# Getting started with AIPAY

AIPAY is a non-custodial, multi-chain crypto wallet and merchant payment gateway that runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored on an AIPAY server: there is no account and no login, only a wallet that lives on your device.

This guide covers the real, currently available path: create a wallet, receive funds, send funds, and check that a payment arrived. It takes about five minutes.

**Before you start:** AIPAY handles real assets on public blockchains. A transaction sent on the wrong chain cannot be undone. Read [chains.md](chains.md) before moving funds for the first time.

## 1. Open the app

- Visit **https://aipay.im**. You will land on the English UI at `/en/` (or `/zh/` for Simplified Chinese).
- Optional but recommended: install it as a PWA (Progressive Web App) so it opens full-screen and works offline.
  - **Android (Chrome):** tap the install prompt, or menu → *Add to Home screen*.
  - **iOS (Safari):** Share → *Add to Home Screen*.
  - **Desktop (Chrome/Edge):** the install icon in the address bar.
  - AIPAY also shows an install banner on user pages when the app is not yet installed.

## 2. Create a wallet

1. Go to **https://aipay.im/en/create-wallet**.
2. Enter a wallet **name** (just a label for this device) and a **local wallet password** of at least 10 characters. Confirm it.
3. AIPAY generates a **12-word recovery phrase** and shows it on screen.
4. **Write the 12 words down in order, on paper, offline.** This phrase is the wallet. Anyone who has it owns the funds. Nobody — not AIPAY, not any support desk — can recover it if it is lost.
5. Confirm you have saved it, and you are done. The wallet is now unlocked on this device.

You will need the local wallet password whenever you sign a transaction, unlock after a reload, or use biometric unlock. It is never stored, so a forgotten password can only be reset by re-importing the recovery phrase.

> Already have a wallet? Go to **https://aipay.im/en/import-wallet** and enter your recovery phrase instead. See [wallets.md](wallets.md) for the full model, and [backup.md](backup.md) if you have an encrypted AIPAY backup file or a CryptoKey `.ckx` file / PNG.

## 3. Receive funds

1. Open **https://aipay.im/en/receive**.
2. Pick the chain you want to be paid on (for example *Ethereum*, *BNB Chain*, *Polygon*, *Base* or *Solana*).
3. AIPAY shows the address for that chain and a QR code.
4. Share the address or QR code with the sender, or scan the QR code from your own device.

**Critical:** the sender must send on the same chain you selected. Two EVM chains share the same `0x` address, but coins sent over the wrong network can be lost. Read [chains.md](chains.md).

Your address is derived from the recovery phrase, so it is stable. You can receive many times to the same address.

## 4. Send funds

1. Open **https://aipay.im/en/send**.
2. Choose the chain, then the asset (native coin or a token).
3. Enter the recipient address and the amount. AIPAY detects the address type and suggests a matching chain.
4. Review the fee estimate, then confirm and enter your **local wallet password** to sign.
5. The transaction is signed locally and broadcast directly to the chain's public RPC endpoint. AIPAY does not submit anything through its own servers.

AIPAY checks your balance before you sign, so an obviously unaffordable payment is stopped with an `insufficient balance` message rather than a failed transaction.

## 5. Check that a payment arrived

- Open **https://aipay.im/en/history** to see local and on-chain activity.
- On the **Receive** page you can also scan or paste a transaction hash to verify a specific payment.
- For merchants: from a POS sale or payment link, the **Orders** page tracks each order and confirms it automatically once the payment is seen on-chain. See [merchant.md](merchant.md).

## 6. Protect the wallet

| Risk | What to do |
|---|---|
| Phone lost, stolen or wiped | Restore the recovery phrase on another device — or [restore an encrypted backup](backup.md). |
| Browser data cleared | Same as above. Clearing site data deletes the local wallet copy. |
| Phrase photographed / in cloud notes | Rewrite it on paper; delete any digital copy. |
| Weak local password | Use at least 10 characters; it protects the stored phrase on this device. |
| Not sure what a feature does | Open **Settings → Local Backup** and take a backup *before* experimenting. |

## What is not available yet

Be aware of these when reading marketing or third-party material about AIPAY:

- **MSG / MSGChain**: implemented but disabled. No MSG addresses, balances or payments are shown.
- **Buy crypto with a card (fiat on-ramp)**: disabled.
- **NFT gallery**: disabled.
- **EVM token swaps**: disabled (Solana swaps work).
- **Merchant payouts on MSGChain**: not open.

The authoritative list with config files is in [../llms.txt](../llms.txt).