PayRam Setup

This is the deployment and onboarding guide for PayRam. Deploy the PayRam server on your VPS and configure the dashboard before integrating payments into your application.

What is PayRam?

PayRam is a self-hosted crypto payment gateway. You deploy it on your own server — no signup, no KYC, no third-party custody. Accept USDT, USDC, Bitcoin, and ETH across Ethereum, Base, Polygon, and Tron.

Part 1: Deploy PayRam Server

Prerequisites

Server Requirements:

• CPU: 4 cores
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 50 GB SSD
• OS: Ubuntu 22.04
• Ports: 80, 443, 8080, 8443, 5432

Database Requirements:

• Engine: PostgreSQL
• vCPUs: 2 CPU cores
• Memory: 8 GB
• Storage: 50 GB SSD

Recommended VPS Providers: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Hetzner, Hostinger

Quick Setup (Recommended - 10 Minutes)

1. Connect to your VPS via SSH

2. Choose network (mainnet or testnet)

3. Run the installation script:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PayRam/payram-server/main/install.sh | bash

4. Follow the interactive prompts:

   • Enter PostgreSQL connection details
   • Set encryption keys
   • Configure domain/IP address
   • Choose SSL certificate options

5. Wait for installation to complete (~5-10 minutes)

The script automatically:

• Installs dependencies
• Sets up Docker containers
• Configures database connections
• Generates SSL certificates (if using Let's Encrypt)
• Starts PayRam services

Advanced Setup (Docker)

For manual Docker deployment with custom configurations:

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/PayRam/payram-server.git
cd payram-server

2. Configure environment variables:

cp .env.example .env
nano .env  # Edit with your database, encryption keys, domain

3. Start with Docker Compose:

docker compose up -d

4. Verify services are running:

docker compose ps

For detailed Docker setup instructions, see the PayRam deployment documentation.

Part 2: Onboard Your PayRam Instance

After the server is installed and running, complete the onboarding configuration through the dashboard.

Step 1: Create Root Account

1. Navigate to signup page:

   • Open http://<your-ip-address>/signup in your browser
   • Replace <your-ip-address> with your server's IP or domain

2. Set root email:

   • Enter your admin email (you'll use this to log in)
   • This becomes your root/administrator account

3. Set root password:

   • Create a strong password and store it securely
   • You can change it later in dashboard settings

4. Create your first project:

   • Enter a project name (e.g., "My E-commerce Store")
   • Projects represent different products/websites using PayRam

Step 2: Configure Node Details

After logging in, configure blockchain node connections:

1. Go to Settings → Node Details

2. For each chain you want to support:

   • Enter RPC endpoint URLs (public or private)
   • Recommended: Use dedicated node providers for production
   • Example providers: Alchemy, Infura, QuickNode, GetBlock

3. Test connections to verify nodes are accessible

Supported Chains:

• Ethereum (Mainnet/Testnet)
• Base (Mainnet/Testnet)
• Polygon (Mainnet/Testnet)
• Tron (Mainnet/Testnet)
• Bitcoin (Mainnet/Testnet)

Step 3: Configure Wallets

Set up your wallet infrastructure:

1. Go to Settings → Wallets

2. For each chain, configure:

   • Sweep Contract Address (deploy once per chain)
   • Cold Wallet Address (where funds are swept to)
   • Hot Wallet (for gas fees and instant payouts)

3. Deploy sweep contracts using the provided scripts in the dashboard

4. Fund hot wallets with native tokens:

   • ETH for Ethereum/Base
   • MATIC for Polygon
   • TRX for Tron
   • BTC for Bitcoin

Step 4: Set Up Hot Wallets

Configure hot wallets for paying gas fees:

1. Go to Settings → Hot Wallets

2. For each chain:

   • Generate a hot wallet or import an existing one
   • Fund it with enough native tokens for gas
   • Set auto-refill thresholds (optional)

Recommended Hot Wallet Balances:

• Ethereum: 0.5-1 ETH
• Base: 0.1-0.5 ETH
• Polygon: 100-500 MATIC
• Tron: 1000-5000 TRX

Step 5: Configure Funds Sweeping

Set up automatic fund sweeping to your cold wallet:

1. Go to Settings → Sweeping Configuration

2. Configure sweep rules:

   • Minimum balance threshold before sweep
   • Sweep schedule (e.g., every 6 hours)
   • Gas price limits

3. Enable auto-sweep for each chain

4. Test sweep with a small payment to verify everything works

Step 6: Generate API Keys

Create API keys for your application:

1. Go to Settings → API Keys

2. Generate a new API key for your project

3. Copy and securely store:

   • PAYRAM_API_KEY (for authentication)
   • PAYRAM_BASE_URL (your server's URL)

4. Use these in your application's .env file

Part 3: Test Your Setup

After completing deployment and onboarding, verify everything works:

Test Payment Link

1. Go to Payment Links in the dashboard
2. Create a test payment (e.g., $1 USD)
3. Complete the checkout flow
4. Verify payment appears in dashboard
5. Check funds swept to cold wallet

Verify API Access

Test your API key works:

curl -X POST https://your-server.com/api/v1/payment \
  -H "API-Key: your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "customerEmail": "test@example.com",
    "customerId": "test-123",
    "amountInUSD": 1
  }'

Expected response:

{
  "reference_id": "ref_...",
  "url": "https://your-server.com/checkout/...",
  "host": "your-server.com"
}

Troubleshooting Setup Issues

Next Steps

After your PayRam server is deployed and configured, start integrating it into your application:

• Integrate payments into your app → payram-payment-integration
• Complete checkout implementation → payram-checkout-integration
• Handle webhooks → payram-webhook-integration
• Send payouts → payram-payouts
• Learn about stablecoin payments → payram-stablecoin-payments

MCP Server Tools

For automated setup assistance, use the PayRam MCP server:

All PayRam Skills

Need help? Message the PayRam team on Telegram: @PayRamChat

• Website: https://payram.com
• GitHub: https://github.com/PayRam
• MCP Server: https://github.com/PayRam/payram-helper-mcp-server