# Overview

> Start with the basics of how Stafiel works.

Canonical: https://stafiel.org/documentation/start/overview
Version: v1.0.0

Stafiel helps merchants accept USDT and USDC payments through hosted checkout,
embedded checkout experiences with QR-based payment details, and payment APIs.
It is designed for merchants that want stablecoin payment collection without
asking Stafiel to hold their merchant wallet private keys.

![Stafiel payment layer overview](/documentation/docs-overview-payment-layer-light.png)

## What Stafiel Does

Stafiel provides the payment layer between your checkout flow and supported
blockchain payment rails. You create a checkout, show the customer a payment
experience, and track the order as the payment is detected, confirmed, settled,
or marked as an exception.

Merchants can use Stafiel to:

- Create checkout sessions for USDT or USDC payments.

- Send customers to a hosted checkout page.

- Embed payment experiences with the checkout snippet or widget.

- Let customers pay by scanning a QR code or copying the payment address.

- Track order, payment, settlement, invoice, receipt, refund, and event status.

## Who It Is For

Stafiel is built for merchants, especially online businesses, that want to add
stablecoin checkout to an existing sales flow. It can support direct checkout
links, embedded payment areas, API-driven checkout creation, and operational
workflows in the Merchant Dashboard.

The product is useful when your team needs:

- A stablecoin payment experience that can fit into an existing checkout.

- Clear order status instead of manually checking blockchain explorers.

- A way to separate testing activity from real payment activity.

- Merchant-controlled receiving wallets.

## Wallet Boundary

Stafiel does not ask for your merchant wallet private keys. Your merchant wallet
configuration determines where supported payment flows settle. Supported chains
use contracts or on-chain programs to enforce payment and settlement behavior,
but your merchant wallet remains your responsibility.

For operational details, see [Wallet Settings](/documentation/merchant-operations/wallet-settings)
and [Security and Wallet Boundary](/documentation/risk-and-reference/security-and-wallet-boundary).

## Where To Go Next

- Start with [Quickstart](/documentation/start/quickstart) to create your first
checkout.

- Review [Supported Assets and Networks](/documentation/start/supported-assets-and-networks)
for supported tokens, networks, and checkout payment options.

- Read [Mainnet vs Testnet](/documentation/start/mainnet-vs-testnet) to understand
how Stafiel provides testnet as a sandbox for integration and payment testing.