Content & Digital Goods ✓ Tested with aipp

Digital File Download

Sell digital files, Notion templates, and Obsidian notes with micro-payments.

Target Audience: Digital creators, template authors, designers, technical writers, and indie hackers.

The Real Problem

With payment processors that charge a fixed transaction fee (such as $0.30 per charge), selling small digital assets for $0.25 to $3.00 can lose a significant percentage of their total value to fixed transaction thresholds.

Real-World Example: For example, selling a $0.50 cheatsheet PDF with a fixed $0.30 transaction fee consumes 60% of the sale price. Pay-per-use digital payment rails eliminate fixed transaction thresholds.

How aipp Solves It

Create an aipp Smart Tag with your target file redirect URL. Anyone opening the link sees a checkout page. Upon paying with supported Lightning or Base USDC wallets, they are redirected to the unlocked file download.

Step-by-Step Payment Flow

STEP 01 Open Smart Tag Customer clicks your aipp link (e.g. aipp.dev/t/p_abc123).

STEP 02 Pay Invoice Scans QR code or uses WebLN/USDC to pay.

STEP 03 Proof Checked aipp verifies the payment proof before allowing access.

STEP 04 File Unlocked Browser redirects to or opens the target digital asset.

Scope & Boundaries

What aipp Does

✓ Creates Smart Tag URLs for digital goods
✓ Handles web checkout for humans and manifest negotiation for agents
✓ Forwards net earnings automatically to your configured wallet

What aipp Does Not Do

✗ Does not host heavy DRM digital rights management servers
✗ Does not store customer credit card numbers

Implementation Pattern

Below is the minimal implementation pattern using standard aipp endpoints / SDK:

// Create a Digital Download Smart Tag via cURL
curl -X POST https://aipp.dev/merchant/links/create   -H "X-Api-Key: aipp_merch_your_key_here"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{
    "title": "React Performance Cheatsheet PDF",
    "amount_usd": 0.50,
    "redirect_url": "https://downloads.example.com/cheatsheet.pdf",
    "capability_type": "link"
  }'

Settlement Architecture Note:
• Lightning Rail: In hosted Lightning flows, payments route through aipp's Lightning gateway before net proceeds are automatically forwarded to your configured wallet address.
• Base USDC Rail: USDC transfers settle directly on-chain to your designated EVM wallet address.
• No Merchant Spending Balance: aipp does not maintain a spendable merchant balance or require manual withdrawal steps.

Requirements & Limitations

Redirect URL should be kept unlisted or dynamic for high-security files
In hosted Lightning flows, funds pass through aipp gateway before automatic forwarding

Frequently Asked Questions

Do buyers need an account to buy a file?

No. Buyers simply scan the QR code with a supported Bitcoin Lightning wallet or pay with Base USDC. No password or registration needed.

Related Use Cases

Content & Digital Goods Content & Article Paywall Gate premium blog posts, whitepapers, research articles, or media pages behind small payments. Creators & Independent Work Sell a Digital Product Sell downloadable guides, templates, code packages, and AI prompt packs without building an e-commerce storefront. Content & Digital Goods Paid Report & Document Generation Sell automated PDF reports, SEO audits, and company analyses on demand.

Start Monetizing Digital File Download

Create a Smart Tag payment link to accept supported Lightning and Base USDC payments for your digital content.

Create Payment Link →