Login to Lightning Pay

By Lightning Pay

Updated June 10, 2024

 

At Lightning Pay, we've taken a very considered approach with our security and authentication systems. Our aim is to keep things nice and easy for you, but offer a level of security that will keep the bad guys out. Our approach is a little unorthodox, so if you've come here a little confused, hopefully this article can answer your questions. If not, feel free to reach out at support@lightningpay.nz

 

Enter Email Address

Whether you're a new user or an existing user, the first step is to enter your email address and request a login link.

  1. Enter your email address in the text field
  2. Solve the captcha if required
  3. Click/Tap "Sign in with Email"

 

Click Login Link Sent to your Email

Navigate to your email app, you should receive an email containing a link to login.

  1. Click the Link in your email
  2. Lightning Pay will open in your browser and ask you for your 2FA code (see below)

 

*Note, if using the Gmail App on iOS, or in other certain situations, the link may open in a temporary browser internal to the app, rather than the default browser on your device. This may cause issues with your login persisting, meaning, you'll be signed out immediately upon navigating away from Lightning Pay.

To resolve this if you're using the Gmail App on iOS, ensure your email app settings open links in your "Default Browser," rather than "Safari." See the image below, found in Gmail Settings -> Default Apps.

 

Two Factor Authentication

Two factor authentication (2fA) is a key component to your account security. When you login at Lightning Pay for the first time, you'll be asked to connect your Lightning Pay account to a 2FA One-Time Password (OTP) app on your mobile device. This is an important step you should consider to maintain access to your account after setup, it is important to:

  1. Remember which app you used to generate the key and connection to Lightning Pay
  2. Backup your 2FA (OTP) keys, either manually or via a cloud backup scheme if your app provides it

*Note,  backing up Google Authenticator to your Google Drive account is not recommended. If someone gains access to your Google account, they'll have access to both your email login (first factor) and your 2FA codes (second factor).

Below, we demonstrate the rest of the login flow with 2FAS Auth, an open source 2FA app for both iOS and Android.

  1. Tap the 2FA code in your app to Copy it to the clipboard of your device

If you're logging in to a second device, separate from your mobile device, you can skip the "Copy to Clipboard" step and type it directly in to the Lightning Pay Interface.

 

Enter your 2FA Code at Lightning Pay

In our demo, we simply paste the 2FA code we've acquired from our 2FA app into the Lightning Pay interface. If you're working on a separate device from your mobile 2FA app, simply type the code in to the Lightning Pay interface.

You're In!

You're now logged in at Lightning Pay, where you can easily buy and sell bitcoin via the Lightning Network, or accept payments via our POS App! 

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us at support@lightningpay.nz.