Payment Link Flow

No code. Create a product, share a link, get paid in Bitcoin.

Developer Docs

Flow Overview

The Payment Link is the simplest SatsRail integration — zero code. A merchant creates a product in the dashboard, gets a shareable URL ( satsrail.com/pay/your-product ), and distributes it anywhere. When a customer opens the link, a checkout session is auto-created and they pay via Lightning. Funds settle directly to the merchant's wallet.

Action
Success
Error
Data
Security
Decision Point
→ Flow Direction

Sequence Diagram

Step-by-Step Detail

Merchant Setup

1
Log In & Create Product

The merchant logs into the SatsRail Dashboard and navigates to Products → Create Product. They fill in:

  • Product name: displayed on the checkout page (e.g., "Monthly Subscription")
  • Description: shown below the product name
  • Price (USD): the fiat amount to charge (converted to sats at payment time)
  • Image: optional product image displayed on checkout
2
Connect Lightning Wallet

The merchant connects their Lightning wallet to receive payments directly. Supported connection methods:

  • LNDHub: Compatible with BlueWallet, Zeus, and others
  • LNURL: Universal Lightning address (e.g., user@wallet.com)
  • Connection string: Direct LND/CLN node connection
Non-custodial: SatsRail connects to the merchant's wallet but never has access to funds. Payments go directly from customer → merchant.
3
Get Payment Link

SatsRail generates a unique product slug and payment link:

https://satsrail.com/pay/prod_abc123def456

The dashboard also provides:

  • QR code: downloadable QR code encoding the payment link URL
  • Embed snippet: <script> tag for embedding a pay button on any website
4
Distribute the Link

The merchant shares the payment link through any channel:

  • Email / SMS: Paste the URL directly
  • Social media: Post on Twitter, Instagram, etc.
  • WhatsApp / Telegram: Share in chat
  • Printed QR: Print the QR code for in-store or event use
  • Website: Add as a simple hyperlink

Customer Payment

5
Customer Opens Link

Customer clicks the link or scans the QR code. The browser navigates to satsrail.com/pay/prod_abc123. SatsRail looks up the product by slug, validates it's active, and auto-creates a CheckoutSession. The customer is redirected to the checkout page.

6
Customer Info

If the merchant configured customer info collection:

  • Customer fills in email, name, phone, and/or shipping address (as configured)

If no customer fields are configured, this step is skipped entirely — straight to QR code.

7
Invoice Generated & QR Displayed

SatsRail converts USD → sats at the real-time exchange rate, requests a Lightning invoice from the merchant's wallet, and displays:

  • Product name, description, and image
  • Price in USD and sats
  • QR code encoding BOLT-11 invoice
  • Copy button for desktop wallets
  • 15-minute countdown timer
8
Customer Pays via Lightning

Customer scans the QR with their wallet app, copies the invoice to a desktop wallet, or pays via WebLN browser extension. Payment routes through Lightning channels and settles instantly to the merchant's wallet.

Confirmation

The checkout page updates to show "Paid ✓". Based on configuration:

  • Redirect to merchant's custom success URL
  • Show a receipt with transaction details
  • Trigger digital delivery (download link, license key, etc.)

Webhooks fire asynchronously if configured. Transaction is logged in the merchant's dashboard with amount, timestamp, exchange rate, and payment hash.

Error Paths

Error Trigger User Experience Recovery
404 Not Found Product slug doesn't exist or product is deactivated Customer sees a "Product not found" error page Merchant reactivates product or shares correct link
Wallet Disconnected Merchant's Lightning wallet connection is broken or expired Customer sees "Merchant cannot receive payments at this time" Merchant reconnects wallet in Dashboard settings
Invoice Expired 15-minute countdown reaches zero Checkout shows "Expired" with option to regenerate Customer clicks "Generate New Invoice" — new rate applied
Routing Failure No Lightning route to merchant's node Error shown on checkout page Customer retries payment

Start selling with a link

Create a product, share the URL, and accept Bitcoin — zero code required.

Embed Button Docs → Embed Widget Flow →