There are many passwords within BitPay’s products. Some of these passwords are related to the BitPay Wallet, and others are related to BitPay’s other products and their logins. This article clarifies the differences between each of the passwords, the importance of each, and security measures to take in order to keep your funds safe and recoverable.

Each of the passwords listed is independent and not related to other passwords.

Here are the BitPay products and related passwords:

BitPay Wallet app:

• Encrypt password
• Backup Phrase / Recovery Phrase / Passphrase / Twelve Words / Seed Phrase
• PIN / Fingerprint lock
• Wallet export password

BitPay website login passwords:

• BitPay cardholder dashboard login
• BitPay merchant account dashboard login
• Two-Factor Authentication

BitPay Checkout App:

• Pairing Code

BitPay Wallet App Passwords

The BitPay Wallet does not have an online account or login.

Encrypt Password

The encrypt password is used as an optional security measure. Using an encrypt password helps to prevent an unauthorized user from sending funds out of the wallet. The encrypt password adds security to your funds in case your device is lost or stolen.

This password is required anytime you wish to send funds out of the wallet, such as a direct  transaction, paying a BitPay invoice, or the available in-app purchases like Coinbase. This password is also required to modify certain configurations, like the password itself or to access the wallet backup.

Note: While some older versions of the wallet use the term “spending password,” BitPay’s current apps use the term encrypt password.

We strongly recommend that you store the password and passphrase in a safe place. If you forget or lose your password, the only way to recover the wallet is by the 12-word passphrase. 

How to set up the encrypt password:

1. Open the BitPay App.
2. Tap the gear icon (top-right corner).
3. Within the Wallets section click the desired wallet.
4. Enable Request Encrypt Password.
5. Enter the password and confirm it. There are no specific requirements such as capital letters, numbers, symbols, or length.

Backup Phrase / Recovery Phrase / Passphrase

The backup phrase is the only way to recover a wallet. We strongly recommend that you write down your wallet’s backup phrase on a piece of paper and keep it in a safe place.

A private key in the context of Bitcoin is a secret number that allows bitcoin to be spent. Every wallet has one or more private keys which are used to sign a transaction. These private keys are unique, which means the wallet is unique to. Because the private key is the “key” that allows someone to spend bitcoin, it is important that you secure your private keys.

An extended private key is a 256-bit number can be represented one of several ways and it is the “master key” used to create all the private keys of a wallet. The twelve word backup phrase is a human-friendly way to represent the wallet’s extended private key, for the simple reason it is easier to write down “witch collapse practice feed shame open despair creek road again ice least” than xprv9s21ZrQH143K31HBnsysHksXj3VavL2dvM7ajbjSneNbQppE6dNtaTmeVCiGR8krp5MxpgyNr3sSfZSZvHLb62ck8NrbrMQssnVFDs4s8pu3262. You may see some call this phrase your wallet’s “Twelve Words,” “Backup Phrase,” “Recovery Phrase,” “Passphrase,” or “Seed Phrase.” BitPay’s current apps use the term backup phrase, so we use this phrase in the rest of this article.

Some wallet apps such as the BitPay Wallet and Copay Wallet can have multiple wallets associated to the same backup phrase (extended private key). This feature lets users save all their wallets under the same backup phrase as well as restore them from that same backup phrase.

 

The backup phrase is the only way to recover a wallet. If your device is lost, stolen, or broken, you will not be able to recover your wallet without your backup phrase.  Why don't I have an online account for my BitPay Wallet?. The backup phrase is how you represent and use your private key.

 

We strongly recommend that you write your wallet’s backup phrase down on a piece of paper and keep it in a safe place. We do not recommend emailing it to yourself or saving it on your computer, as it could be stolen. To avoid losing access to a wallet and funds, the BitPay wallet does not let a user receive funds until they have backed up the wallet.

 

We also have a video guide on how to back up your BitPay wallet:

PIN / Fingerprint app lock

The BitPay Wallet app offers the possibility of setting up a lock to restrict access to the app. In order to set up a PIN lock for the app, all the wallets in the app need to be backed up.

There are two options:

• PIN (available on mobile and desktop)
• Fingerprint (must be supported by the phone as well as enabled)

The PIN lock consists of a set of four numbers from 0 to 9. Fingerprint lock must be set up on the system (Android or iOS). If you do not know how to set up this feature, please refer to support for your device.

If a PIN or fingerprint lock is enabled, the lock screen is going to be shown every time the app is opened. If the password is entered incorrectly five times, the app will lock for two minutes.

