You can receive sats through a reusable Lightning address or a single-payment invoice. You can receive a Lightning payment even if you have not made an on-chain top-up.
Choose how to receive
| Use | Best for |
|---|---|
| Lightning address | A reusable, email-like address that you can share more than once. |
| BOLT 11 invoice | A unique request for one payment with a specific amount. |
Receive with your Lightning address
- Open Lightning in the BitBoxApp.
- Select Receive.
- Check the Lightning address shown in Receive Lightning.
- Copy the address or share its QR code with the payer.
The address may use a name you selected or one generated for you. When the payment completes, it appears in the Lightning transaction history and the available balance updates.
Create an invoice
- In Receive Lightning, select Create invoice.
- Enter the amount in sats or your configured fiat currency.
- Optionally enter a description.
- Select Create invoice.
- Review the invoice QR code, amount in sats, and fiat equivalent.
- Copy or share the invoice with the intended payer.
The BitBoxApp requires an amount when you create an invoice. The invoice is not saved in a separate invoice list after you leave this view, so copy or share it first. If you no longer have the invoice, create a new one.
Payment received
The payment is complete when it appears as received in the Lightning transaction history and your available balance has updated.
Set or change your Lightning address
- Open Settings.
- Open Advanced Settings.
- Select Lightning Settings.
- Select Set Lightning address.
- Enter the unique name you want to use, or ask the app to generate one.
- Check whether the name is available, then save the address.
You can change the address only once every 24 hours. When you select a different address, your previous names remain reserved for this wallet but do not continue to work. The same wallet can select a previously used name again; another wallet cannot claim it.
Update every place where you shared the old address
After changing the address, replace the old one on websites, profiles, invoices, and saved contacts. A reserved name is not an active receiving address.
A Lightning-address name is tied to the Lightning wallet that registered it. The BitBoxApp does not currently provide a way to transfer it to a different Lightning wallet. This behavior is documented in the BitBox 09.2026 Meggen update.
If a payment does not arrive
- The payer used an old Lightning address: share the address currently shown in Receive Lightning or reselect the previous name if it belongs to this wallet.
- The invoice expired or was already paid: create a new invoice.
- The transaction is still processing: wait for the transaction history and balance to update before asking the payer to send again.
- The wallet is disabled: re-enable the same Lightning wallet.
- The wallet is disconnected: check the internet connection and try again. If Spark is unavailable, wait for service recovery.
Contact BitBox Support
Contact BitBox Support if a confirmed payment does not appear. Include the BitBoxApp version, mobile operating system, approximate time, amount, current transaction status, and exact non-sensitive error message.
Never send recovery words, backup contents, an optional passphrase, private keys, passwords, or PINs.
To make a payment instead, see Send a Lightning payment in the BitBoxApp.