Use cases

Sell digital products for crypto: downloads, licences and ebooks

A seller of digital goods delivers with Crypto Merchant by creating an invoice per order, sending the buyer to the hosted invoice page, and releasing the download or licence key only when the signed invoice.paid webhook arrives. Delivery is automatic, and because a confirmed crypto payment is final there are no chargebacks. For a small catalogue without code, a payment link per product and a delivery email you send yourself does the same job. The fee is 1% per paid invoice.

Updated 6 November 2026

Everything on this page describes how Crypto Merchant works today, as set out in the API reference, the checkout docs and Pricing. Nothing here is a claim about other gateways.

At a glance

Topic	How it works
How buyers pay	On a hosted invoice page: a coin of their choice, the exact amount at a locked rate, a QR code and a countdown. Then back to your site through `redirect_url`.
What you build	One `POST /invoices` call with the product in `metadata`, and a webhook endpoint that generates the key or download link on `invoice.paid`.
When to deliver	On `invoice.paid` only. `invoice.confirming` means the payment was seen but isn't final yet.
Chargebacks	None. A confirmed crypto payment can't be reversed by a bank. If a product didn't work, you can send the buyer a private refund link from the portal.
Without code	A payment link per product, created in the portal. You get an email for each payment and send the file yourself.
Documents to sign up	None. Content that infringes other people's intellectual property is prohibited by the Terms.

How does it work, step by step?

From “Buy now” to the buyer holding the file:

1
Create the invoice
When the buyer clicks “Buy with crypto”, call POST /invoices with the price, your own order_id, the buyer's email, a redirect_url to your download page and metadata naming the product and licence type.
2
Send the buyer to the invoice page
Redirect to checkout_url. The buyer picks a coin, the rate is locked, and a deposit address made for this invoice is shown. The invoice stays open for the time you set, 30 minutes by default.
3
Deliver on invoice.paid
Verify the signature, save the event, reply 2xx, then generate the licence key or a signed download link and email it. Use the event id to deliver once even if the webhook arrives twice.
4
Bring the buyer back
After paying, the buyer can follow redirect_url to your page. Show the order status from your server there; the webhook, not the redirect, is what proves the payment.
5
No code: a link per product
Create a payment link per product under Payment links, with the price fixed. Each payment appears in the portal and by email, and you send the file by hand. Good for a handful of products; automate with the API when it gets tedious.

The one API call it takes

Create the invoice for a download

curl https://cryptomerchant.online/api/v1/invoices \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CM_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "amount": "19.00",
    "currency": "USD",
    "order_id": "dl-55120",
    "description": "Icon pack, lifetime licence",
    "customer_email": "[email protected]",
    "redirect_url": "https://shop.example/download?order=55120",
    "metadata": { "product": "icon-pack", "licence": "lifetime" }
  }'

# On "invoice.paid": generate the licence key and email the download link.
# Don't deliver on "invoice.confirming": the payment isn't final yet.

What does it cost?

1% of each paid invoice, deducted when the payment is credited to your balance. There is no setup fee, no monthly fee and no payment to go live; expired and cancelled invoices cost nothing. Moving coins (sweeps, swaps and payouts) carries a gas fee, taken from your gas balance if you add one, otherwise from the coins being moved. Customers also pay a gas fee on each invoice: it is added to the amount they send, shown at checkout and never more than $5. Swap rates include a 1% service margin. Every cost is in one table on Pricing.

What Crypto Merchant doesn't do here

No file hosting or storefront. Crypto Merchant doesn't host your files, product pages or licence keys; it takes the payment and tells your server.
No automatic refunds. If a product didn't work, an Admin creates a private refund link from the paid payment in the portal; the buyer enters their own address, the network fee comes out of the refund and the 1% fee is not returned.
Custodial, crypto-only. Payments collect in a pool wallet Crypto Merchant holds until you pay out to your own addresses.

Who is this for?

Software, templates, fonts, music, courses and ebooks sold worldwide.
Sellers who want delivery to be automatic the moment a payment confirms.
Sellers who have lost money to chargebacks on card payments.

Frequently asked questions

Can I deliver a download automatically after a crypto payment?

Yes. Your server receives a signed invoice.paid webhook once the payment has its confirmations; deliver from that event. The redirect back to your site is only for the buyer's convenience.

Can I sell digital products for crypto without a website?

Yes. Create a payment link per product in the portal, share it, and send the file yourself when the payment email arrives. Automate with the API later.

Are there chargebacks on crypto payments?

No. A confirmed crypto payment can't be reversed by a bank or card network. If a buyer underpays, the invoice stays underpaid and nothing is delivered until they top up.

Which event should trigger delivery?

invoice.paid. The earlier invoice.confirming event only means the payment was seen on the network and is waiting for confirmations.

Other use cases

All use cases

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