Moneybird + Lightning Checkout

Moneybird + Lightning Checkout: Bring Bitcoin Payments to Every Dutch Invoice

The Netherlands Is Ready for Bitcoin Invoicing, Your Moneybird Account Already Is

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The Netherlands has always punched above its weight in financial innovation. Dutch entrepreneurs were among the first in Europe to embrace cloud accounting, online banking, and digital-first business models. Moneybird, created in Enschede, loved across the country, became the go-to accounting platform precisely because it understood what Dutch freelancers, agencies, and small businesses actually need: clean design, automated workflows, and a focus on getting the administration done so you can get back to work.

Now a new payment rail is emerging, and it follows the same principles the Dutch business community values: efficiency, directness, and low costs. Bitcoin, specifically through the Lightning Network, enables payments that settle in seconds, cost fractions of a cent, and work anywhere in the world without intermediaries.

Lightning Checkout is a Lightning Network payment processor purpose-built for exactly this scenario. It creates checkout pages for Lightning payments, fast, simple, and focused on getting paid. When you connect Moneybird to Lightning Checkout through PayInBTC.me, every invoice you send can include a Bitcoin payment option. Your clients click, scan, pay, and the sats arrive in your wallet before they close the browser.

Why Moneybird Users Should Care About Lightning Payments

You Already Have the Best Dutch Accounting Platform

Moneybird handles everything a Dutch business needs: BTW (VAT) compliance, automatic bank reconciliation with Dutch banks, UBL e-invoicing support, and seamless integration with the Belastingdienst requirements. More than 275,000 entrepreneurs use it. The platform makes it easy to customize invoices with your own branding, add custom text blocks, and include payment instructions.

Lightning Checkout Keeps Things Simple

Lightning Checkout does one thing well: it generates Lightning Network payment pages. When PayInBTC.me creates a payment request, Lightning Checkout provides a clean, mobile-friendly checkout page with a QR code and a payment amount. The client scans, pays, and the transaction settles in seconds. No complicated configuration, no accounts for your clients to create.

PayInBTC.me Ties Them Together

PayInBTC.me reads your Moneybird invoice data (amount, currency, invoice number), calculates the current BTC equivalent, creates a payment request through Lightning Checkout, and handles the customer redirect. When the payment is confirmed, you receive an email notification. Your Moneybird workflow stays exactly the same.

How It Works: Step by Step

1

Register at PayInBTC.me

Create your account at payinbtc.me/register. Your first month is free.
2

Connect Moneybird

Link your Moneybird account to PayInBTC.me. The platform connects via Moneybird's API to read your invoice data. PayInBTC.me never modifies your Moneybird administration.
3

Connect Lightning Checkout

Add Lightning Checkout as your payment provider and configure your Lightning wallet for receiving payments.
4

Update your invoice template

In Moneybird, add the PayInBTC.me payment link to your invoice template. You can place it in the footer, in a custom text block, or in the email that accompanies the invoice.
5

Factureer zoals altijd

Create invoices in Moneybird the way you always do. Your clients now see a "Pay with Bitcoin" link alongside your existing payment options (iDEAL, bank transfer, etc.).

What This Means for Dutch Entrepreneurs

Add a Global Payment Option to a Local Platform

A client in the US paying your invoice via international bank transfer costs €15–€30 in fees and takes 2–5 business days. With Lightning Checkout through PayInBTC.me, they click a link, pay in Bitcoin, and the money arrives in seconds. The invoice was in euros, the conversion happened automatically, and neither of you paid a meaningful fee.

Keep iDEAL and Add Bitcoin, Not Either/Or

Dutch businesses love iDEAL, and for good reason, it's convenient for domestic payments. Adding Bitcoin doesn't replace iDEAL. It complements it. Dutch clients who prefer iDEAL still use iDEAL. International clients and Bitcoin-holding clients now have an option that works for them.

Zero Chargebacks for Service Businesses

If you run a consultancy, design studio, or development agency, you may have experienced a client disputing a payment after the work was delivered. Bitcoin payments are final and irreversible. Once your client pays via Lightning Checkout, the money is yours. Period.

Extremely Low Transaction Costs

Lightning Network transaction fees are typically less than €0.01 per payment. Compare that to iDEAL at €0.29 per transaction, credit cards at 1.5–2.9%, or PayPal at 2.9% + €0.35. For a business sending 50 invoices per month, the savings add up meaningfully.

Transaction Cost Comparison

Monthly Invoices iDEAL Cost (€0.29 each) Credit Card (2.5% avg on €2,000/invoice) Lightning + PayInBTC
20 invoices €5.80/month €1,000/month ~€2/month
50 invoices €14.50/month €2,500/month ~€2/month
100 invoices €29/month €5,000/month ~€2/month

PayInBTC.me's monthly unlimited plan is approximately €2.50/month. Lightning Checkout's transaction fees are negligible.

Who Benefits Most?

Dutch freelancers (ZZP'ers) with international clients

If you're a ZZP'er billing clients in the US, UK, or outside the SEPA zone, Lightning payments eliminate the international transfer costs and delays that eat into your margins.

Creative agencies and digital studios

Amsterdam and Rotterdam have thriving creative industries. Agencies billing project milestones can offer Bitcoin as a fast-settlement option for clients who value speed and finality.

Tech startups and development companies

The Dutch startup ecosystem, particularly in Eindhoven, Amsterdam, and Delft, attracts international talent and clients. Bitcoin payments align with the innovation-forward culture of this community.

E-commerce businesses using Moneybird for B2B invoicing

Wholesale sellers and B2B e-commerce businesses that invoice rather than use shopping carts can add Bitcoin as a low-cost payment alternative.

Getting Started

  1. Register at payinbtc.me/register, first month free, no commitment.
  2. Connect Moneybird and Lightning Checkout through the setup wizard.
  3. Add the payment link to your Moneybird invoice template.
  4. Send your first Bitcoin-enabled invoice.

Setup guides are available at docs.payinbtc.me.

Get started free →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this legal in the Netherlands?

Yes. Accepting Bitcoin as payment for goods and services is legal in the Netherlands. For tax purposes, the Belastingdienst treats Bitcoin as a financial asset. Consult your accountant or belastingadviseur about the correct treatment for your specific situation.

Do my clients need a Bitcoin wallet?

Yes, the paying client needs a Bitcoin wallet that supports Lightning payments. Most modern Bitcoin wallets (Phoenix, Breez, BlueWallet, Wallet of Satoshi, and many others) support Lightning out of the box.

How does the BTW (VAT) work with Bitcoin payments?

VAT rules don't change based on payment method. You charge and report BTW the same way whether the client pays via iDEAL, bank transfer, or Bitcoin. The invoice amount in euros is the basis for VAT calculation.

Can I also use this for automatic direct debit clients?

No. Bitcoin payments are initiated by the payer (your client clicks the link and pays). They're not a replacement for direct debit. They're an additional payment option alongside existing methods.

What happens if the invoice is in euros but the client pays in Bitcoin?

PayInBTC.me handles the conversion. When the client clicks the payment link, the euro amount from the Moneybird invoice is converted to BTC at the real-time exchange rate. The client sees the exact BTC amount and pays it. The invoice value in euros remains unchanged in your administration.

Is PayInBTC.me GDPR compliant?

Yes. PayInBTC.me handles personal data in accordance with GDPR requirements.

More questions? See our full FAQ →

Start today—risk free

Add Bitcoin to Your Moneybird Invoices with Lightning Checkout

Keep Moneybird. Keep your workflow. Just add Bitcoin payments via Lightning Checkout.

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