Before you start — anti-phishing notice
Lightning Pay will never ask for your seed phrase or private key — not by email, DM, support chat, pop-up, or any website. Anyone who asks is attempting to steal your funds. Your seed phrase is entered only inside the Lightning Pay app you installed from an official source.
Things no legitimate party will ever ask you to do:
- Share your 12- or 24-word seed phrase with anyone.
- Paste your seed phrase into a website or web form.
- "Validate", "sync", or "verify" your wallet by entering your seed.
- Send funds to "unlock", "release", or "recover" other funds.
Always confirm the URL in your browser is lightningpay.info and bookmark it.
Step 0 — Choose the right wallet type
| Wallet type | Best for | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile hot wallet | Daily spending, < $5k | Lightning Pay (iOS / Android) |
| Desktop hot wallet | Bigger balances, power use | Lightning Pay (macOS / Windows / Linux) |
| Hardware (cold) | Long-term savings, > $5k | Ledger / Trezor + Lightning Pay for spending |
| Custodial exchange | Beginners with < $100 to learn | Don't keep BTC there long-term |
| Paper wallet | 2014. Not 2026. | Avoid |
Step 1 — Install Lightning Pay (3 minutes)
- 1
Go to the download page
Type lightningpay.info/download directly into the address bar. The canonical distribution URL for Lightning Pay Wallet. - 2
Verify the publisher
Desktop installer is signed by 'Lightning Pay Wallet'. Mobile apps are in the official Apple App Store and Google Play listings. - 3
Install and open
Free. ~80 MB. No account, no email, no password.
Step 2 — Back up the 12-word seed phrase (critical)
This is the most important step in your entire Bitcoin journey. The 12-word seed phrase is your wallet — anyone with it can take all your funds, and losing it means the funds are gone forever. There is no "forgot password" link, no customer support recovery.
DO write it on paper
DO store in two places
DO consider a metal backup
DON'T screenshot it
DON'T type it into anything
DON'T share it
Step 3 — Receive your first BTC (2 minutes)
- 1
Tap Receive
Lightning Pay shows two addresses: on-chain (starts with bc1) and Lightning (starts with lnbc). - 2
Pick the right one
Sending from a friend's wallet or another self-custody app over Lightning? Use the Lightning address. From an exchange? Usually on-chain (bc1). - 3
Copy or scan the QR
Send a small test amount first ($5–$10). Wait for it to arrive. Then send the real amount. - 4
Or buy in-app
Tap Buy → MoonPay (card) or Strike (bank). BTC lands in self-custody in seconds, no withdrawal step.
Step 4 — Send a test transaction (1 minute)
Before you trust the wallet with serious funds, send a tiny payment out and back. Send $1 of BTC to a friend's wallet (or buy a Bitrefill gift card), confirm it arrives, then have them send it back. This proves: (1) your wallet works, (2) your seed backup matches the wallet, (3) you understand the fee flow. Beats discovering a problem with $5,000 inside.
Beginner mistakes to avoid
- Leaving BTC on the exchange you bought it from.
- Not your keys, not your coins. FTX, Celsius, Voyager all proved this in the last 4 years.
- Screenshotting the seed phrase.
- Cloud-synced photo libraries leak. Use paper.
- Skipping the backup step 'for now'.
- 'For now' becomes 'forever'. Back up before you fund.
- Sending the whole balance as the first transaction.
- Test with $1 first.
- Sending Lightning to an on-chain address (or vice versa).
- Read the address carefully. Lightning starts with lnbc; on-chain starts with bc1.
- Using a hot wallet for life savings.
- Above ~$5k, add a hardware wallet for cold storage.
- Falling for 'support' DMs.
- Lightning Pay support never DMs you on Telegram / Twitter / X, and never asks for your seed.
Next steps once you're set up
Add a hardware wallet
Bitcoin wallet setup FAQ
Ready to own your Bitcoin?
Lightning Pay is free, open source, and non-custodial. Your keys never leave your device.