Pay Lightning Invoice

Overview

Payment receivers generate a Lightning invoice. You can pay a valid invoice by providing the invoice string and optional parameters such as fee limits and additional metadata. Payments route over the Lightning Network and typically settle (or fail) immediately.

📘
Note
Currently, BitGo limits individual Lightning transactions to a value of $500 USD or less.

Prerequisites

Get Started.
Set Up Go Account.
Sign a Lightning license (custodyLightningWallet for custody wallets and custodyGoLightning for Go Lighting) for your enterprise by contacting [email protected].
Fund Go Account (ofcbtc / ofctbtc), is using Go Lightning.

Recipe

Need just the steps? Expand the recipe below to get started:

1. Pay Invoice

Endpoint: Lightning - Pay a Lightning Invoice

export BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST="<YOUR_LOCALHOST>"
export COIN="tlnbtc"
export WALLET_ID="<YOUR_WALLET_ID>"
export ACCESS_TOKEN="<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
export ADDRESS="<DESTINATION_ADDRESS>"
export AMOUNT="<AMOUNT_IN_BASE_UNITS>"
export WALLET_PASSPHRASE="<YOUR_WALLET_PASSPHRASE>"

curl -X POST \
  https://$BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST/api/v2/$COIN/wallet/$WALLET_ID/lightning/payment \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "invoice": string,                       # Encoded payment request (required)
    "passphrase": "'"$WALLET_PASSPHRASE"'",  # Wallet passphrase (required)
    "amountMsat": string,     # Amount to pay in millisatoshis (optional, required for zero-amount invoices)
    "feeLimitMsat": string,   # Maximum fee to pay in millisatoshis
    "feeLimitRatio": number,  # Maximum fee expressed as a ratio of the payment amount
    "sequenceId": string,     # Custom identifier for tracking the payment
    "comment": string         # Additional note or comment for internal reference
}'

  const { BitGo } = require('bitgo');
  const { getLightningWallet } = require('@bitgo/abstract-lightning');
  const accessToken = '<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>';

  // Initialize the SDK
  const bitgo = new BitGo({
    accessToken: accessToken,
    env: 'test',
    customRootURI: 'https://app.bitgo-test.com',
  });

  // Enter your Lightning wallet
  const walletId = '<YOUR_WALLET_ID>'
  const existingWallet = await bitgo.coin('tlnbtc').wallets().get({ id: walletId });
  const lightningWallet = getLightningWallet(existingWallet);

  const payInvoice = await lightningWallet.payInvoice({
    invoice: 'lnbtc...',
    passphrase: 'your wallet passphrase',
  });
  console.dir(payInvoice);

Step Result

{
    "txRequestId": string,
    "txRequestState": delivered,
    "paymentStatus": {
      "status": pending,
      "paymentHash": string,
      "paymentPreimage": string,
      "amountMsat": string,
      "feeMsat": string,
      "failureReason": string
    },
    "transfer": {
      "id": string,
      "coin": string,
      "wallet": string,
      "walletType": string,
      "enterprise": string,
      "organization": string,
      "txid": string,
      "state": string,
      "type": string,
      "value": number,
      "valueString": string,
      "coinSpecific": {
        "isOffchain": boolean,
        "invoice": string
      }
    }
}

The simple flow for Go Lightning wallets enables you to build, sign, and send a Lightning payment in one call using BitGo Express (/sendcoins). If you require more granular control, see the Go Lightning (Manual) tab.

1. Pay Invoice

Build, sign, and send the Lightning payment in one call using your Go Account wallet passphrase.

Endpoint: Send Transaction

export BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST="<YOUR_LOCAL_HOST>"
export COIN="ofctbtc"
export WALLET_ID="<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_WALLET_ID>"
export ACCESS_TOKEN="<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
export WALLET_PASSPHRASE="<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_PASSPHRASE>"
export INVOICE="<LIGHTNING_INVOICE_STRING>"
export AMOUNT="<AMOUNT_IN_SATOSHIS>"

curl -X POST \
  http://$BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST/api/v2/$COIN/wallet/$WALLET_ID/sendcoins \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "address": "'"$INVOICE"'",
    "amount": "'"$AMOUNT"'",
    "walletPassphrase": "'"$WALLET_PASSPHRASE"'"
}'

const wallet = await bitgo.coin('ofctbtc').wallets().get({ id: walletId });

const result = await wallet.send({
  address: 'lntbs1...', // Lightning invoice string
  amount: 1000,         // Amount in satoshis
  walletPassphrase: '<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_PASSPHRASE>',
});
console.dir(result);

Step Result

{
  "transfer": {
    "id": "<TRANSFER_ID>",
    "coin": "ofctbtc",
    "wallet": "<WALLET_ID>",
    "walletType": "trading",
    "enterprise": "<ENTERPRISE_ID>",
    "txid": "<TRANSACTION_ID>",
    "date": "2026-04-09T12:00:01.000Z",
    "type": "send",
    "valueString": "-1000",
    "feeString": "0",
    "state": "signed"
  },
  "txid": "<TRANSACTION_ID>",
  "status": "signed"
}

1. Build Transaction

Build a transaction from your Go Account with the Lightning invoice as the recipient address. Pass the Lightning invoice string as the recipient address and the amount in satoshis.

