🏁 Getting started

Verifying Your Account

As a regulated financial services company, we have to verify your identity. Just snap a photo of your valid driver's license, passport or national identity card — and a quick selfie — and you'll be on your way.

If we need more information to verify your identity, we'll ask for another form of ID or proof of address, such as a bank or council tax statement from the last 12 months.

Navigating the app

a. Home Screen

Once the verification process has finished, you'll be back on the home screen. Here, you can:

1. Check your balances

2. Add funds to your account

3. Buy and trade bitcoin

4. See your recent transactions

On the top-left, click the profile button to link your social handles and check your BTC and GBP balances. To complete an app tour or contact customer support , tap the appropriate icon in the top-right corner.

b. Connecting Social Media & Adding Contacts

By clicking the contact book at the bottom of the home screen, you can add contacts 
using their:

1. Phone number

2. Social network handle

3. Searching past transactions

We currently support social payments through Twitter - Discord, Reddit, Twitch, and Github coming soon.

c. Settings Screen

The gear icon on the bottom right-hand side of the home screen takes you to settings . From here, you can:

1. View account limits

2. Change your currency settings

3. View your security preferences

Payment routes

When receiving payments on Bottlepay, you decide whether to accept those funds as Bitcoin (BTC) or British pounds (GBP). You can always convert the BTC you receive into GBP — see below to find out how.

Default currency & Bitcoin denomination

On this screen, you can easily switch your default currency between GBP and Bitcoin. You can also switch your Bitcoin denomination between BTC (bitcoin) and SAT (short for satoshi, the smallest unit of bitcoin).

🧗‍♀️ Next steps

Now that you're all set up, it's time for the fun stuff.

Funding Your Wallet

Firstly, let's get some funds into your wallet. On your home screen , just tap the 
button. You can deposit traditional (fiat) currency using your usual bank account, or you can deposit bitcoin.

Note that if you choose to deposit on-chain bitcoin, the transaction can take up to an hour. If you're a bitcoin aficionado, you can choose the faster Lightning deposit option and receive your funds in just a few minutes.

Buying bitcoin

If you deposited fiat currency, now is a great time to explore buying bitcoin.

By tapping on the button in the home screen , you'll have the option to do a one-time purchase, or set up recurring ones.

For recurring trades (also called dollar-cost averaging, or DCA), just specify an amount and a frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) and the trades will happen automatically. Don't worry — we'll send you a notification if you run out of funds.

Sending Funds

Now that you have both fiat and bitcoin, you can finally send funds.

From your payees list , you can send funds to your contacts in a few quick taps. Pick the amount and currency that you want to send, enter your payee's information, and it's on its way.

If you find yourself in front of a QR code (usually for bitcoin payments), you can just tap the button from the home screen.

Receiving Funds

Sending is great, but what about receiving?

Same process. Just select a payee from your list and request any amount you want from them.

If you want to receive bitcoin from someone outside Bottlepay, just tap the button on the home screen , choose "Bitcoin", and select "on-chain deposit" to see your bitcoin address.

If you are a Bitcoin aficionado, you can also choose "Lightning deposit" to create an invoice.