How to Pick a Bitcoin Checkout API
TL;DR
| Requirement | Best Fit | Core Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Non-custodial, direct-to-wallet, low friction | Blockonomics | No custody, simple API, 1% flat fee |
| Full self-hosting + zero fees + max privacy | BTCPay Server | You run the infra, no middlemen |
| Fiat settlement, enterprise compliance, banking rails | BitPay / Coinbase Commerce | Custodial, KYC, corporate features |
| Multi-coin payments + fiat conversion optional | CoinPayments / NowPayments | Custodial or semi-custodial trade-offs |
Why I Picked Blockonomics
- Self-custody — payments go directly to wallet addresses (xPub monitoring). No funds ever held by the processor.
- Low integration overhead — checkout widget + REST API for temporary orders.
- Predictable pricing — 1% fee, with a small free quota for early usage.
- Minimal KYC for basic receiving — fast onboarding, especially for small merchants.
- Plugins + ecosystem support — WooCommerce, simple docs, webhook callbacks, etc.
Blockonomics = “Stripe-like flow, but you keep the private keys.”
What Blockonomics Provides
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Direct-to-wallet (non-custodial) | Uses xPub to derive unique addresses per order. |
| Hosted or embedded checkout | Button, widget, or hosted payment page. |
| Order API | Create temporary products and listen for webhook confirmations. |
| Fees | ~1% merchant fee, free tier available. |
| KYC | Not required unless using fiat services or high-volume accounts. |
Why I Didn’t Choose the Other Options
BitPay
- Custodial flow, requires KYC.
- Optimized for businesses that want instant fiat settlement and enterprise tools.
- Great for corporate-level merchant services, not ideal for self-custody.
Coinbase Commerce
- Polished UI, multi-asset support, good if already inside Coinbase ecosystem.
- Comes with custodial assumptions and compliance pathways.
- Not a pure self-custody solution.
BTCPay Server
- Fully self-hosted, zero fees, maximum control and privacy.
- Requires infra, uptime, and security management.
- Perfect for dev-heavy teams, too heavy for simple “plug in a checkout API” use cases.
CoinPayments / NowPayments / Generic Multi-Coin Gateways
- Wide coin support, optional fiat conversion.
- Often custodial or semi-custodial, fee + KYC models vary.
- Useful when altcoin acceptance > self-custody priority.
Quick Decision Matrix
| Criterion | Blockonomics | BTCPay | BitPay | Coinbase | Multi-Coin Gateways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-custody | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ / partial |
| Hosted checkout UI | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Requires KYC | ❌ (basic usage) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | varies |
| Fiat settlement | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| API maturity | ✅ | Medium | ✅ | ✅ | varies |
| DevOps required | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Best for | Crypto-native merchants | Full-control users | Enterprise merchants | Coinbase ecosystem users | Altcoin-heavy businesses |
Caveats Before Choosing
Compare total fees — some gateways add fiat conversion fees, payout delays, or monthly plans.
Regulation matters — if you need banking rails, KYC is inevitable regardless of provider.
UX trade-off — hosted checkout = faster integration, self-hosted = full control.
Final Thoughts
Blockonomics sits in the “just enough features, zero custody” sweet spot.
It gives you:
- Self-custody of funds
- A predictable and low fee model
- A simple developer API + checkout widget
- No forced KYC to start accepting Bitcoin
It’s not the most feature-rich or enterprise-heavy option — but for small and medium merchants who want direct-to-wallet payments with minimal overhead, it’s a well-designed and practical choice.
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