Merchant Onboarding Guide

Everything you need to start accepting payments with Peer Pay. From setup to your first order.

SetupTelegramOrdersFor BuyersYour FundsCommon MistakesFAQ
1

Create Your Merchant Account

🌐 Sign Up on the Merchant Portal

  1. Go to merchant.pay.peer.xyz
  2. Create an account with your email address
  3. Verify your email — you'll need access to this email for 2FA login every time
⚠️Use an email you check regularly. You'll need it for two-factor authentication every time you log in. Don't use a throwaway.
2

Link Your Telegram Account

💬 Connect to the Peer Pay Bot

  1. Open a DM with @peer_pay_merchant_bot on Telegram
  2. Type /start in the DM
  3. Go back to merchant.pay.peer.xyz
  4. Navigate to Settings and scroll down to find your API Key (it's near the bottom)
  5. Copy your API Key
  6. Paste the API key into your DM with @peer_pay_merchant_bot
✅Done! Your merchant account is now linked to your Telegram. You can create and manage orders directly from Telegram.

Adding team members: You can invite employees or trusted users via the merchant portal by sending them an email invite link. Coming soon: invited team members will be able to send out payment links on behalf of your merchant account.
💡While you're in Settings, customize your checkout flow. You can set your business name, brand colors, profile picture, and more. This is also where you configure your max spread (the maximum exchange rate markup you're willing to pay), select which payment platforms to accept, and set your default currency.
3

Creating Orders

💳 Two Ways to Request Payment

📲All commands are sent in your DM with @peer_pay_merchant_bot on Telegram — the same bot you linked in Step 2. Open that chat and type the commands below.
/request/request_fiat
You enterCrypto amount (USDC)Fiat amount (USD)
Buyer seesFiat equivalent at market rateExact dollar amount
Best forCrypto-native usersMost use cases
RecommendedWorks fineRecommended ⭐
💡We recommend /request_fiat — it's simpler for buyers since they see an exact dollar amount. Example: /request_fiat 50 creates a $50 payment request.

⚡ How a Live Order Works

  1. Run /request_fiat 50 (or your amount) in the bot DM
  2. Select your payment method (Venmo, CashApp, etc.)
  3. You'll get a payment link with a preview page
🔴Critical: The first page is NOT an active order. It becomes live only when the buyer clicks "Continue". Once they click Continue:
• The order is created, liquidity is claimed and held in escrow, and the 4-hour timer starts
• Do NOT change the payment method — this CANCELS the order completely.
• Anyone with the link can access the order page, but only one person can complete that specific order — so be careful who you share it with
• The buyer has 4 hours to complete payment — after that, funds can't be guaranteed
• When in doubt, cancel and create a new order

🧪 Do a Test Order First

Before going live with real transactions:

  1. Run /request_fiat 1 for a small test amount
  2. Select Venmo as the payment method
  3. Walk through the full flow yourself or with a friend
  4. Verify the USDC arrives in your merchant account
4

What Your Buyers Need

📱 App or Extension Required

The person completing the payment must have one of the following installed:

⚠️The buyer needs the login credentials for the payment account they're sending from. During checkout, they'll log in to Venmo/CashApp/etc. through their browser (with the extension installed) or through the Peer app. Think of it like "Login with Google" — they need to sign in directly. Want to send from a friend's account? That's fine, as long as the friend is willing to log in themselves.

🔗 Sharing Payment Links

  • Anyone with the link can access the order page — the buyer doesn't need a Peer merchant account
  • Share via DM, group chat, embed on your site, or anywhere
  • One link = one order — anyone can view it, but only one person can complete that specific order
  • Once someone clicks "Continue," the order is created, liquidity is claimed and held in escrow, and the 4-hour timer starts
  • Be careful not to overshare the link — if someone else starts the order, it can cause issues. When in doubt, cancel and make a new one
5

Accessing Your USDC

👛 Two Wallets — Don't Get Confused

⚠️Your merchant account wallet ≠ your Peer wallet. These are two completely separate wallets. Order revenue goes to your merchant wallet, not your Peer app balance.
Merchant WalletPeer Wallet
Where order revenue landsYour personal Peer app balance
Accessed via merchant portalAccessed via Peer app
Export private key to withdrawSend/bridge/offramp directly from app

🔑 Exporting Your Private Key

To access your USDC, you must export your merchant wallet's private key:

  1. Go to merchant.pay.peer.xyz
  2. Navigate to Settings
  3. Scroll down to Wallet
  4. Click Export
  5. Click the big blue "Copy Key" button
🔴DO NOT copy the address shown above the button. That's your public address (for receiving). The blue button gives you your private key (for exporting). 80% of merchants make this mistake.

Once you have the private key, import it into any wallet on the Base network (Ethereum L2) to access your USDC.

🔄 Recommended: Send USDC to Your Peer Wallet

After exporting your merchant wallet, we strongly recommend sending your USDC to your Peer wallet. Here's why:

  • Easy access to every network — bridge to any chain directly from the app
  • Free offramping — the Peer wallet is the only way to offramp your USDC to fiat for free
  • Trade and manage — swap, send, and manage your funds all in one place
💡Pro tip: Using Peer wallet to offramp is free. Every other method of converting USDC to fiat will cost you fees.
!

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid

  1. #1
    Changing the payment method on a live order — this CANCELS the order completely. If the buyer already sent money through their payment app before the order was cancelled, you now have a serious problem. Once an order is live, never switch the payment method. If something is wrong, cancel the order first and create a new one.
  2. #2
    Buyer doesn't have the Peer app or Chrome extension installed. Without either the mobile app or the browser extension, the buyer cannot complete the payment. Make sure they install it BEFORE you send them a payment link.
  3. #3
    Buyer can't log in to their payment app in the verification flow. The person completing the order must be able to log into the payment account (Venmo, CashApp, etc.) themselves within the Peer app or Chrome browser. A common mistake: asking a friend to send money from their Venmo account — but then you can't log into your friend's account to verify the payment. The person paying must have their own login credentials for the payment app they're using.
  4. #4
    Copying the public address instead of private key when exporting your wallet. Always click the big blue "Copy Key" button — not the address shown above it. The address above is your public address (like an account number). The blue button gives you your private key.
  5. #5
    Looking for USDC in the Peer wallet instead of the merchant portal. They're separate wallets — order revenue goes to your merchant wallet at merchant.pay.peer.xyz. You need to export your merchant wallet key to access those funds.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Orders & Payments
Payment Methods
Wallet & Funds
Security & Privacy
Account

🎓 You're all set up — now optimize.

Learn how to configure spreads, optimize your settings, and maximize your fill rates with the Advanced Merchant Guide.

Read the Advanced Guide →

📱 Get the Peer App

Your buyers need this to complete payments. You need it to offramp for free.

Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play

⬡ Peer Pay

Need help? Reach out to @PeerConcierge on Telegram.

Business enquiries: sales@zkp2p.xyz