## Connect a customer handle

`payment_handles.connect(strhandle)  -> PaymentHandleConnection`

**post** `/v3/payments/handles/{handle}/connect`

Starts connecting a customer (by phone/email) so an agent can pay on
their behalf. Linq drives the OTP + consent ceremony through the
messaging channel; this returns `pending` and a `connection.created`
webhook fires once the customer completes it.

### Parameters

- `handle: str`

### Returns

- `class PaymentHandleConnection: …`

  - `connect_id: Optional[str]`

    Returned only by `connect`, and only while the ceremony is pending.
    Nothing on our side persists it — it comes back from the provider and
    is required again to verify — so hold it until you submit the code.

  - `handle: Optional[str]`

  - `status: Optional[Literal["not_connected", "pending", "connected", "revoked"]]`

    - `"not_connected"`

    - `"pending"`

    - `"connected"`

    - `"revoked"`

### Example

```python
import os
from linq import LinqAPIV3

client = LinqAPIV3(
    api_key=os.environ.get("LINQ_API_V3_API_KEY"),  # This is the default and can be omitted
)
payment_handle_connection = client.payment_handles.connect(
    "handle",
)
print(payment_handle_connection.connect_id)
```

#### Response

```json
{
  "connect_id": "cs_01HZY8",
  "handle": "+14155550123",
  "status": "connected"
}
```