CardsRelay now accepts Bitcoin Lightning: buy gift cards with sats

Bitcoin used to mean waiting for a block at our checkout. With Lightning, you pay to a Lightning invoice and the order goes through once the payment settles.

Why Bitcoin Lightning matters

The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a network of payment channels built on top of Bitcoin. Payments move between channels instead of waiting to be written into a block, and they cost very little.

That changes what Bitcoin is good for at a checkout. An on-chain BTC order on CardsRelay waits for one confirmation, and most confirm within 10 to 30 minutes. That is fine for a large purchase. It is a long wait for a Steam top up or a phone credit.

With Lightning, you can buy gift cards with Bitcoin at everyday amounts without that wait. You spend real BTC, in sats, with no token or wrapped coin in between.

How to pay with Lightning on CardsRelay

1. Choose a card. Pick a brand and an amount from the gift card catalogue, or a mobile top-up.
2. Enter your email. That is the only detail we ask for. The code goes there.
3. Choose Bitcoin Lightning at checkout. CardsRelay shows you a Lightning invoice and the amount to send. You have 30 minutes to pay.
4. Send the payment. Scan or paste the Lightning invoice into your Lightning wallet, send the exact amount shown and confirm.
5. Your code arrives. Once the payment settles, the code is emailed to you. Redeem it on the brand's site or app.

Lightning vs Dash InstantSend

CardsRelay now has two ways to pay that skip the wait for a block: Bitcoin Lightning and Dash InstantSend. They work in very different ways.

Bitcoin Lightning

• What it is: a second network on top of Bitcoin. Payments travel through payment channels between Lightning nodes.
• How it pays: you send sats to the Lightning invoice shown at checkout. The payment either completes in full or fails in full, so nothing is left half sent.
• What your wallet needs: a wallet that supports Lightning, with enough balance in its channels to send the amount.
• Limits on CardsRelay: 0.0001 BTC (10,000 sats) to 0.01 BTC per order.
• Speed on CardsRelay: no wait for a block. We are still measuring typical times from payment to email.

Dash InstantSend

• What it is: a feature of Dash itself. A quorum of masternodes locks each payment as soon as it reaches the network.
• How it pays: you send DASH to an address, like any normal transaction. Every valid Dash payment is locked by default, with no extra fee.
• What your wallet needs: any Dash wallet. There is no setting to turn on.
• Speed on CardsRelay: the code usually arrives 1 to 3 seconds after you pay.

Which to use comes down to what you hold. If your savings are in BTC and your wallet has Lightning, pay with Lightning. If you hold DASH, InstantSend works from any Dash wallet, with nothing to set up.

How fast is a Lightning payment?

There is no block to wait for. The order is released once your Lightning payment settles, and the code is emailed to you.

Lightning is new on CardsRelay, so we are still measuring how long orders take from payment to email, and working on anything that slows them down. We will add typical times to this post once we have them.

Two things can add time on your side. Your wallet may need to try more than one route through the network before the payment goes through, which most wallets do on their own. And your mail provider can hold an email for a moment, so check spam if the code is not there.

Buy gift cards with Bitcoin Lightning: every card in the catalogue

Lightning works on every product on CardsRelay: 5,000+ gift cards and mobile top-ups from 2,200+ brands. A few that suit everyday amounts:

• Amazon, USD 5 to 1,000 and GBP 1 to 1,500. For the Amazon store of the card's country, in 21 countries.
• Steam, USD 5 to 200 and EUR 5 to 100. Loads into a Steam wallet in the matching region, in 27 countries.
• Uber, USD 10 to 500 and GBP 15 to 150. For rides and Uber Eats, in 26 countries.
• DoorDash, USD 1 to 2,000 and AUD 25 to 500. For DoorDash in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• Netflix, USD 15 to 100 and EUR 25 to 150. Adds credit to a Netflix account, in 10 countries.

Lightning also suits mobile top-ups: 700+ operators in 130+ countries, at the small amounts phone credit usually comes in. See how to top up a phone with Bitcoin.

Lightning limits: minimum and maximum

• Minimum order: 0.0001 BTC (10,000 sats).
• Maximum order: 0.01 BTC.

For an order above 0.01 BTC, choose on-chain Bitcoin at checkout. The code arrives after one confirmation. Our guide to buying gift cards with Bitcoin covers that route. Dash, Monero, Zano and the other accepted coins work for larger orders too.

Things to know before you buy

• Redemption region: each card works only in its own country or region. Pick the card for the country your account is in.
• You have 30 minutes to pay. Send the exact amount shown before the checkout timer runs out.
• Lightning wallet needed: an on-chain only wallet cannot pay a Lightning invoice. Choose Bitcoin at checkout instead.
• Single use: each code is redeemed once. Match the card amount to what you plan to spend.
• No refunds once a code is revealed.
• Just an email: CardsRelay asks only for an email address. Some stores may ask for ID when you spend a card in person.

FAQ

Does CardsRelay accept Bitcoin Lightning?

Yes. Since 3 November 2026, Bitcoin Lightning is a checkout option on every gift card and mobile top-up on CardsRelay, 5,000+ products from 2,200+ brands.

How fast is a Lightning payment on CardsRelay?

There is no wait for a Bitcoin block: the code is emailed once the Lightning payment settles. Lightning is new on CardsRelay, so we are still measuring typical times and will add them here.

What are the limits for Lightning payments?

The minimum Lightning order is 0.0001 BTC (10,000 sats) and the maximum is 0.01 BTC. For a larger order, pay with on-chain Bitcoin or another coin.

What is the difference between Lightning and Dash InstantSend?

Lightning is a payment network built on top of Bitcoin, paid to a Lightning invoice from a Lightning wallet. InstantSend is built into Dash itself and locks every normal Dash payment within seconds. Neither waits for a block.

Can I pay a Lightning invoice from an on-chain Bitcoin wallet?

No. You need a wallet that supports Lightning. If your wallet only sends on-chain, choose Bitcoin at checkout instead, and the code arrives after one confirmation.

What happens if my Lightning payment fails?

A Lightning payment either completes in full or fails in full, so a failed payment does not leave coins half sent. Try again from your wallet before the checkout timer runs out.

What do I need to buy a card?

An email address and a Lightning wallet. CardsRelay asks only for an email address. Some stores may ask for ID when you spend a card in person.

Spend your sats

Open your Lightning wallet, pick a card and send your sats. Browse the gift card catalogue, or see how CardsRelay works.