ZapAPI is a Lightning-native payments platform. Developers accept Bitcoin Lightning payments through one REST API (invoices, payment links, subscriptions, checkout widget), creators monetize with zaps and paywalled content, and teams call 500+ AI models paid per query in Bitcoin sats. It is non-custodial: funds settle directly to your wallet or your own node via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC).

How do I accept Bitcoin Lightning payments on my website?

Create a free ZapAPI account, create a project, and copy your API key. Then either drop the checkout widget script tag on your page (one line of HTML) or call POST /v1/invoices with the typed TypeScript SDK (npm install @zapapi/sdk). You get a BOLT11 invoice and hosted checkout URL, and a signed webhook the moment it is paid. No node, no liquidity management required.

Is ZapAPI custodial? Who holds my Bitcoin?

ZapAPI is non-custodial by design. Each project has a settlement wallet: your hosted ZapAPI wallet, a dedicated project wallet, or your own external wallet connected via Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC). With NWC settlement, payments land directly in your own wallet (Alby Hub, coinos, Umbrel) — ZapAPI never holds your funds.

What are zaps and how do creators earn them?

Zaps are Bitcoin Lightning tips sent over nostr (NIP-57). On ZapAPI, creators get a bio page, tip jar widgets, subscription plans, paywalled links and a Lightning Address (you@zapapi.app). Supporters zap with any Lightning wallet; sats settle directly to the creator — with auto-built customer CRM and MRR stats.

How does the AI gateway pricing work?

The AI gateway is OpenAI-compatible and lists 500+ models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Llama, Qwen and more) with live per-token pricing in Bitcoin sats. You top up with Lightning from 100 sats (with a +5% bonus), pay per query — no subscriptions, no monthly minimums. Failed upstream calls are never billed, and NWC auto-topup keeps agents running.

Does ZapAPI support subscriptions and recurring payments in Bitcoin?

Yes. Create weekly, monthly or yearly plans on any project; subscribers check out on a hosted page and manage everything from a magic-link portal (pause, cancel, or NWC auto-pay from their own wallet). Failed renewals walk a grace → past_due → cancel dunning ladder, and renewals settle to your project settlement wallet, including NWC wallets.

Lightning Address Explained: Bitcoin Payments, LNURL, and Developer APIs

ZapAPIBlog

Payments API

Merchant gateway

Creator

Monetization suite

AI GatewayNew

500+ models, one API

AI ToolsNew

Pay-per-call tools

Payments API

Merchant gateway

Everything a merchant needs to accept Bitcoin over Lightning — from a single invoice to a full checkout flow with webhooks and refunds.

BOLT-11 invoices & hosted payment links
Signed webhooks with retries & replay
Projects, scoped API keys, test mode
Typed SDK — three lines to charge

Test mode includedRead the quickstart

Start free — all productsAll systems live

Address Marketplace

you@zapapi.app

App Directory

Lightning apps

Profiles

People on Lightning

Address Marketplace

you@zapapi.app

One search across every lightning address provider. Claim free on zapapi.app or buy a premium domain — paid directly to the provider over Lightning.

Free first-party address on zapapi.app
Real prices across all providers
Providers paid directly — no custody
NIP-05 identity & zaps built in

First address FREESearch your name

Search your nameAll systems live

Features Pricing

Model Catalog

Live sats pricing

Tools Catalog

Pay per call

Blog

Engineering & updates

API Docs

Swagger reference

Documentation

Guides & tutorials

Contact

Talk to the team

Blog

Engineering & updates

Engineering deep-dives, Lightning Network guides and product updates — how the platform works under the hood, and what ships next.

Lightning Network deep-dives
Architecture & protocol guides
Product announcements
Tutorials & integration recipes

Engineering-first contentRead the blog

Read the docsAll systems live

Payments API

Everything a merchant needs to accept Bitcoin over Lightning — from a single invoice to a full checkout flow with webhooks and refunds.

Creator

Everything a creator needs to get paid directly — bio pages, tipping, recurring supporters and gated content, all settling to your own wallet.

AI GatewayNew

Every major model — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek — through one OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Switch models by changing one string, pay per query in sats.

AI ToolsNew

Beyond chat: image & video generation, voice in 600+ languages, translation and OCR — every call quoted in sats upfront and itemized in your history.

Address Marketplace

One search across every lightning address provider. Claim free on zapapi.app or buy a premium domain — paid directly to the provider over Lightning.

App Directory

Discover Lightning and Nostr applications — ranked by real community zaps (sats), not votes. List your own app free and get boosted.

Profiles

Public Lightning profiles for creators, builders and merchants — bio links, zap buttons and verified NIP-05 identities in one place.

Model Catalog

Every model on the platform with live per-token prices in sats — chat, image, video, TTS, STT and embeddings. Filter, compare, and start using any of them instantly.

Tools Catalog

The full pay-per-call tool catalog: what each tool does, what it costs, and how it confirms. Quote-first pricing means you always know the cost before you pay.

Blog

Engineering deep-dives, Lightning Network guides and product updates — how the platform works under the hood, and what ships next.

API Docs

The interactive Swagger reference for the whole REST API — every endpoint with schemas and a live Try-it console running against the real API.

Documentation

Guides, tutorials and integration help for every surface — payments quickstart, AI gateway docs, SDK reference and platform concepts.

Contact

Questions about integration, partnerships or enterprise? Reach the team directly — support, sales and security channels.

Features Pricing

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