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

# Lightning Address

> How to send instant payments to Lightning Addresses using ZBD Payments APIs.

## Description

A Lightning Address is an internet identifier (akin to an email address -- `andre@zbd.gg`) that anyone can use to send you Bitcoin Lightning Network payments.

Leverage this API to programmatically perform these types of payments.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card icon="globe" color="blue" title="Lightning Address (lightningaddress.com)" href="https://lightningaddress.com">
    A massively simpler way for anyone to send you Bitcoin instantly on the Lightning Network. Like an email address, but for your Bitcoin!
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

As creators of the [Lightning Address open source standard](https://github.com/andrerfneves/lightning-address), we believe this API to be the single most frictionless way of using Bitcoin today.

## APIs

Here are some Lightning Address APIs that you can use to programmatically help perform these types of payments.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Validate Address" icon="code" color="#000000" href="/payments/api/lightning-address/validate">
    Ensure destination is a valid Lightning Address.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send Payment" icon="code" color="#000000" href="/payments/api/lightning-address/send">
    Send a payment to a Lightning Address.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create Charge" icon="code" color="#000000" href="/payments/api/lightning-address/create-charge">
    Create a charge QR code for a Lightning Address.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>