Direct Pay Isn’t a Switch — It’s a Shift

How brands can get paid faster and build better buyer relationships, one account at a time.

Almost everywhere else, clicking checkout means you’ve committed to payment terms. In wholesale cannabis, buyers and sellers often figure out payment after the order ships, leaving wholesale sellers to chase invoices, reconcile outstanding AR, and negotiate payment terms with buyers for each and every purchase.

Because national banks are wary of cannabis, the industry still largely runs on cash. But cash is slow, checks go missing, and the longer payment drags on, the more it can strain your relationships.

Still, changing how you pay and get paid is daunting, and that hesitation is fair. When apps like Venmo and Zelle came on the scene, people met them with skepticism. Now, these financial tools are part of daily life. Wholesale cannabis payments are at a similar starting point, and adoption won’t happen overnight.

Direct Pay is a practical first step toward modernized cannabis payments, so getting paid and paying on time takes no time at all. The feature automatically ties every payment to its order, so you only have to check one place to see whether a buyer has paid instead of searching through bank statements, spreadsheets, and buried emails. Sellers and buyers can settle up more easily with trackable digital payments and terms that fit each relationship, easing financial friction and building stronger partnerships.

In an industry that runs on relationships, clear payment terms build the kind of trust that keeps buyers reordering and sellers shipping.

How Direct Pay Works

Direct Pay allows buyers to pay sellers and sellers to accept payment all within LeafLink. Both sides link their respective bank accounts through Plaid and then it’s as simple as clicking “pay invoice.” Plus, Plaid supports over 10,000 different financial institutions, so you can use your bank of choice for transactions.

Once sellers enable Direct Pay, they can set terms for each buyer, whether that’s net terms, payment on delivery, or payment at checkout. When a seller adds the ship date, Direct Pay automatically calculates the due date based on those terms. Buyers can see which invoices are due and when in their dashboard, then pay with one click. For a more hands-off approach, sellers can turn on autopay so buyers’ payments always go out on time.

Each payment is then tied to its order, so sellers can see what’s been and what’s still outstanding without manually matching payments by hand. And with the QuickBook integration,  paid invoices will sync automatically.

Watch the demos below for an in depth look at Direct Pay: 

Direct Pay is for Buyers, Too

Direct Pay doesn’t just benefit sellers. For buyers, it means fewer cash runs, mailed checks, and wire transfers to coordinate. More than that, it strengthens your relationships with your favorite brands. 

Every invoice lives in your dashboard, so you can see what’s due, what’s paid, and what’s coming up without digging through email threads or spreadsheets. When it’s time to pay, you can do it in a few clicks, so on-time payments become the default instead of something you have to remember.

Over time, that reliability becomes leverage. Buyers with a track record of on-time payments are better positioned to ask for longer terms, better pricing, or first dibs on new drops.

It Takes Two to Direct Pay

Payment friction in cannabis has more to do with communication than technology. When sellers and buyers haven’t agreed on payment terms, every invoice turns into a negotiation and every late payment chips away at trust.

Direct Pay is one tool that helps align both sides. Both sides agree on terms before the order ships, everyone sees the same invoices, and each payment links directly to its order, so you always know who’s paid and who hasn’t.

It can’t have the conversation for you, but Direct Pay can help start one: what terms make sense, whether autopay is a fit, and what each side needs to feel confident moving forward. Each conversation makes the next one easier and moves cannabis into the modern era of finance, through technology and through trust between partners.

Direct Pay Mythbusters

Direct Pay has evolved over the last few years and with that has come some confusion. Let’s clear that up

Myth: We need a Dama Finance bank account to use Direct Pay

Fact: No, you don’t. Direct Pay runs on Plaid, so you can use your current bank account.

Myth: We can’t require payment through Direct Pay.

Fact: Well, you could. Direct Pay won’t replace every off-platform payment overnight, but features like autopay can make payment a requirement for placing an order. 

Myth: It’ll fix our old AR.

Fact: That depends. In the short term, it’ll keep new AR from piling up. As more sellers adopt the platform, buyers are sure to follow. 

Myth: LeafLink takes a cut of every transaction. 

Fact: Nope! We don’t take anything. Money stays between you and your customers.

Myth: We have to pay an extra fee for Direct Pay

Fact: Your LeafLink accouny includes Direct Pay for free.

An Aside About Autopay

Every sales team has at least one: the buyer whose orders you want to keep taking, but whose payments always seem to arrive “next week.” Autopay gives you a better way to handle that account. 

Sellers turn on autopay for individual buyers, not across the board, so each relationship can be handled the way that makes the most sense. Buyers can see that autopay is on before they place an order once they click “checkout,” the funds transfer automatically on the due date — whether that’s on delivery or at net 90. The buyer gets breathing room, you get predictable cash flow, and neither of you has to make that awkward follow-up call.

Autopay isn’t meant for every buyer, and that’s fine. It works best as one more option you can use to set clear expectations from the first order.

Transitioning to Direct Pay

It would be great if you could snap your fingers and have every buyer switch to Direct Pay overnight. It’s not that simple, but a few steps can help move your business, and wholesale cannabis, toward digital payments.

After you set up Direct Pay, start with two or three of your most reliable accounts. They’re the buyers most likely to say yes, and they’ll help you work out the process before you roll it out more widely. Agree on terms up front so both sides know exactly when payment is due. For accounts that tend to pay late, consider offering autopay with longer terms in exchange for certainty. Then grow from there. 

Because every Direct Pay invoice is one less check in the mail and one more relationship built on trust. Contact your account manager or email sales@leaflink.com to get started. 

Not on LeafLink yet? For brands, request a demo. For retailers, sign up to place your first order today.