Solana Pay

Solana Pay is ALIAS's QR code-based payment method, perfect for mobile wallet users and situations where you want to pay from a different device than the one you're browsing on.

What is Solana Pay?

Solana Pay is a standard QR code payment specification used across the Solana ecosystem.

Simple explanation: Think of Solana Pay like scanning a QR code at a coffee shop to pay. Your phone's wallet app scans the code, shows you the payment details, you approve, and the payment is complete.

How it works: ALIAS generates a special QR code containing payment information (amount, recipient, token). You scan this code with your mobile wallet, which decodes the payment request and asks you to approve. Once approved, your wallet sends the transaction to Solana.

Why QR codes? QR codes let you pay from any device, not just the one you're browsing on. This is essential for mobile users and convenient for desktop users with mobile wallets.

How Solana Pay Works (Step-by-Step)

Understanding the flow helps you know what to expect.

Step 1: Select amount and payment method You choose your desired card amount and select "Solana Pay" as your payment method.

Step 2: QR code displays ALIAS generates a unique payment QR code and displays it on screen. This code is specific to your transaction.

Step 3: Open your wallet app Grab your phone and open your Solana wallet app (Phantom, Solflare, Ultimate, etc.).

Step 4: Scan the QR code Use your wallet's "Scan QR" or "Solana Pay" feature to scan the code on your screen.

Step 5: Review payment details Your wallet shows the payment amount, token, and recipient. Verify these match what you selected in ALIAS.

Step 6: Approve transaction Tap "Approve" or "Send" in your wallet app. Your phone signs and submits the transaction to Solana.

Step 7: Browser detects payment ALIAS website automatically detects your payment on the blockchain and updates the screen.

Step 8: Card created Your virtual card is created and displayed in the dashboard.

Total time: 2-5 seconds (depends on how fast you scan the QR code).

Benefits of Solana Pay

Mobile Optimized: Built specifically for mobile wallet apps and phone-based transactions.

Cross-Device Support: Browse on desktop, pay from mobile—no need for browser extensions.

Universal Standard: Works with every Solana wallet that supports QR scanning.

No Extension Required: Don't need to install browser extensions to make payments.

Maximum Compatibility: Supported by more wallets than any other payment method.

Familiar Experience: Same QR code flow used by thousands of Solana apps and services.

Best For Mobile Users

Solana Pay is ideal when you're using a mobile wallet or want to pay from your phone.

Perfect for:

• Mobile-first users who keep crypto on their phones
• Paying from phone while browsing on desktop
• Wallets without browser extension support
• When you want maximum wallet compatibility
• Situations where you can't install browser extensions (work computers, shared devices)

Why mobile is better for Solana Pay: Mobile wallet apps have native QR scanning built in. Desktop requires showing a QR code on screen, which adds an extra step compared to x402's one-click flow.

Most users keep their crypto on mobile devices for convenience and accessibility.

Can you use Solana Pay on desktop? Yes, but it's less convenient. You'd still need your phone to scan the QR code displayed on your desktop screen.

Supported Wallets

Solana Pay works with virtually every Solana wallet.

Popular mobile wallets:

• Phantom: Excellent Solana Pay support, most widely used
• Solflare: Feature-rich wallet with great QR scanning
• Ultimate: Mobile-focused wallet with clean interface
• Glow: Privacy-oriented mobile option
• Backpack: Modern wallet with smooth Solana Pay integration

Desktop wallets with QR support:

• Phantom (can scan from phone while using desktop app)
• Solflare (cross-device payment support)

How to set up:

1. Download wallet app from official app store (iOS App Store or Google Play)
2. Create wallet or import existing one
3. Fund with SOL (for gas fees) and USDC/other tokens (for card purchases)
4. Look for "Scan QR" or "Solana Pay" feature in wallet menu

All wallets work identically: The Solana Pay experience is standardized across wallets. Choose based on features, security, and personal preference.

QR Code Scanning Tips

Getting smooth QR scans every time.

For best results:

• Maximize browser window so QR code is larger
• Increase screen brightness for better contrast
• Position phone camera 6-12 inches from screen
• Hold phone steady and wait for automatic recognition
• Ensure good lighting—avoid glare or shadows

If QR won't scan:

• Move phone closer or farther from screen
• Angle screen to reduce glare
• Clean phone camera lens
• Try landscape orientation on phone for larger viewfinder
• Ensure wallet app has camera permissions enabled

QR code timeout: Payment QR codes expire after 10 minutes for security. If the code expires, simply click "Generate New Code" to create a fresh one.

