# Quickstart

Get from zero to a working crypto payment in about 10 minutes. You'll create a real BlockBee payment address, point it at a test webhook, and verify the integration end-to-end with a small Litecoin payment.

> **INFO: What you'll need**
>- A free BlockBee account ([register here](https://dash.blockbee.io/register)).
> - About $1 of Litecoin (LTC) in any wallet — used in step 4 to verify the webhook fires.
> - 10 minutes.


Already know which integration you want? Skip to [Choose your integration](/get-started/integrations).

## 1. Get an API key

1. [Sign up for a free BlockBee account](https://dash.blockbee.io/register).
2. Configure a Litecoin receiving address on the [Addresses page](https://dash.blockbee.io/profile/addresses). BlockBee forwards confirmed payments to this wallet.
3. Generate a key on the [API Keys page](https://dash.blockbee.io/profile/api-keys) and copy it.

![The BlockBee dashboard API Keys page](/assets/images/quickstart/api-keys-page.jpg)

*Generate and copy your API key from the dashboard*

```bash
export BLOCKBEE_KEY="your_api_key_here"
```

> **INFO**
>A V1 key is sufficient for this Quickstart. [V2 keys](/get-started/authentication) unlock the self-custodial wallet and payouts, covered later.


## 2. Create a payment address

Call the [Create payment address](/api/create-payment-address) endpoint to generate a fresh Litecoin address. Use a placeholder callback for now; you'll update it in step 3.

```bash
curl "https://api.blockbee.io/ltc/create/?callback=https://example.com/placeholder&apikey=$BLOCKBEE_KEY"
```

```javascript
const apikey = process.env.BLOCKBEE_KEY;
const url = `https://api.blockbee.io/ltc/create/?callback=https://example.com/placeholder&apikey=${apikey}`;

const res = await fetch(url);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);
```

```python
import os, requests

apikey = os.environ["BLOCKBEE_KEY"]
res = requests.get("https://api.blockbee.io/ltc/create/", params={
    "callback": "https://example.com/placeholder",
    "apikey": apikey,
})
print(res.json())
```

```php
<?php
$apikey = getenv('BLOCKBEE_KEY');
$query = http_build_query([
    'callback' => 'https://example.com/placeholder',
    'apikey' => $apikey,
]);
$res = file_get_contents("https://api.blockbee.io/ltc/create/?$query");
print_r(json_decode($res, true));
```

The response looks like this:

```json
{
  "status": "success",
  "address_in": "LWHJgvkXuNcJ7pCxQ8Pj2oYjGZxKxcz...",
  "address_out": "LZj9QTqMR8K5y4rCtV1cLrLwZP9Q...",
  "callback_url": "https://example.com/placeholder",
  "priority": "default"
}
```

`address_in` is the address your customer pays. `address_out` is the wallet you configured in step 1, where BlockBee forwards confirmed funds. Save `address_in` — you'll use it in step 4.

## 3. Set up a webhook receiver

When a payment arrives at `address_in`, BlockBee POSTs to your `callback` URL. For testing, use [webhook.site](https://webhook.site) — a free tool that provides a public URL and displays incoming requests in real time. No signup required, no server to run.

1. Open [webhook.site](https://webhook.site). Copy the unique URL it generates (e.g. `https://webhook.site/abc123...`).
2. Re-run the request from step 2 with that URL as your `callback`. You'll receive a new `address_in`.
3. Keep the webhook.site tab open — the callback will appear there in step 4.

![webhook.site landing with a unique URL](/assets/images/quickstart/webhook-site-url.png)

*webhook.site gives you a public URL the moment the page loads — no signup needed*

> **INFO**
>In production, your webhook endpoint must be publicly accessible over HTTPS, respond with `200` and the body `*ok*`, and verify the request signature. See the [Webhooks guide](/webhooks) for the full contract.


## 4. Send a test payment

Send a small amount of Litecoin (around $1, or about 0.005 LTC at recent prices) from any wallet to the `address_in` you generated in step 3.

> **WARNING: Stay above the minimum**
>Every cryptocurrency has a minimum transaction amount. Transactions below this minimum are **ignored, and the funds are lost**. Check the current LTC minimum on the [cryptocurrencies page](https://blockbee.io/cryptocurrencies) or via the [Service info endpoint](/api/get-service-info) before sending.


Litecoin blocks confirm every ~2.5 minutes, so the webhook will fire shortly after you send the payment. The payload looks like this:

```json
{
  "address_in": "LWHJgvkXuNcJ7pCxQ8Pj2oYjGZxKxcz...",
  "address_out": "LZj9QTqMR8K5y4rCtV1cLrLwZP9Q...",
  "txid_in": "f8e1d2...",
  "txid_out": "a3b9c4...",
  "confirmations": "1",
  "value": "500000",
  "value_coin": "0.005",
  "coin": "ltc",
  "result": "sent"
}
```

![webhook.site showing the incoming BlockBee callback](/assets/images/quickstart/webhook-received.png)

*The webhook lands on webhook.site with the full payment details*

BlockBee has confirmed the payment and forwarded it to your wallet. The integration is complete.

## What's next

Pick the integration that fits your product:

- **[Checkout Payments](/get-started/checkout-payments)** — hosted checkout page; BlockBee handles the UI.
- **[Custom Payment Flow](/get-started/custom-payment-flow)** — your UI on top of the BlockBee API.
- **[Subscriptions](/get-started/subscriptions)** — recurring billing with automatic retries on missed payments.
- **[Browse all integrations](/get-started/integrations)** — no-code plugins, hosted storefront, payment links, POS.

Then harden the integration:

- [Verify webhook signatures](/webhooks) before going to production.
- [Upgrade to API Key V2](/kb/tutorials/dashboard/how-to-upgrade-to-api-key-v2) to unlock the self-custodial wallet and payouts.
- Read the full [API reference](/api).

Stuck? Join us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/pQaJ32SGrR) or [contact support](https://blockbee.io/contacts/).