<h2>Bitcoin Blockchain</h2>
<p>Many Bitcoin wallets allow you to generate an invoice in the form of a QR code, which is a 2D barcode. This can contain a receiving address, an amount and a message.</p>
<p>How the invoicer gets the QR code to the invoicee is outside the Bitcoin network itself. Originally it seemed to be intended that the invoicee would use their phone to scan the QR-code from the invoicer's device. But I guess many other methods are available.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/S7RTW.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/S7RTW.jpg" alt="Bitcoin QR-Code" /></a><br />
<sup><a href="https://www.qr-code-generator.com/blog/how-to-use-bitcoin-with-qr-code/#Why-is-using-bitcoin-with-QR-Codes-a-good-idea?" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a> -- but warning! do not use QR_code generator websites -- some are malicious.</sup></p>
<p>Note that a wallet typically has many addresses, one per transaction. Some people make a good case that it would have been better to use a name like &quot;invoice reference&quot; instead of &quot;address&quot; for the data item called a Bitcoin address. - but its too late to make that sort of change.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Bitcoin Lightning</h2>
<p>Question was tagged LN but invoicing in LN is a separate issue. For example, see</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/suredbits/lightning-101-what-is-a-lightning-invoice-d527db1a77e6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lightning 101: What is a Lightning Invoice?</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>This can contain information such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>When the invoice was created which is useful to see how old an invoice is</li>
<li>The ID of the node that is receiving the payment</li>
<li>When the invoice expires. Unlike bitcoin addresses, Lightning network invoices can expire</li>
<li>A description of this invoice. In our example, the description embedded in the invoice is “suredbits demo invoice”.</li>
<li>A backup bitcoin address. If the payment fails over the Lightning network, you can fallback to a regular bitcoin transaction.</li>
<li>A route to make the payment. Remember, the Lightning Network is different than a blockchain in the sense that you need to find a route to make a payment. The receiver of a payment can suggest a route for you to use to make the payment.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<h2>Exchanges / Custodial Wallets</h2>
<p>Invoices between two customers of a trusted third-party money-holder is typically conducted outside the Bitcoin or Lighting networks. How this works is completely dependent on the specific proprietary services offered by the trusted third party.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-29T14:10:22.217Z
Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.
ddesai
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-29T13:14:15.947Z
2022-03-29T13:28:25.250Z
2022-03-29T13:28:25.250Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>I am trying to learn if there is a way in BTC to raise an invoice from a friend like in Paypal just by using a public address on the BTC wallet. I have checked the API is all leading exchanges, and none provide a handshake mechanism for &quot;invoicing&quot; another account, so was wondering if there's any other way.</p>
<p>For example:
If Jack owed 100 sats to Bob, is there a way for Bob to raise an invoice to Jack, which Jack can then approve and fulfill the invoice? (given that Bob knows the public address of Jack's wallet)
Is it possible to achieve this? How does it work if Jack's wallet is on any of the exchanges vs the offline wallet?</p>
<p>I'm new to this and trying to learn, so Thank you in advance for your patience and help. I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Best.</p>
<p>Apologies for not mentioning this before: I'm interested in learning about the lightning-based solution and how can one scale it especially when Bob is a vendor who accepts BTC.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-29T21:21:40.137Z
Hi ddesai, you tagged this question with [tag:lightning-network], but don't mention lightning network in your question. Could you clarify whether you're only interested in this functionality between user accounts on a service or whether a lightning-based solution would be of interest?
Murch
<lightning-network><invoices>
Invoicing with BTC
ddesai
# Invoicing with BTC

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-29)

I am trying to learn if there is a way in BTC to raise an invoice from a friend like in Paypal just by using a public address on the BTC wallet. I have checked the API is all leading exchanges, and none provide a handshake mechanism for "invoicing" another account, so was wondering if there's any other way.

For example:
If Jack owed 100 sats to Bob, is there a way for Bob to raise an invoice to Jack, which Jack can then approve and fulfill the invoice? (given that Bob knows the public address of Jack's wallet)
Is it possible to achieve this? How does it work if Jack's wallet is on any of the exchanges vs the offline wallet?

I'm new to this and trying to learn, so Thank you in advance for your patience and help. I really appreciate it.

Best.

Apologies for not mentioning this before: I'm interested in learning about the lightning-based solution and how can one scale it especially when Bob is a vendor who accepts BTC.

**Tags:** lightning-network, invoices

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hi username_0, you tagged this question with [tag:lightning-network], but don't mention lightning network in your question. Could you clarify whether you're only interested in this functionality between user accounts on a service or whether a lightning-based solution would be of interest?  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-03-29. Score: 3

## Bitcoin Blockchain

Many Bitcoin wallets allow you to generate an invoice in the form of a QR code, which is a 2D barcode. This can contain a receiving address, an amount and a message.

How the invoicer gets the QR code to the invoicee is outside the Bitcoin network itself. Originally it seemed to be intended that the invoicee would use their phone to scan the QR-code from the invoicer's device. But I guess many other methods are available.

[![Bitcoin QR-Code](https://i.sstatic.net/S7RTW.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/S7RTW.jpg)  
[source](https://www.qr-code-generator.com/blog/how-to-use-bitcoin-with-qr-code/#Why-is-using-bitcoin-with-QR-Codes-a-good-idea?) -- but warning! do not use QR\_code generator websites -- some are malicious.

Note that a wallet typically has many addresses, one per transaction. Some people make a good case that it would have been better to use a name like "invoice reference" instead of "address" for the data item called a Bitcoin address. - but its too late to make that sort of change.

---

## Bitcoin Lightning

Question was tagged LN but invoicing in LN is a separate issue. For example, see

* [Lightning 101: What is a Lightning Invoice?](https://medium.com/suredbits/lightning-101-what-is-a-lightning-invoice-d527db1a77e6)

> This can contain information such as:
>
> * When the invoice was created which is useful to see how old an invoice is
> * The ID of the node that is receiving the payment
> * When the invoice expires. Unlike bitcoin addresses, Lightning network invoices can expire
> * A description of this invoice. In our example, the description embedded in the invoice is “suredbits demo invoice”.
> * A backup bitcoin address. If the payment fails over the Lightning network, you can fallback to a regular bitcoin transaction.
> * A route to make the payment. Remember, the Lightning Network is different than a blockchain in the sense that you need to find a route to make a payment. The receiver of a payment can suggest a route for you to use to make the payment.

## Exchanges / Custodial Wallets

Invoices between two customers of a trusted third-party money-holder is typically conducted outside the Bitcoin or Lighting networks. How this works is completely dependent on the specific proprietary services offered by the trusted third party.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.  

---