Setting up a PIN or Fingerprint Lock

To set up a PIN or fingerprint lock:

1. Open the BitPay App.
2. Tap the gear icon on the top right corner.
3. Tap Lock.
4. Tap PIN or Fingerprint.
5. For a PIN lock, set the PIN and confirm. For a fingerprint lock, there is no additional set up after step 4.

What to do if you lose your PIN or Fingerprint lock

If you lose your PIN lock, to access the wallet again, you will need to remove the wallet and reinstall it. The app requires wallets to be backed up in order to set up the PIN lock. This is because if you delete the app without first backing it up, you will lose all your wallets and their funds.

There is no way to recover the fingerprint lock, but you can remove the fingerprint on the system options of your device. However, the next time you open up the app, you will be required to enter the system lock PIN (the PIN used to unlock the phone).

Wallet Export password

With the BitPay App you can export your wallet as a file (desktop version) or text (mobile version). The wallet export password is used to encrypt the wallet when exported. That same password will be required to decrypt the file when importing the wallet. We recommend you backup the wallet export password and store it in a safe place.

How to export the wallet

On mobile devices:

1. Open the BitPay App.
2. Tap the gear icon on the top right corner.
3. Within the Wallets section, select the desired wallet.
4. In the Wallets using this key section, select the wallet you want to export.
5. Scroll down and tap Export wallet.
6. Enter a wallet export password.
7. Repeat the password.
8. You have the option to copy the content to the clipboard or send it by email. Because the wallet export is encrypted, it is safe to be sent.

On desktop computers:

1. Open the BitPay App.
2. Click the gear icon on the top right corner.
3. Within the Wallets section, select the desired wallet.
4. In the Wallets using this key section, select the wallet you want to export.
5. Click Export wallet.
6. Enter a wallet export password.
7. Click Download.
8. A .JSON file will be downloaded. That file can be used to import the wallet. 

BitPay Checkout

Pairing code

The BitPay Checkout pairing code is a code that lets you connect your BitPay merchant account to the device using BitPay Checkout.

To generate a pairing code, please see How do I set up BitPay Checkout for accepting retail payments?

You can also refer to the BitPay Checkout documentation: https://bitpay.com/docs/retail

BitPay website passwords

Logging in via the dashboard

The BitPay login lets users manage their merchant, BitPay cardholder, and personal BitPay Dashboard accounts.

Does this login have something to do with the BitPay Wallet?

The BitPay web dashboard has no direct relationship with the BitPay Wallet app. Please see Why don't I have an online account for my BitPay wallet?

Does this login information provide an additional recovery method for the BitPay Wallet?

No. The only way to recover the BitPay Wallet is by the recovery phrase.

Do I need to create an “account” on the BitPay website to have or manage a BitPay Wallet?

No. The BitPay Wallet is totally independent from the BitPay site. Wallets are created and managed on the BitPay Wallet app.

Can I see my BitPay Wallet funds online?

No, the only way to see your wallet funds is by accessing the wallet app itself on the device where it is installed.

I have set up an email address and password in the BitPay Wallet app, and now I cannot login in the website.

The email address that can be set up in the BitPay Wallet app is used to notify the user when a transaction or purchase is performed.

The encrypt password set up in the wallet app is used to encrypt and protect the wallet. It is required to send funds and other operations.

The email address and password set up in the wallet app is unrelated to the BitPay website and cannot be used to log in.

The BitPay site login is not related to the wallet and cannot be used to manage your BitPay Wallet.

I have a BitPay Wallet and I have received an email notifying me about a transaction. Doesn’t this mean I have a BitPay account?

No. The email address you set up on the BitPay App is only for receiving notifications when a transaction is performed. Setting up a notification email does not set up an online account or login information on the BitPay website.

What is the BitPay website login for?

The website login is used by BitPay users (such as merchants, cardholders, and purchasers) to manage their BitPay accounts.

I have the BitPay Card, but I cannot see my wallet funds in the cardholder dashboard.

The BitPay Card dashboard only shows the information for the cardholder’s BitPay Card account. The BitPay Card dashboard does not show the wallet balance or any other wallet information.

Two factor authentication

Two Factor Authentication, also known as 2FA or "multi factor authentication," is an extra layer of security on your website login. Two Factor Authentication makes a login require not only a password and username but also something secondary that only the user should have access to, such as a physical token.

Using a username and password together with a piece of information that only the user has makes it harder for potential intruders to gain access and steal that person's personal data, identity, or funds.

Learn more about enabling two factor authentication for your BitPay account.