Why this matters to a merchant
You're not going to install a wallet. You're not going to recommend a wallet to a customer who already has one. You're not going to support a customer's wallet if it has bugs.
So why does this lesson exist?
Because your customer's wallet is the part of the experience you don't control, and the answer to "will this work?" depends on what they brought to the register.
The good news: in 2026, almost every customer who'd think to pay you in Bitcoin already has a working wallet. Lightning-capable wallets are now standard. Most of them work the same way from a UX standpoint. And for the customer who doesn't have one, the path to getting one is faster than setting up Apple Pay.
You don't have to be a wallet expert. You just need to know what the major ones are, which ones support Lightning out of the box (almost all of them, but not 100%), and what to say when a curious customer asks "can I pay with Bitcoin?" but doesn't actually have a wallet yet.
The four wallets your customers actually use
There are dozens of Bitcoin wallets. There are roughly four that account for ~80% of the customers who'll ever try to pay you in Bitcoin.
Cash App — The big one. Cash App (made by Block, the company formerly known as Square) is a mainstream U.S. payments app that happens to have first-class Lightning support. Roughly 50 million Americans use Cash App for everyday money management; a significant portion of them have a Bitcoin balance and can send via Lightning. For a U.S. business, Cash App is the wallet you'll see most often. It looks and feels like a normal payments app to the customer; they don't have to think of themselves as "a Bitcoin person" to use it.
Strike — The Bitcoin-native peer. Strike is designed for people who deliberately use Bitcoin as their primary payment method. Smaller user base than Cash App, but a more intentional user — they specifically chose this app to spend Bitcoin. Strike users are often the customer who came to you because you accept Bitcoin. Excellent Lightning support, very clean UX.
Phoenix — The self-custody choice. Phoenix is a popular wallet for users who want to hold their own Bitcoin (self-custody) rather than leave it with a company like Cash App. More technical user, but the payment experience for a merchant is identical — scan, confirm, paid. Phoenix users are often international (it's popular outside the U.S.) and tend to be technically literate.
Wallet of Satoshi — The simplest one. Wallet of Satoshi (often shortened to "WoS") is the most beginner-friendly Lightning wallet. It's a custodial wallet (the company holds the Bitcoin for the user, like Cash App) and it's specifically built for Lightning payments. Popular globally, especially in regions where banking infrastructure is weaker than the U.S.
There are others — Phoenix, Muun, Breez, Zeus, Alby, Bitkit, the Lightning function on Coinbase, and dozens of regional wallets in markets like Argentina or Nigeria. They almost all support Lightning. Your merchant experience is the same regardless of which one your customer is using.
What you don't need to memorize
Customers will sometimes tell you what wallet they're using. "Hold on, let me open Cash App." You don't need to know what Cash App is, or what Strike is, or what Phoenix is. You just need to know that they're going to scan your QR code and the rest will happen.
If a customer asks you "what wallet should I use?" — which is rare but happens with first-timers — the cleanest answer is:
"Whatever's already on your phone. If you have Cash App, it works. If you have a Bitcoin balance somewhere, that app probably works. If you don't have any of those, Wallet of Satoshi is the easiest to install — takes about 60 seconds."
That's it. You don't need to recommend a specific one, debate the merits of custodial vs. self-custody, or explain what Lightning is.
What to do when a customer doesn't have a wallet
This is the most common "edge case" — a customer who wants to pay in Bitcoin (maybe they saw a sign, maybe they're trying it for the first time), but doesn't actually have a wallet installed yet.
Three scenarios:
Scenario 1: They have a Bitcoin balance on Coinbase, Kraken, or another exchange. This is common. They own some Bitcoin, but it's on an exchange, not in a wallet. The fastest path: they install Wallet of Satoshi or Cash App, withdraw a small amount of Bitcoin to that wallet, then pay you from the wallet. Total time: 5-10 minutes. Most merchants don't have time to walk a customer through this at the register; just take a card and tell them "next time."
Scenario 2: They've heard of Bitcoin but don't own any. The path is longer: they need to download an app, complete identity verification, link a bank account, buy Bitcoin, and then pay. Total time: 30 minutes minimum. Tell them "next time" — this isn't a register conversation.
Scenario 3: They have a wallet but it's not Lightning-capable. Rare in 2026 — most major wallets added Lightning support years ago — but possible. The customer should download a Lightning-capable wallet (any of the four above) and transfer Bitcoin to it. Again, not a register conversation.
The honest answer for almost any "I want to try paying with Bitcoin but I don't have it set up" customer is: encourage them to set it up at home and come back. You're not running a Bitcoin tutorial during their lunch break. You're running a business. Take their card, smile, mention that Bitcoin is available the next time they're in, and move on. The customer who returns next time having set up their wallet is the customer worth winning.
What your staff should know
For the front-line staff member processing the payment, the wallet question is even simpler than for the owner. They need to know exactly one thing:
"When the customer wants to pay in Bitcoin, tap the Bitcoin button on the POS. A QR code will appear. The customer will scan it with their phone. In a few seconds, you'll see 'paid.'"
That's it. That's the entire training they need on wallets.
If a customer asks them a technical question they can't answer ("what's the difference between Strike and Cash App?"), the right response is:
"I'm not sure — both should work to pay us. If you're not sure which one to use, [point them to a knowledgeable colleague, the manager, or just say 'any Lightning-capable wallet works']."
Your staff doesn't need to be Bitcoin experts. They need to know how to ring up a payment.
What's coming in the next lesson
You now know:
- The four wallets that account for most Bitcoin-paying customers (Cash App, Strike, Phoenix, Wallet of Satoshi)
- That you don't need to memorize wallets — your QR code works with all of them
- What to say to a customer who wants to try Bitcoin but doesn't have a wallet (basically: "next time")
- What your staff needs to know (almost nothing about wallets specifically)
Next up: Lesson 5 — The fiat-or-Bitcoin decision (and why you can have both). Do you want the Bitcoin payments to land as dollars in your bank, or do you want to hold some Bitcoin? Answer: whichever you want, and you can change it any time. Here's how to think about it.
Frequently asked
Questions that come up after this lesson.