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

# Checkout Overview

> Meru Checkout is a hosted crypto payment page. Create a checkout session from your backend, send the customer to the hosted page, and reconcile the result by polling the session status.

Meru Checkout lets you collect crypto and local-currency payments without building
a payment UI. Your backend creates a **checkout session** and receives a hosted
`url`. You send the customer to that page, they pay, and you reconcile the result
by polling the session status.

## Payment methods

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Crypto exchanges & wallets" icon="bitcoin-sign">
    The customer pays from Binance, Coinbase, MetaMask, and many other
    exchanges and wallets. Funds settle as USDC/USDT on Polygon.
  </Card>

  <Card title="QR Bolivia" icon="qrcode">
    The customer pays in local currency (Bs/BOB) by scanning a QR with their
    bank app. The page shows the local amount and the USD→BOB rate.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

If you omit `paymentMethod` when creating the session, the checkout shows a method
chooser with whichever methods your account has enabled. See
[Payment methods](/api-reference/checkout/payment-methods) for details.

## Integration flows

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Hosted redirect" icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" href="/api-reference/checkout/quickstart">
    Redirect the customer to the hosted checkout page, then return them to your
    `successUrl`. The simplest integration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Embedded (iframe)" icon="window-maximize" href="/api-reference/checkout/embed">
    Render the checkout inside your own page. The checkout posts events to the
    parent window instead of redirecting.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Authentication and security model

Meru Checkout uses a **Checkout API secret key** to authorize requests from your
backend.

<Note>
  The Checkout API key is **separate** from the main Meru API key. Checkout uses a
  `Bearer` token (`Authorization: Bearer sk_live_...`) against
  `https://checkout-api.meru.com`, whereas the rest of the Meru API uses the
  `api-key` header. Use the right key for each API.
</Note>

The secret key has the format `sk_live_...` and is sent as:

```
Authorization: Bearer sk_live_...
```

<Warning>
  Your `sk_live_` key is **server-side only**. Never expose it in the browser,
  client-side JavaScript, mobile apps, or a public repository. Anyone with this key
  can create checkout sessions on your behalf.
</Warning>

The customer only ever receives the opaque session `url`.

<Note>
  The session id embedded in the checkout URL (for example,
  `https://checkout.meru.com/c/cmqx...`) is **opaque and pay-only**. It cannot be
  used to authenticate API calls or read your account — it only lets the holder pay
  that one session. Reading a session via `GET /checkouts/{id}` is intentionally
  public so your backend can poll status without exposing your secret key.
</Note>

## Reconciliation

Webhooks are not yet available. Reconcile payments by polling
[`GET /checkouts/{id}`](/api-reference/checkout/payment-status) from your backend
and treating `succeeded` as paid.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="bolt" href="/api-reference/checkout/quickstart">
    Create a session and redirect a customer, end to end.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a session" icon="plus" href="/api-reference/checkout/create-session">
    Full reference for `POST /v1/checkouts`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payment status" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/api-reference/checkout/payment-status">
    Poll `GET /checkouts/{id}` and read the status lifecycle.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Embed (iframe)" icon="code" href="/api-reference/checkout/embed">
    Embed the checkout and handle `postMessage` events.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>