StacksPay FAQ

General Questions

What is StacksPay?

StacksPay is a proposed payment request standard for the Stacks blockchain that creates easy, secure bundles of transaction information that can be shared off-chain. It simplifies payment interactions between payers and recipients by providing a standardized method for encoding, decoding, and processing payments.

What problem does StacksPay solve?

It simplifies the sharing and processing of payment information outside of applications, making it easier to distribute payment links socially and process payments with fewer clicks. Instead of requiring users to go through multiple steps in a wallet or dApp, StacksPay allows for direct peer-to-peer payment links.

Is this changing the Stacks blockchain?

No, StacksPay doesn’t replace or change any core functions of the Stacks blockchain. It’s a layer built on top of existing Stacks blockchain operations that standardizes how payment information is bundled and shared.

Technical Details

What operations does StacksPay support?

There are four predefined operations proposed in the specification:

Invoice - For specific payment requests with defined amounts
Support - For open-ended, reusable requests (tips, donations)
Mint - For NFT minting processes
Custom - Flexible operation type that applications can define

What’s the technical implementation?

Uses web+stx protocol prefix (web+stx:)
Implements base32m encoding for better checksums and larger text sizes
Available as an npm package with TypeScript implementation
Additional Python and Rust libraries are in development

Usage & Applications

How does a basic payment flow work?

Sender creates a payment request (invoice, support request, etc.)
System generates a link or QR code
Recipient clicks the link or scans the QR code
Their wallet opens and displays the payment details
Recipient can verify and approve or cancel the payment

What can StacksPay be used for?

Direct peer-to-peer payments
Donation/tipping systems
NFT minting and sales
Smart contract interactions
Merchant payments
Social media tipping
Point-of-sale systems (future)
more …

What tokens are supported?

Stacks (STX)
Any SIP-10 tokens
Future support planned for Bitcoin and Lightning

Wallet Integration

How do wallets implement StacksPay?

Wallets can implement their own user interface
Must respect certain parameters (like expiration dates)
Should verify transaction details and display them to users
Can implement protocol handlers for direct link opening

What happens if someone doesn’t have a compatible wallet?

Users will need to install a compatible wallet
Senders should include instructions for wallet installation
On Android, users get a message about no compatible applications
Different operating systems may handle the protocol differently

Development & Future

Where can I find more information?

Visit stackspay.org
Review SIP-202 in the Stacks SIP repository
Check the reference implementation on npm
Join the testing group for early access

What’s the future roadmap?

Integration with point-of-sale systems
Expansion into physical goods purchases
Better Lightning than Lightning on Stacks
Enhanced smart contract integration
Mobile wallet focus through Boom wallet
Marketplace and smart shops development

How can developers integrate StacksPay?

Use the available SDK
Implement the standard in their applications
Create payment links programmatically
Add share buttons for StacksPay links in their dApps
Look for an api from Boom soon.