diff --git a/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/middleware.ts b/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/middleware.ts
index e642583db6..35332a9bad 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/middleware.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/middleware.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export function createPaymentPointerMiddleware() {
       const paymentPointerService = await ctx.container.use(
         'paymentPointerService'
       )
-      const paymentPointer = await paymentPointerService.getByUrl(
+      const paymentPointer = await paymentPointerService.getOrPollByUrl(
         ctx.paymentPointerUrl
       )
 
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.test.ts b/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.test.ts
index 95e8b5d774..72a9b850a6 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.test.ts
@@ -282,20 +282,42 @@ describe('Open Payments Payment Pointer Service', (): void => {
   })
 
   describe('Get Payment Pointer By Url', (): void => {
+    test('can retrieve payment pointer by url', async (): Promise<void> => {
+      const paymentPointer = await createPaymentPointer(deps)
+      await expect(
+        paymentPointerService.getByUrl(paymentPointer.url)
+      ).resolves.toEqual(paymentPointer)
+
+      await expect(
+        paymentPointerService.getByUrl(paymentPointer.url + '/path')
+      ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+
+      await expect(
+        paymentPointerService.getByUrl('prefix+' + paymentPointer.url)
+      ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+    })
+
+    test(
+      'returns undefined if no payment pointer exists with url',
+      withConfigOverride(
+        () => config,
+        { paymentPointerLookupTimeoutMs: 1 },
+        async (): Promise<void> => {
+          await expect(
+            paymentPointerService.getByUrl('test.nope')
+          ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+        }
+      )
+    )
+  })
+
+  describe('Get Or Poll Payment Pointer By Url', (): void => {
     describe('existing payment pointer', (): void => {
       test('can retrieve payment pointer by url', async (): Promise<void> => {
         const paymentPointer = await createPaymentPointer(deps)
         await expect(
-          paymentPointerService.getByUrl(paymentPointer.url)
+          paymentPointerService.getOrPollByUrl(paymentPointer.url)
         ).resolves.toEqual(paymentPointer)
-
-        await expect(
-          paymentPointerService.getByUrl(paymentPointer.url + '/path')
-        ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
-
-        await expect(
-          paymentPointerService.getByUrl('prefix+' + paymentPointer.url)
-        ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
       })
     })
 
@@ -308,7 +330,7 @@ describe('Open Payments Payment Pointer Service', (): void => {
           async (): Promise<void> => {
             const paymentPointerUrl = `https://${faker.internet.domainName()}/.well-known/pay`
             await expect(
-              paymentPointerService.getByUrl(paymentPointerUrl)
+              paymentPointerService.getOrPollByUrl(paymentPointerUrl)
             ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
 
             const paymentPointerNotFoundEvents =
@@ -331,9 +353,9 @@ describe('Open Payments Payment Pointer Service', (): void => {
           async (): Promise<void> => {
             const paymentPointerUrl = `https://${faker.internet.domainName()}/.well-known/pay`
 
-            const [getByUrlPaymentPointer, createdPaymentPointer] =
+            const [getOrPollByUrlPaymentPointer, createdPaymentPointer] =
               await Promise.all([
-                paymentPointerService.getByUrl(paymentPointerUrl),
+                paymentPointerService.getOrPollByUrl(paymentPointerUrl),
                 (async () => {
                   await sleep(5)
                   return createPaymentPointer(deps, {
@@ -342,8 +364,8 @@ describe('Open Payments Payment Pointer Service', (): void => {
                 })()
               ])
 
-            assert.ok(getByUrlPaymentPointer)
-            expect(getByUrlPaymentPointer).toEqual(createdPaymentPointer)
+            assert.ok(getOrPollByUrlPaymentPointer)
+            expect(getOrPollByUrlPaymentPointer).toEqual(createdPaymentPointer)
           }
         )
       )
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.ts b/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.ts
index 9bff7c1b4d..1765dd505f 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/open_payments/payment_pointer/service.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export interface PaymentPointerService {
   update(options: UpdateOptions): Promise<PaymentPointer | PaymentPointerError>
   get(id: string): Promise<PaymentPointer | undefined>
   getByUrl(url: string): Promise<PaymentPointer | undefined>
+  getOrPollByUrl(url: string): Promise<PaymentPointer | undefined>
   getPage(pagination?: Pagination): Promise<PaymentPointer[]>
   processNext(): Promise<string | undefined>
   triggerEvents(limit: number): Promise<number>
@@ -79,7 +80,8 @@ export async function createPaymentPointerService({
     create: (options) => createPaymentPointer(deps, options),
     update: (options) => updatePaymentPointer(deps, options),
     get: (id) => getPaymentPointer(deps, id),
-    getByUrl: (url) => getOrRequestPaymentPointer(deps, url),
+    getByUrl: (url) => getPaymentPointerByUrl(deps, url),
+    getOrPollByUrl: (url) => getOrPollByUrl(deps, url),
     getPage: (pagination?) => getPaymentPointerPage(deps, pagination),
     processNext: () => processNextPaymentPointer(deps),
     triggerEvents: (limit) => triggerPaymentPointerEvents(deps, limit)
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ async function getPaymentPointer(
     .withGraphFetched('asset')
 }
 
-async function getOrRequestPaymentPointer(
+async function getOrPollByUrl(
   deps: ServiceDependencies,
   url: string
 ): Promise<PaymentPointer | undefined> {