How to Pay with Lightning Sats

To claim or buy a Head on Decaputin, you need a Nostr identity, a Lightning wallet with sats inside, and access to your signer for the ownership signature after payment.

The Nostr identity tells Decaputin which npub is claiming. The Lightning payment pays the invoice. After payment, the Head is already claimed for that npub; the Nostr signature publishes the ownership proof on relays.

This guide is about the payment part.

A Head is claimed with sats. Check the invoice before you send them.

What are sats?

Sats are tiny pieces of Bitcoin. One bitcoin is made of 100,000,000 sats.

Decaputin uses sats because they are small, fast and natural for Lightning payments. You do not need to buy one bitcoin. You only need enough sats to pay the claim invoice shown by Decaputin.

What is the Lightning Network?

The Lightning Network is a payment network built around Bitcoin. It is designed for fast, small payments.

In normal Bitcoin payments, transactions are written directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. That can be slower and more expensive. With Lightning, payments can move quickly and usually with very low fees. That is why Lightning is used for zaps, small tips, instant payments and Decaputin claims.

For Decaputin, the practical meaning is simple: when you claim a Head, Decaputin gives you a Lightning invoice. Your wallet pays it.

What is a Lightning invoice?

A Lightning invoice is a payment request.

It can look like a QR code, or like a long string of text that usually starts with lnbc.... It contains the amount, the destination and an expiration time.

You do not need to read the whole invoice by hand. Your wallet reads it for you. But you should always check the amount and confirm that the invoice belongs to the action you are trying to complete.

A Lightning invoice is not the same as a Lightning Address.

Thing	What it is	Example
Lightning invoice	A one-time payment request	lnbc...
Lightning Address	A reusable address for receiving sats	name@wallet.com
Sats	Tiny units of Bitcoin	1000 sats
Wallet	The app that holds and sends your sats	Primal, Wallet of Satoshi, Alby

For claiming a Head, the important object is the invoice. The Lightning Address is useful for receiving payments and zaps, but the claim itself is paid by invoice.

Three recommended ways to pay

There are many Lightning wallets. For Decaputin beginners, these three paths make the most sense.

Wallet	Best for	Why it is useful
Primal Wallet	Users who already created their Nostr account with Primal	Nostr app and Lightning wallet in one place
Wallet of Satoshi	Beginners who want the simplest standalone Lightning wallet	Easy app, Lightning invoices, Lightning Address and in-app top-up options in many regions
Alby	Desktop users and Nostr/web users	Browser extension, Lightning payments, WebLN and Nostr support

You do not need all three. Pick one wallet, add sats, and use it to pay the Decaputin invoice.

Method 1 — Pay with Primal Wallet

Primal is useful because many Decaputin users will already use it to create their Nostr identity. It also includes a wallet experience for Lightning.

This makes Primal the cleanest first path if you want Nostr and Lightning in one app.

Find your Lightning Address in Primal

Your Primal wallet can show a Lightning Address. This is useful for receiving sats and understanding where your wallet lives.

In the Primal app, the path is usually:

1. open your account area;
2. open Settings;
3. open Wallet;
4. look for your Nostr Lightning Address;
5. copy it if you need to receive sats.

You may also find a Lightning Address QR code from your profile or wallet receive screen. It looks like an email address, but it receives Lightning payments.

Back up your Primal wallet

Before relying on the wallet, back it up.

In Primal, open the wallet backup screen and save the recovery phrase exactly as the app tells you. Do not screenshot it. Do not send it to yourself in chat. Do not store it in a random cloud note.

The boring rule is still the correct one: if a wallet gives you recovery words, write them down and keep them safe.

Pay a Decaputin invoice with Primal

When Decaputin shows you a Lightning invoice, you can pay it from the Primal wallet.

Basic flow:

1. open the Decaputin claim or purchase flow;
2. copy the Lightning invoice, or scan the QR code if you are using another device;
3. open Primal Wallet;
4. tap Send;
5. paste the invoice, or use the scan option;
6. check the amount in sats;
7. confirm the payment;
8. return to Decaputin and wait for the claim flow to update.

If the payment succeeds, your wallet will show a success screen or a completed transaction. Decaputin should then detect the paid invoice and move you to the next step.

Method 2 — Pay with Wallet of Satoshi

Wallet of Satoshi is one of the simplest ways to start with Lightning.

