Receiving Zaps
Zapf makes it effortless to receive Lightning payments directly to your own wallet using Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC).
Because Zapf is non-custodial-first, the Identity Authority (IA) never holds your funds if you have properly configured a receiving wallet.
What is NWC (NIP-47)?
Nostr Wallet Connect is an open protocol that allows your Nostr client (or a service like Zapf) to securely communicate with a remote Lightning wallet. Instead of manually generating invoices, you provide Zapf with an encrypted NWC connection string.
When someone attempts to zap your Discord or X account, the Zapf backend uses this NWC connection to quietly request an invoice from your wallet, hands that invoice to the sender, and the funds settle directly to your node.
Setting Up Your Wallet
To receive zaps non-custodially, you must connect a compatible NWC wallet to your Zapf profile.
- Log in to Zapf: Go to the
zapf.appdashboard and authenticate with your preferred Nostr extension (or generate a local key). - Navigate to the Wallet Tab: Find the "Wallet" or "Connections" section.
- Generate an NWC String: Inside your lightning wallet app (e.g., Alby, Mutiny, Zeus, Strike), find the "NWC" or "Nostr Wallet Connect" settings. Generate a new connection pairing secret.
- Security Note: When generating the NWC string in your wallet, configure it with Receive Only or Make Invoice permissions. Zapf does not need permission to spend your funds.
- Paste the String: Enter the resulting
nostr+walletconnect://...string into the Zapf dashboard.
Custodial Mode (Fallback Address)
If you have not connected an NWC wallet, or if your node happens to be offline when a zap arrives, the payment doesn't fail.
Zapf automatically routes the payment to the Fallback Address. The IA will hold the funds in escrow, generate a custodial Kind 5521 Zap Receipt, and notify you (e.g., via Discord DM or Email) that you have funds waiting to be claimed.
To retrieve these funds, you will need to execute the Claiming Flow.