How to sell license keys online: let Skalp generate them, or bring your own
Skalp delivers license keys the moment a payment clears, in one of two ways. Skalp can generate a unique key for every sale and your app checks it through the API. Or you upload keys you already have and each sale takes the next one from the pool.
Which one should I pick?
| Skalp-generated keys | Your own key pool |
|---|
| Where keys come from | Skalp creates one per sale | You paste a list of keys or serials |
| Good for | Your own software, plugins, scripts, bots | Keys issued by someone else: game keys, software resale, gift codes |
| Checking a key | Your app calls the Skalp API, or stores the key from the webhook | Whatever system issued the keys |
| Running out | Never | You see the remaining count and get warned when the pool is empty |
| Refunds and chargebacks | The license can be revoked, so the key stops working | The key was delivered; handle revocation at the source |
Option 1: keys generated by Skalp
Use this when you wrote the software. Every order gets a fresh key tied to that order and that buyer. Your app checks it in one of two ways:
- Ask the API on startup. The
@skalpgg/sdk package for Node and edge runtimes (and the Go module skalp.gg/go) has a license check with types for every response. A key from a refunded order or a lost chargeback stops passing the check.
- Keep your own copy. Every order fires a webhook with the key, so you can store it in your database and check locally.
Subscriptions work the same way: the license stays valid while the subscription is paid.
Option 2: your own key pool
Use this when the keys exist already. In the product settings, paste the keys one per line, set how many go out per order, and keep an eye on the counter. Each sale takes the next unused key, so no key is ever sent twice. Serial numbers work the same way. Quantities work too: a buyer who orders three gets three keys.
What the buyer sees
Right after payment the key shows on the order page and arrives by email. It also stays in the buyer's library, so a lost email never turns into a support ticket.
Taxes and disputes
Skalp sells the key as the merchant of record. VAT or GST for the buyer's country is added at checkout, the invoice is issued by Skalp, and chargebacks are handled by Skalp's team. Your share arrives in your payouts.
Questions people ask
Can one product use both methods?
Pick one per product. Many sellers run generated keys for their own tools and a key pool for resold codes, in the same store.
Can I ask the buyer for something before delivery?
Yes. Custom checkout fields collect things like a username or a server IP. The answers appear on the order and in webhooks and API v1.
How much does it cost?
Opening a store is free. Skalp takes 10% per sale, 7% once you pass $20,000 in 30 days, with payment processing included.