Session Management

Solana Pay uses temporary sessions to track payments.

How sessions work:

When you click "Create Card" with Solana Pay, ALIAS creates a temporary session in its database.

This session contains payment details (amount, token, recipient) and a unique session ID.

The QR code encodes this session ID and payment information.

When you scan and pay, ALIAS matches your transaction to the session.

Once matched, the session is used to create your card and then expires.

Why sessions matter: Sessions ensure your payment is matched to the correct card creation request. Without sessions, ALIAS wouldn't know which browser tab to send card details to.

Session timeout: Sessions expire after 15 minutes of inactivity. If your QR code expires, simply refresh and create a new session.

Transaction Verification

Just like x402, Solana Pay transactions are fully verified on the blockchain.

What gets verified:

Transaction exists: Payment was actually submitted to Solana

Transaction confirmed: Must be blockchain-confirmed, not just pending

Correct amount: Paid exactly what was requested

Correct recipient: Payment went to ALIAS treasury address

Correct token: Used the token you selected

Matches session: Transaction linked to your active session

Not reused: Transaction hasn't been used for another card

Verification speed: Solana confirmation: 400-800 milliseconds ALIAS verification: 200-500 milliseconds Total: Under 1.5 seconds from approval to verification

Common Issues & Solutions

QR code won't scan

Possible causes:

• Screen brightness too low
• Glare on screen
• Phone camera dirty or blocked
• QR code too small
• Camera permissions not granted

Solutions:

• Increase screen brightness to maximum
• Adjust viewing angle to reduce glare
• Clean phone camera lens
• Maximize browser window for larger QR code
• Enable camera permissions in wallet app settings

Payment sent but card not created

Possible causes:

• Session expired before payment confirmed
• Network delay between payment and detection
• Paid to wrong address (rare—QR codes prevent this)

Solutions:

• Wait 10 seconds and refresh page
• Check dashboard for new card
• Verify transaction on Solana explorer
• Contact support with transaction signature if card doesn't appear after 1 minute

QR code expired

Message: "This payment session has expired"

What happened: QR codes timeout after 10-15 minutes for security

Solution: Click "Generate New Code" or restart the checkout process

Wrong amount charged

Possible causes:

• Selected wrong amount before generating QR
• Scanned incorrect QR code (if multiple tabs open)

Solutions:

• Always verify amount in wallet before approving
• Close other ALIAS tabs to avoid confusion
• Contact support if discrepancy occurred

Troubleshooting Tips

Before starting:

• Ensure phone wallet is funded with SOL for gas fees
• Fund wallet with payment token (USDC, SOL, etc.)
• Enable camera permissions for wallet app
• Update wallet app to latest version
• Close unnecessary browser tabs

During checkout:

• Keep browser window open while scanning QR
• Don't refresh page after scanning until payment confirms
• Wait for confirmation before closing browser or app
• Save card details immediately after creation

If something goes wrong:

• Refresh page to generate new QR code
• Check wallet transaction history on phone
• Look up transaction on Solana blockchain explorer
• Verify you scanned the correct QR code
• Contact support with transaction signature

Mobile Wallet Best Practices

Security:

• Set strong passcode/biometric lock on phone
• Never share seed phrase or private keys
• Only download wallets from official app stores
• Keep wallet app updated

Convenience:

• Save ALIAS website to phone home screen for quick access
• Keep wallet app easily accessible
• Maintain small SOL balance for gas fees
• Use Face ID or fingerprint for faster approvals

Privacy:

• Consider separate wallet for privacy-sensitive purchases
• Use privacy protocol for untraceable card creation
• Don't reuse addresses if privacy is critical

Comparison with x402

Both methods create cards equally fast once you approve payment.

Use Solana Pay when:

• You're using a mobile wallet
• Browsing on desktop but wallet is on phone
• You don't have browser wallet extension
• You prefer mobile-first experience
• Your wallet doesn't support browser extensions

Use x402 when:

• You're on desktop with wallet extension
• You want one-click checkout
• You prefer browser-based flow
• You have desktop wallet ready

Next Steps

Learn more about ALIAS payment methods:

• x402 Protocol - Browser-based direct payment
• Payment Methods Overview - Compare both options
• Creating Cards - Step-by-step guide
• Quick Start - Get started in 5 minutes