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Public links are scoped links, not portal sessions A public link opens one customer-facing action. It does not log the customer into the portal, does not expose other records, and should not show internal staff data.

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View An Order Or Invoice

Order and invoice emails can include a public view link. The page shows seller branding, order or invoice number, status, totals, customer-safe addresses, line items, packages, tracking, and support contact details.
Public order link page with seller branding, order number, payment call to action, totals, order info, addresses, and line items

The public order page gives the customer enough context to review the document and pay the balance when payment is allowed.

  • View links: customer-safe order or invoice review.
  • Pay button: appears only when the linked record has a payable balance and payment is allowed.
  • Packages: shows tracking information when packages exist and tracking visibility is enabled.
  • PDF access: should stay limited to customer-safe document output.

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Track A Shipment

Tracking links open a public shipment-tracking page for the package associated with the token. The customer can review carrier, service, tracking number, delivery state, expected delivery, location summary, and carrier events without logging into the portal.
Public shipment tracking link with seller branding, in-transit status, expected delivery, origin, current location, destination, carrier, tracking number, copy action, and tracking timeline

The public tracking page is useful when a customer only needs package status and does not need full portal access.

  • Status: shows the current delivery state in plain language.
  • ETA: shows expected delivery when the carrier provides a date.
  • Timeline: lists carrier scans and locations for the active package.
  • Copy tracking: lets the customer copy the tracking number for carrier lookup.

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Pay A Balance

Payment links open a public payment page. The amount due is calculated by Arcus on the server from the current balance, so the customer cannot change the amount by editing the browser page. If the account has an eligible default card on file, the customer may see a read-only card tile for fast payment.
Public payment link page with amount due, read-only card on file, Pay with this card button, different card option, and seller contact information

The public payment page can show a default card on file, but it does not let the customer manage saved cards from the public link.

Never treat the public page as the source of payment truth The browser shows the amount, but Arcus and Stripe determine the real payable balance, payment intent, and final payment result. If there is a mismatch, review the order, invoice, payment record, and Stripe connector state inside Arcus.

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Approve A Quote

Quote links can include a customer approval page. When the customer clicks Approve This Quote, Arcus converts the quote into a sales order through the same order-conversion path staff use, then notifies the seller.
Public quote approval page with quote number, totals, ship-to address, items, optional customer name and email fields, and Approve This Quote button

Quote approval is a customer-facing conversion action. Once accepted, the quote becomes a sales order.

  • Eligible quote: the quote is still open and has not already been converted.
  • Expired quote: the customer sees an expired-link message and should contact the seller.
  • Already accepted: the customer sees that the quote was already approved.
  • Converted order: the seller continues fulfillment, payment, and invoicing from the new sales order.
Public links are token-based and purpose-scoped. The same customer may have more than one link type for the same order depending on the email, document, or workflow.
  • View: opens customer-safe order, invoice, or quote details.
  • Pay: starts a public payment flow for the current payable balance.
  • Track: opens package and tracking visibility for a shipment.
  • Quote accept: lets the customer approve an eligible quote.
  • Return status: use portal Returns for authorized RMA visibility when that account has customer-facing return status available.
Public links should fail closed. If Arcus cannot prove the token still points to an eligible customer-facing action, the customer should see an unavailable, expired, or already-completed message instead of internal data.

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Staff Setup Checklist

  1. Confirm the customer account, billing email, and document recipient are correct.
  2. Review Settings, Sales Channels and Customer Portal for token expiration, branding, support contact, tracking visibility, and allowed payment methods.
  3. Confirm the Stripe connector is healthy before sending payment links.
  4. Confirm the order, invoice, quote, or shipment is ready for customer visibility.
  5. Send the document or customer email from Arcus so the link is generated by the system.
Use the shortest useful link Send a public payment link when the customer only needs to pay. Send a portal login link when they need a broader history of orders, invoices, shipments, addresses, and documents.

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Common Blocks

  • Link expired: resend the document or email so Arcus creates a fresh link.
  • Payment button is missing: confirm the balance is still due and public payments are allowed.
  • Payment fails: check Stripe connector health, allowed methods, card authentication, and whether the invoice was already paid or voided.
  • Quote cannot be approved: confirm it is still a quote, not expired, and not already converted.
  • Tracking is missing: confirm the package has a tracking number and tracking visibility is enabled.
  • Wrong customer sees a link: stop and verify the email recipient, account, entity, and token source before sending another link.

Customer Portal Overview

Understand portal login, dashboard, customer navigation, setup requirements, and account-scoped visibility.

Portal Quotes and Quote Approval

Help customers review portal quote history, open quote detail, and approve eligible quotes safely.

Portal Returns and RMA Status

Help customers track authorized RMAs in the portal while staff create and manage returns internally.

Portal Payments and Payment Methods

Review customer portal payment history, payment starts, saved methods, and common payment blocks.

Portal Invoices and Shipments

Help customers review invoice balances, pay eligible invoices, download PDFs, and track shipments from the portal.

Portal Sign In and Registration

Help customers sign in with email and account number, register for portal access, and recover from expired links.