Quick Start Guide: Get Up and Running with Ponkan

So you've signed up for Ponkan — welcome! Whether you're a freelancer sending your first invoice, a small business selling products online, or a creator monetizing your work, this guide will walk you through everything you need to get started.

No coding required. No technical background needed. Just follow along and you'll be accepting payments before you finish your coffee.

What is Ponkan?

Ponkan is a commerce platform that helps you sell products, send invoices, and accept payments — all from one dashboard. Think of it as your all-in-one business toolkit for getting paid.

Here's what you can do with Ponkan:

• Sell anything online using shareable checkout links
• Send professional invoices to clients and customers
• Accept payments via credit cards, GCash, Maya, and bank transfers
• Sell digital products like software licenses, templates, and courses
• Manage your team with different access levels for each member

Step 1: Set up your account

After signing up, the first thing you'll see is your Ponkan dashboard. This is your home base — where you'll manage everything about your business.

Start by filling in your business details:

1. Go to Settings from the sidebar
2. Add your business name, logo, and contact information
3. Choose your preferred currency for receiving payments

These details will appear on your invoices and checkout pages, so make sure they look professional.

Step 2: Connect your payment methods

Before you can accept payments, you need to connect at least one payment method. Ponkan supports a wide range of options:

• Credit and debit cards — Visa, Mastercard, AMEX
• E-wallets — GCash, Maya, GrabPay
• Bank transfers — Direct bank-to-bank payments

Head to Settings > Payments and follow the prompts to connect your preferred methods. Most integrations take less than five minutes.

For a detailed walkthrough on connecting local payment methods, check out our guide on connecting GCash and Maya.

Step 3: Create your first product

Products are the foundation of everything in Ponkan. Whether you're selling a physical item, a digital download, or a service, it all starts with creating a product.

1. Go to Products in the sidebar
2. Click Create Product
3. Fill in the details:
   • Name — What you're selling (e.g., "Logo Design Package")
   • Price — How much it costs
   • Description — A short summary for your customers
4. Click Save

That's it — your product is ready to sell.

Step 4: Share your checkout link

Every product you create automatically gets a checkout link — a shareable URL that takes customers directly to a payment page.

To find your checkout link:

1. Go to your product
2. Click Share or copy the checkout URL
3. Send it anywhere — email, social media, messaging apps, even a QR code

When a customer clicks the link, they'll see your product details, enter their payment information, and complete the purchase. You'll get notified and the money lands in your account.

Want to learn more about what you can do with checkout links? Read our full guide on creating checkout links.

Step 5: Track your sales

As orders come in, you can track everything from your dashboard:

• Orders — See every purchase, who bought what, and payment status
• Revenue — Track your earnings over time with visual charts
• Customers — View your customer list and their purchase history

Everything updates in real time, so you always know exactly where your business stands.

What's next?

You've got the basics down. Here are some next steps to explore:

• Create checkout links — Bundle multiple products, set expiration dates, and customize your payment pages
• Set up invoicing — Send professional invoices to clients with automatic payment reminders
• Connect GCash and Maya — Accept the most popular local payment methods in the Philippines
• Manage your team — Invite team members and control who can access what
• Learn about API keys and webhooks — Connect Ponkan to your other business tools

Ponkan is designed to grow with you. Start simple, and add more features as your business needs them. If you ever get stuck, our support team is available 24/7 to help.