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I set up a QR code on my website to receive Bitcoin payments. So now I need to test it. I thought that if I install a Coinbase app it would let me scan it with its QR code scanner to see how my QR code looks like, but after giving Coinbase my address, phone number, DOB and last 4 numbers of my SSN, they now want to have access to my checking account.

Is there an app or some way to test my QR code with a smartphone (iPhone) without signing my life away?

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  • Coinbase is a custodial exchange business, that will demand all your KYC info. Use any non-custodial wallet and it will work fine.
    – chytrik
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 22:27
  • @chytrik can you explain what's the difference between custodial and non-custodial wallets?
    – c00000fd
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 23:16
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    Non-custodial: the wallet gives you full control of your private keys (which are required to spend the funds stored in the wallet). Custodial: someone else has full control of the private keys (so you must ask them to spend your funds for you). Beware trusted third party solutions, such as custodial wallets. Similarly, I would recommend you at least consider using a self-hosted solution for receiving payments (ie, not the blockchain.com API), this will give you full control of your ability to receive BTC payments, and will be much better for your privacy (and the privacy of your users).
    – chytrik
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 23:25
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    This site has a good list of wallets you could consider using: bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet . You could also look at something like BTCpayserver as a means of accepting payments in a self-hosted fashion
    – chytrik
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 23:27
  • @chytrik thanks for the info. I actually created a wallet using Electrum app on my desktop. I think I can send BTC through it, don't I? And I use Blockchain.info web APIs to track any receipts into that wallet. (Still need to find ways to test it.) They provide a free API (without even setting up an account) that can call my PHP script when the payment arrives. So at this stage I'm just trying to test if my generated QR code will be recognized by a crypto-currency app running on a mobile phone. I just need to find one that will let me scan a QR code without giving them all my info :(
    – c00000fd
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 23:44

2 Answers 2

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Use another wallet like green wallet or Mycelium and scan the QR code.

Also, you can even verify the content of the QR with Google Lens, or another QR reading app.

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  • Thanks. Google Lens was able to scan it into a string that looks similar to what I put there.
    – c00000fd
    Commented Jan 29, 2020 at 23:45
  • As @paul-kania mentioned, please verify that the string you see in Google Lens is exactly what you expect it to be.
    – ohmyfromage
    Commented Jan 30, 2020 at 21:49
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My reputation is too low to comment, but I must tell you that you should make sure not that

Google Lens was able to scan it into a string that looks similar to what I put there

But rather the string should be exactly the same. To do this quickly you can check the first 4-5 characters and the last 4-5 characters of the string, and maybe a quick glance in the middle. Look into novelty addresses and you'll understand what it takes to forge/mimic an address.

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