## TL;DR

Every finalized invoice with online payment enabled gets a hosted_invoice_url; customize its branding in the dashboard branding settings and control link lifetime by voiding or finalizing state changes (the link dies with the invoice). For tighter expiry, collect via a Checkout session with its own expiry instead. Rotate links by voiding and reissuing when a link leaks.

## Steps

1. Confirm the invoice is finalized with collection enabled; copy the hosted_invoice_url.
   Expected output: The link exists and is live.
2. Set branding (logo, colors, business name) in dashboard branding settings.
   Expected output: The page matches your brand.
3. Understand the lifecycle: the link works while the invoice is open; voiding or paying kills it.
   Expected output: Expiry is tied to invoice state.
4. For a hard expiry time, create a Checkout session for the invoice amount with expires_at instead.
   Expected output: You get clock-based expiry.
5. If a link is shared too widely, void the invoice and reissue to rotate the URL.
   Expected output: Leaked links are neutralized.

## When to use

- You share invoice payment links with customers
- The hosted page needs your branding
- A payment link should expire

## When not to use

- You need full checkout customization (use Checkout sessions)
- The invoice is a draft (no hosted page yet)
- You want the PDF, not the payment page (invoice_pdf)

## Compatibility

Stripe Billing; hosted_invoice_url on finalized invoices. Checkout sessions support expires_at.

## Variant phrasings

### ### Stripe hosted invoice page branding

### ### expire hosted invoice URL Stripe

### ### customize invoice payment link

## Root cause

The hosted page is a convenience payment surface bound to the invoice lifecycle, not a standalone expiring token -  its validity mirrors whether the invoice can still be paid. True time-based expiry belongs to Checkout sessions, which were built as tokens with clocks.

## Edge cases

- Branding changes apply to future page loads, not to already-sent email copies
- Paid invoices keep a viewable (not payable) page for the customer's records
- Some customers block third-party payment pages; offer the PDF with bank details as fallback

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_l2CFYLRC9epCXBAYgok40A