---
title: "Receive a Lightning payment"
description: "How to generate a Lightning invoice via an atomic swap and wait for the payment to settle."
canonical: https://wavelength.lightning.engineering/guides/receive-a-lightning-payment/
---

> Docs index: https://wavelength.lightning.engineering/llms.txt

[Wavelength](/)›Guides›Receive a Lightning payment

# Receive a Lightning payment

2 min read

Guides

Web SDK

## Create a Lightning invoice

`receive()` from [`useWalletReceive()`](/reference/wavelength-react/#useWalletReceive) triggers a receive swap: the Ark server sets up a Lightning payment path that deposits into your VTXO once the payer settles. Pass `amountSat` and an optional `memo` for the invoice.

The returned `ReceiveResult.invoice` is a standard BOLT11 string that any compatible wallet can pay. Display it as a QR code alongside the raw string so the payer has both options.

```tsx
import { useState } from 'react';
import { useWalletReceive } from '@lightninglabs/wavelength-react';

function CreateInvoice() {
  const { receive, receivePending } = useWalletReceive();
  const [invoice, setInvoice] = useState<string | null>(null);

  const generate = async () => {
    const result = await receive({
      amountSat: 10_000,
      memo: 'Coffee',
    });
    setInvoice(result.invoice);
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={generate} disabled={receivePending}>
        Generate invoice
      </button>
      {invoice && <pre>{invoice}</pre>}
    </div>
  );
}
```

## Wait for settlement

[`useWalletActivity()`](/reference/wavelength-react/#useWalletActivity) returns the live activity array and streams updates in place. Match the entry by invoice string in `entry.request?.lightningInvoice` and watch its `status` field: the entry appears as `'pending'` when the payer sends and switches to `'complete'` once the receive swap round completes. Like any entry, a receive swap can also terminate as `'failed'`, so handle that branch too.

Render a loading state until the entry appears, then show a pending indicator while it settles, a failure message if it fails, and a success message once `status === 'complete'`.

```tsx
import { useWalletActivity } from '@lightninglabs/wavelength-react';

function InvoiceStatus({ bolt11 }: { bolt11: string }) {
  const activity = useWalletActivity();

  const payment = activity.find(
    entry =>
      entry.kind === 'receive' &&
      entry.request?.lightningInvoice === bolt11,
  );

  if (!payment) return <p>Waiting for payment...</p>;
  if (payment.status === 'pending') return <p>Payment received, settling...</p>;
  if (payment.status === 'failed') {
    return <p>Payment failed: {payment.failureReason}</p>;
  }
  return <p>Settled: +{payment.amountSat} sats</p>;
}
```

For finer-grained progress than the top-level `status` field offers (for example, distinguishing “waiting for payment” from “settling” while a receive swap is still `'pending'`), see `entry.progress?.phase` in [Handle phases and errors](/guides/handle-phases-and-errors/). This guide sticks to the simpler `status` field for clarity.