Endpoint: Build a Transaction

export COIN="ofctbtc"
export WALLET_ID="<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_WALLET_ID>"
export ACCESS_TOKEN="<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
export INVOICE="<LIGHTNING_INVOICE_STRING>"
export AMOUNT="<AMOUNT_IN_SATOSHIS>"

curl -X POST \
  https://app.bitgo-test.com/api/v2/$COIN/wallet/$WALLET_ID/tx/build \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "recipients": [
      {
        "amount": "'"$AMOUNT"'",
        "address": "'"$INVOICE"'"
      }
    ]
}'

const wallet = await bitgo.coin('ofctbtc').wallets().get({ id: walletId });

const buildResult = await wallet.prebuildTransaction({
  recipients: [
    {
      amount: 1000,
      address: 'lntbs1...', // Lightning invoice string
    },
  ],
});
console.dir(buildResult);

Step Result

{
  "payload": "{\"coin\":\"ofctbtc\",\"recipients\":[{\"address\":\"lntbs1...\",\"amount\":\"1000\"}],\"fromAccount\":\"<WALLET_ID>\",\"nonce\":\"<NONCE>\",\"timestamp\":\"2026-04-09T12:00:00.000Z\",\"feeString\":\"0\"}",
  "feeInfo": { "feeString": "0" },
  "coin": "ofc",
  "token": "ofctbtc"
}

2. Authenticate Transaction

Use your Go Account passphrase to authenticate the transaction. To ensure your passphrase isn't passed over the Internet, you must use ether the JavaScript SDK or BitGo Express in external-signing mode.

export BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST="<YOUR_LOCAL_HOST>"
export ACCESS_TOKEN="<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
export WALLET_ID="<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_WALLET_ID>"
export WALLET_PASSPHRASE="<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_PASSPHRASE>"

curl -X POST \
  http://$BITGO_EXPRESS_HOST/api/v2/ofc/signPayload \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
   "walletId": "'"$WALLET_ID"'",
   "walletPassphrase": "'"$WALLET_PASSPHRASE"'",
   "payload": "<PAYLOAD_FROM_BUILD_STEP>"
}'

const tradingAccount = wallet.toTradingAccount();
const signature = await tradingAccount.signPayload({
  payload: JSON.stringify(buildResult.payload),
  walletPassphrase: '<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_PASSPHRASE>',
});
console.dir(signature);

Step Result

{
  "coin": "ofctbtc",
  "recipients": [
    {
      "address": "lntbs1...",
      "amount": "1000"
    }
  ],
  "fromAccount": "<WALLET_ID>",
  "nonce": "<NONCE>",
  "timestamp": "2026-04-09T12:00:00.000Z",
  "feeString": "0",
  "payload": "<SIGNED_PAYLOAD>",
  "signature": "<SIGNATURE>"
}

3. Send Transaction

Endpoint: Send Half-Signed Transaction

export COIN="ofctbtc"
export WALLET_ID="<YOUR_GO_ACCOUNT_WALLET_ID>"
export ACCESS_TOKEN="<YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>"

curl -X POST \
  https://app.bitgo-test.com/api/v2/$COIN/wallet/$WALLET_ID/tx/send \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "halfSigned": {
      "coin": "ofctbtc",
      "recipients": [
        {
          "address": "lntbs1...",
          "amount": "1000"
        }
      ],
      "fromAccount": "<WALLET_ID>",
      "nonce": "<NONCE>",
      "timestamp": "2026-04-09T12:00:00.000Z",
      "feeString": "0",
      "payload": "<SIGNED_PAYLOAD>",
      "signature": "<SIGNATURE>"
    }
  }'

Step Result

{
  "transfer": {
    "id": "<TRANSFER_ID>",
    "coin": "ofctbtc",
    "wallet": "<WALLET_ID>",
    "walletType": "trading",
    "enterprise": "<ENTERPRISE_ID>",
    "txid": "<TRANSACTION_ID>",
    "date": "2026-04-09T12:00:01.000Z",
    "type": "send",
    "valueString": "-1000",
    "feeString": "0",
    "state": "signed"
  },
  "txid": "<TRANSACTION_ID>",
  "status": "signed"
}

Overview

Note

Prerequisites

Recipe

1. Pay Invoice

Step Result

1. Pay Invoice

Step Result

1. Build Transaction

Step Result

2. Authenticate Transaction

Step Result

3. Send Transaction

Step Result

See Also