Payment guide · 3 min read

How to pay with Bitcoin.

You don’t need to be a crypto expert. If you’ve ever used Cash App, Wealthsimple, or Newton, you can pay a Lumera order in under 3 minutes. Here’s exactly what to do.

The TL;DR

You’ll be sent to a checkout page run by BTCPay Server — the open-source payment processor we use. It shows a QR code and a wallet address. You scan or paste, send the exact amount from your wallet, and your order is confirmed within minutes. We accept three options on the same page:

  • Bitcoin Lightning — fastest, lowest fee. Settles in 1–5 seconds. Recommended if you’ve ever used Strike, Cash App, or any modern bitcoin wallet.
  • Bitcoin on-chain — classic bitcoin. Takes 10–60 minutes to confirm. Higher fees but works from every wallet.
  • Monero (XMR) — private bitcoin alternative. Settles in ~2 minutes. Pick this if you care about transaction privacy.

USDT (stablecoin) is also accepted on Tron and Ethereum networks if you don’t want price volatility.

Step 1 — If you don’t already have crypto

Canadian buyers can buy Bitcoin from a regulated exchange. The fastest, lowest-friction options:

  • Shakepay (shakepay.com) — Canadian, no buy/sell fees, Interac e-Transfer deposits clear in minutes. Most popular pick.
  • Newton (newton.co) — Canadian, low spreads, fast verification.
  • Wealthsimple Crypto — if you already have a Wealthsimple account, you can buy BTC in the same app.
  • Strike (strike.me) — great for Lightning specifically. Buy and pay in one app.

Sign-up takes ~5 minutes (driver’s licence + selfie for KYC). Fund with an Interac e-Transfer from your bank. Buy slightly more than your Lumera order total to cover network fees (roughly $0.50–$2 on Lightning, $1–$5 on-chain).

Step 2 — Place your Lumera order

  1. Add products to cart on our catalog.
  2. Click Checkout, fill in shipping details.
  3. Payment method is Bitcoin / Monero / USDT (BTCPay) — the only option right now.
  4. Click Place order. You’ll be redirected to BTCPay’s payment page.

Step 3 — Pay on the BTCPay page

You’ll see a page with a big QR code and a payment amount in your chosen currency (e.g. “Pay 0.000312 BTC”). On the right is a “Pay with Lightning / On-chain / Monero / USDT” selector.

  1. Pick your payment method (we recommend Lightning for sub-$500 orders — it’s instant and almost free).
  2. In your wallet app: hit Send or Scan QR, point your phone camera at the QR code on the BTCPay page. The amount auto-fills.
  3. Confirm in your wallet.
  4. Wait 1–5 seconds for Lightning, 10–30 minutes for on-chain BTC, ~2 minutes for Monero.
  5. BTCPay’s page will update to “Payment received” automatically. You’ll then be redirected back to a Lumera order-confirmation page with your order number.

When does Lumera ship?

The instant BTCPay confirms your payment, your order moves to processing in our system. You’ll get an email confirmation and a tracking number within the same business day (or next business day for orders placed after 5 pm ET).

Common questions

Is this anonymous?

Bitcoin on-chain is pseudonymous — transactions are visible on the blockchain but tied to addresses, not identities. Lightning is more private (off-chain). Monero is the most private (cryptographically untraceable). We don’t share any payment data with third parties; BTCPay self-hosts your invoice.

What if I send the wrong amount?

BTCPay tolerates small rounding differences automatically. If you underpay significantly, the invoice expires and you can retry. Significant overpayments are reviewed case-by-case — email lumeralabs@proton.me with the BTCPay invoice URL if you’re unsure.

What if my payment doesn’t show up?

Bitcoin on-chain payments need 1 network confirmation before BTCPay marks them paid — this typically takes 10–30 minutes. Lightning is instant. If 90 minutes pass and your order is still pending, email us the BTCPay invoice URL (it looks like btcpay0.voltageapp.io/i/XXXXX) and we’ll trace it.

Can I pay with regular money?

Yes — Lumera Labs accepts Interac e-Transfer from any major Canadian bank account at checkout. Funds typically confirm in 5–30 minutes and dispatch begins same business day. We do not accept credit or debit cards because mainstream merchant acquirers restrict research chemicals as a category.

Why do you accept crypto?

Lower fees (no 3% Visa cut), zero chargeback fraud, and faster international settlement — which means we can pass the savings on to researchers. We also believe paying for your own laboratory reagents shouldn’t require banking-system permission slips.

Need help?

If anything goes wrong, email lumeralabs@proton.me or message us on Telegram at @lumeralabs. We respond within 1 business hour. Include your order number (LM-XXXX) and the BTCPay invoice URL if you have one.

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