> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.luminpay.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Create your first charge in minutes

This guide takes you from signing up to creating your first live charge.

## Prerequisites

* A LuminPay merchant account ([sign up here](https://app.luminpay.co))
* Your organization must have completed email verification

## Get started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get your API key">
    Sign in to your [LuminPay dashboard](https://app.luminpay.co), navigate to API Keys, and generate a new key.

    Keep this key secret -- treat it the same way you would a password.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a charge">
    Make a request to create a charge, authenticating with your API key as a Bearer token.

    ```bash theme={null}
        curl -X POST https://api.luminpay.co/charges \
          -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
          -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
          -d '{
            "amount": 5000,
            "currency": "NGN"
          }'
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the charge status">
    Poll the charge, or configure a webhook endpoint to be notified automatically when it's paid.

    ```bash theme={null}
        curl https://api.luminpay.co/charges/{id} \
          -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Fees and settlement

LuminPay charges a flat 1% per transaction, with no setup or monthly fees. Stablecoin payments settle to your bank account once daily; Bitcoin payments are swept every 5 minutes and settle on the same daily cycle.

New accounts start with a ₦50,000 daily limit. Complete identity verification to raise this to ₦500,000/day, or full business verification for unlimited daily volume.

<Tip>
  Need help? Reach out to us at [support@luminpay.co](mailto:support@luminpay.co).
</Tip>