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Testing and Live Mode

Use testnet before accepting real Bitcoin. Testnet lets you validate checkout behavior, webhook handling, signatures, order status transitions, and expiry without moving real BTC.

Test mode​

In test mode:

  • Use a testnet API key.
  • Use a testnet wallet or Testnet4 wallet.
  • Send testnet coins from a faucet or test wallet.
  • Use a test webhook endpoint such as webhook.site, ngrok, Cloudflare Tunnel, or your staging server.
  • Verify both payment.detected and payment.confirmed handling.

Testnet coins have no real market value. Testnet addresses and mainnet addresses are not interchangeable.

Live mode​

Before switching to mainnet:

  • Use your mainnet API key.
  • Use a mainnet wallet address or mainnet receive descriptor/extended public key.
  • Use a production webhook endpoint.
  • Verify webhook signatures in production.
  • Choose a confirmation threshold that matches your order value and risk policy.
  • Keep testnet and mainnet orders separate in your own system.

Test webhook checklist​

Use the test webhook endpoint to check your server before creating a payment:

curl -X POST "$MANATEE_API_URL/v1/webhooks/test" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MANATEE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "webhook_url": "https://yourapp.example/webhooks/btc"
  }'

If this fails, fix webhook reachability and signature verification before testing a real transaction.

Create a test payment​

For the full payment flow, follow the Quickstart. It covers:

  • API key setup
  • testnet wallet setup
  • payment creation
  • payment retrieval
  • webhook receipt
  • signature verification
  • mainnet readiness checks

For network details, see Testnet vs Mainnet.