It is a Bitcoin and Lightning wallet for iOS and Android. It can pay Lightning invoices, scan QR codes, receive sats and give you a Lightning Address. In many regions, it also lets users buy Bitcoin directly in the app, which is why it can be convenient for beginners who do not already have sats.

Wallet of Satoshi is a good choice if you want a separate wallet just for payments.

Add funds

Open Wallet of Satoshi and add sats.

Depending on your country, device and the app mode available to you, the app may offer in-wallet top-up or buy options. Follow the in-app instructions, check fees before confirming, and start with a small amount if this is your first Lightning payment.

The goal is simple: you need enough sats in the wallet to pay the Decaputin invoice.

Pay a Decaputin invoice

Basic flow:

1. open Decaputin and start the Head claim or purchase;
2. copy the Lightning invoice or scan the QR code;
3. open Wallet of Satoshi;
4. use Send or scan;
5. paste or scan the invoice;
6. review the amount;
7. confirm the payment;
8. return to Decaputin.

Wallet of Satoshi is built for this kind of payment. If the invoice is valid and you have enough balance, the payment should usually feel very fast.

Method 3 — Pay with Alby

Alby is a good option on desktop.

The Alby browser extension connects Bitcoin, Lightning and Nostr tools to the web. It can work with Alby Hub and other wallet connections, and it supports web payment flows through Lightning.

This makes Alby useful if you use Decaputin mostly from a desktop browser.

Set up Alby

Basic flow:

1. install the Alby browser extension;
2. set up or connect your Lightning wallet;
3. add sats to the wallet or connect a funded wallet;
4. make sure the extension is active in your browser.

Alby is more powerful than the simplest mobile wallets, but it can also be more technical. It is a good fit if you already like browser extensions, Nostr signers and web-based tools.

Pay a Decaputin invoice with Alby

When Decaputin gives you a Lightning invoice:

1. copy the invoice;
2. open Alby;
3. choose send or pay;
4. paste the invoice;
5. review the amount;
6. confirm the payment;
7. return to Decaputin.

If a Decaputin payment flow later supports a direct web payment prompt, Alby is the kind of wallet that can make that feel natural in the browser. For now, the safe mental model is simple: copy invoice, paste into wallet, pay, return.

Which wallet should you choose?

Use the simplest wallet that matches your situation.

Situation	Recommended wallet
You already use Primal for Nostr	Primal Wallet
You are on iPhone and want the easiest separate wallet	Wallet of Satoshi
You are on Android and want the easiest separate wallet	Wallet of Satoshi
You are on desktop and already use browser extensions	Alby
You want one app for Nostr identity and Lightning zaps	Primal
You want a quick wallet that can be topped up directly in many regions	Wallet of Satoshi

If you are totally new, start with a small amount. Make one small test payment before putting more sats in any wallet.

Common payment mistakes

Most Lightning payment problems are simple.

Mistake	What happens
You try to pay with a normal Bitcoin wallet that does not support Lightning	The invoice will not work
You paste a Lightning Address instead of an invoice	The payment flow may not recognize it
The invoice expires	You need to create a new invoice on Decaputin
Your wallet has too few sats	The payment fails
You close the browser too soon	Decaputin may need a moment to detect the payment
You pay the wrong invoice	Lightning payments are not a normal card payment with a chargeback button

Slow down before confirming. Check the amount. Check that you are paying the current Decaputin invoice. Then send.

After payment

After the Lightning invoice is paid, return to Decaputin.

The claim or purchase is not just a wallet action. Decaputin still needs to connect the paid invoice to your npub and then let you sign ownership.

In practice, the sequence is:

1. choose the Head;
2. confirm the npub that will own it;
3. pay the Lightning invoice in sats;
4. return to Decaputin;
5. close the invoice modal if it is still open;
6. sign ownership in Primal when Decaputin asks.

Once the invoice is paid, the Head is already claimed for that npub and should appear in My Heads. My Heads is your owned-Heads area: from there you can reopen the Head, manage it, and complete Sign Ownership if the Nostr proof is still pending. Do not pay again just because the signature step is not finished yet.

The payment moves the sats. Nostr proves the identity.

Both parts matter.

Before claiming a Head

Before claiming or buying a Head, make sure you have:

1. a Nostr npub you control;
2. access to the signer that controls that npub, such as Primal;
3. a Lightning wallet with enough sats;
4. access to the wallet on the same device, or a way to scan the QR code from another device;
5. a few extra sats for possible routing fees;
6. enough patience to read the invoice before paying.

Once you have those, you are ready for the claim flow.

Next guides

• How to Claim Your First Head