargebacks exist as a mechanism for card providers to reclaim money from the retailer’s bank in certain scenarios, and they are governed by scheme rules (not a guaranteed outcome) (UK Finance explanation of chargeback).
This is one reason “business model mismatch” and higher dispute exposure often correlate with extra friction. For related context on mismatch signals in business accounts, see Tide business model mismatch: why activity can trigger review.
Operational edge cases that commonly confuse members
Payment Links is enabled, but a payer still can’t pay
Tide notes common failure reasons include card entry errors or connection issues, and also that Payment Links can be temporarily unavailable – in which case the payer would see a notice and may need to use bank transfer instead (Why Payment Links are declined or fail).
Verification requests can apply to “normal” invoices
Tide describes requesting evidence such as a signed invoice/contract and proof of delivery, and that other documentation (including customer contact details) may be requested (Tide guidance on verifying transactions). That can feel surprising where the underlying trade is genuine, but it’s consistent with risk-based monitoring in financial services environments (see FCA AML overview).
Financial sanctions compliance is a firm obligation in the UK and can constrain service provision in practice (see the UK government’s UK financial sanctions guidance). For a Tide-specific view of what screening matches can trigger, see Tide PEP and sanctions screening: what a match can trigger.
Tide Business Bank Account
Tide Payment Links is one of several “get paid” methods that can sit alongside standard transfers and invoicing, but it has its own onboarding, limits and risk controls as described above.
For broader context on Tide’s business account positioning and feature set (separate from Payment Links eligibility), see our neutral overview at Tide business account review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tide frames this as a minimum period from when the Tide account was opened, stating that at least 90 days must have passed from the day the Tide account was opened (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
That means the business being older (for example, incorporated years earlier) doesn’t automatically remove the gating condition if the Tide relationship is new.
In practice, this can affect cashflow planning for early-stage operations that were expecting to use pay-by-link immediately.
Where Payment Links is not available, collections may need to rely on non-card methods until the eligibility window and onboarding complete.
Tide defines “Pending” as the onboarding process underway between Tide and its payment provider (Tide onboarding status types for Payment Links). Even without visible action required from the member, onboarding can involve screening steps and checks that don’t present as a simple “approved/declined” flow.
“Pending” also tends to be confused with account review states. Payment Links statuses describe feature onboarding, while broader account reviews (which can affect multiple functions) are better understood through the stages described in Tide account under review: stages, timelines and typical outcomes.
Tide states “Unavailable” means member access has been deactivated, usually due to regulatory obligations, and that member support will work to resolve the issue (Tide onboarding status types for Payment Links).
That is different from a one-off failed payment attempt, which might be caused by data-entry errors or temporary service unavailability (Why Payment Links are declined or fail).
Operationally, “Unavailable” is closer to a feature-level restriction than a payer-side issue. It can coincide with wider compliance controls where the account or activity is being reviewed, which is why it’s useful to separate “feature access status” from “one payment attempt failed”.
Tide publishes limits and distinguishes between invoice payment links and payment links without an invoice: it states a minimum of £5, with maximums of £10,000 (invoice payment link) and £3,000 (without invoice) (Tide Payment Links transaction limits).
Even within published limits, Tide also notes that attempting to process a transaction it has considered high-risk can lead to a decline and notification (Tide guidance on transactions subject to a limit). So “within the headline limits” does not necessarily mean “guaranteed to process”.
Eligibility decisions are not only about legality. Tide lists specific business types it is unable to sign up (non-exhaustive) and also describes broader access factors (business nature/size, tenure, transaction patterns) (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links).
In card payments, dispute exposure matters because chargebacks exist as a mechanism for card providers to reclaim money from the retailer’s bank in certain circumstances, governed by scheme rules and not guaranteed to succeed (UK Finance explanation of chargeback). That underlying structure is one reason some sectors are treated as higher risk and face tighter underwriting.
Tide states it may request additional information such as a signed invoice, a signed contract, proof of delivery, and other relevant documentation including customer contact details (Tide guidance on verifying transactions). The stated purpose is verifying transaction security and lifting limits where they have been imposed.
This type of request sits alongside broader risk-based monitoring in financial services. The FCA’s AML overview explains regulated firms use risk assessments and due diligence to prevent services being used for money laundering and related risks (FCA AML overview). Verification evidence provides one way to support that a payment corresponds to a genuine supply of goods/services.
Tide says typical failure reasons include errors entering card details, expiry date or CVC, or connection issues, and that the payer may be asked to try again (Why Payment Links are declined or fail).
Tide also says Payment Links can be temporarily unavailable; in that case the payer would see a notification advising the method is currently unavailable and may need to pay by bank transfer instead (Why Payment Links are declined or fail). This distinction matters because “failed” isn’t always a risk decision; it can be a payer-side or service-availability event.
Tide’s status definitions allow for access to be deactivated (“Unavailable”), usually linked to regulatory obligations (Tide onboarding status types for Payment Links). Separately, Tide’s guidance indicates transactions considered high-risk may be declined (Tide guidance on transactions subject to a limit).
When a feature can move from “Active” to “Unavailable”, it’s helpful to treat Payment Links as subject to ongoing monitoring rather than a one-time setup. For wider account-review context that can accompany feature restrictions, see Tide account under review: stages, timelines and typical outcomes.
Sanctions compliance can restrict service provision in financial services generally. The UK government provides compliance guidance through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) at UK financial sanctions guidance.
In practice, screening signals can increase friction even where a business is trading legitimately, because firms must manage financial-crime and sanctions risks on a risk-based basis (see FCA AML overview). For Tide-specific context on how matches can trigger actions, see Tide PEP and sanctions screening: what a match can trigger.
Tide explicitly states it considers the nature of the business, how long the account has been held, and transaction number/frequency (Tide’s eligibility criteria for Payment Links). That implies eligibility is not purely static: a shift in activity profile can change how risk controls apply.
This is where “business model mismatch” becomes relevant. If observed activity diverges from the expected model, it can create review triggers in business banking contexts; see Tide business model mismatch: why activity can trigger review.
Similarly, activity that prompts source-of-funds questions can also coincide with restrictions; see Tide source of funds checks: what businesses are asked to explain.
Eligibility for Payment Links is best understood as “merchant acceptance underwriting” layered on top of a business account, not as a simple feature entitlement.
Tide publishes explicit gates (like minimum account age and excluded categories), then overlays ongoing controls (status changes, transaction limits, verification requests) that respond to risk and compliance requirements.
That structure explains why two businesses with similar turnover can experience different Payment Links outcomes: the underwriting lens is driven by model/sector risk, dispute exposure, and verification confidence.
It also explains why “Unavailable” can appear even after a period of normal operation – because the service sits inside a framework designed to meet regulatory obligations and to manage card-payment risks such as fraud and chargebacks.
Sources & References
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