Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/own-pay/OwnPay-Documentation/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

OwnPay ships with a built-in web installer. Once you upload the application files, create a database, and configure your web server’s document root, the installer wizard handles the rest — including writing your configuration, running database migrations, and creating your master administrator account. No command-line PHP knowledge is required for the core setup.
OwnPay’s document root must be pointed at the public/ subdirectory, not the root of the installation folder. Setting the document root to the root folder exposes application source files and configuration to the public internet. This is a critical security requirement.

​
Step-by-Step Installation

1

Download OwnPay from GitHub Releases

Go to the OwnPay GitHub Releases page and download the latest stable release.
  1. Find the most recent release at the top of the list
  2. Under Assets, click the .zip file (e.g. ownpay-v1.x.x.zip) to download it
  3. Save the file locally — you will upload it to your server in the next step
Always use the latest stable release for a production install. Pre-release and beta builds are marked clearly on the releases page.
2

Upload to Your Web Server and Set Document Root

Upload the downloaded ZIP to your server and extract it, then configure your web server to serve from the public/ directory.
  1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager
  2. Navigate to your website root folder (usually public_html/)
  3. Click Upload, select the OwnPay .zip file, and wait for the upload to complete
  4. Click the uploaded file, then click Extract in the toolbar
  5. Confirm there is no double-nested folder — the public/ directory should sit directly inside public_html/
  6. In your domain settings, set the document root to the public/ subfolder
3

Create a MySQL Database and User

OwnPay requires a dedicated MySQL database. Create the database and a user with full privileges on it.
  1. In cPanel, open MySQL Databases
  2. Create a new database (e.g. ownpay_db)
  3. Scroll to MySQL Users → Add New User, create a user (e.g. ownpay_user) with a strong password
  4. Under Add User To Database, select both, then grant ALL PRIVILEGES
Write down the database name, username, password, and host (localhost on most setups). You will enter these values during the web installer’s database configuration step.
4

Configure Nginx (VPS Only)

On a Linux VPS, create an Nginx server block for OwnPay. This configuration sets the document root to public/ and routes all requests through the front controller.
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/ownpay
Paste the following, replacing yourdomain.com with your actual domain:
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
    root /var/www/ownpay/public;
    index index.php;

    # Route all requests through the front controller
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    # Block access to sensitive files
    location ~ \.(env|git|md|json|lock|installed)$ {
        deny all;
    }

    # Block access to internal application directories
    location ~ ^/(src|config|database|modules|tests|vendor)/ {
        deny all;
    }

    # Allow public media files in storage
    location ~ ^/storage/(gateways|uploads)/ {
        allow all;
    }

    # Block all other storage access
    location ~ ^/storage/ {
        deny all;
    }

    # PHP processing via PHP-FPM
    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    # Block hidden files like .htaccess
    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }

    # Cache static assets
    location ~* \.(js|css|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|ico|svg|woff2|webp)$ {
        expires 1y;
        add_header Cache-Control "public, immutable";
    }
}
Enable the site, test the configuration, and reload Nginx:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ownpay /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Then install an SSL certificate with Certbot:
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com
5

Run the Web Installer

Open your browser and navigate to:
https://yourdomain.com/install
The installer is a four-step wizard:
StepWhat Happens
Requirements CheckThe installer verifies PHP version, required extensions, and folder write permissions. All items must be green before you can continue.
Database ConfigurationEnter your database host, port, name, username, and password. Click Test Connection to verify before proceeding.
Admin AccountCreate the master administrator account — enter your name, email address, and a strong password.
Application SettingsSet the app name, confirm the app URL, and choose your timezone. Click Install to write the config and run migrations.
On success, the installer displays a link to your login page at https://yourdomain.com/login.
After installation completes, enable Two-Factor Authentication on your master admin account immediately. Navigate to your profile settings to set it up. The installer lock file is written automatically — the /install route is disabled and cannot be re-run accidentally.
6

Configure the Cron Job

The cron job is required. It runs background tasks including payment queue processing, gateway status checks, webhook retries, and notification emails. Without it, many features will silently fail.
  1. Go to Advanced → Cron Jobs in cPanel
  2. Set the frequency fields to * * * * * (every minute)
  3. In the Command field, enter:
php /home/YOUR_USERNAME/public_html/public/index.php cron
Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual cPanel username. If OwnPay is installed in a subdirectory, adjust the path accordingly.
7

(Optional) Set Up Redis

Redis is not required but significantly improves performance for caching and background job processing. It is recommended for any production deployment expecting meaningful transaction volume.On Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt install -y redis-server php8.3-redis
sudo systemctl enable redis-server
sudo systemctl start redis-server
After installation, change the cache and queue driver to redis in Settings → System inside the OwnPay admin panel.

​
Troubleshooting

  • Confirm PHP 8.3 is active for your domain
  • On shared hosting, verify mod_rewrite is enabled (contact your host if unsure)
  • Confirm the public/ directory is the document root, not the installation root
  • Check that all OwnPay files extracted without a double-nested folder structure
  • Double-check the database name, username, and password — they must match exactly
  • On shared hosting the host is almost always localhost; on VPS use 127.0.0.1
  • Confirm the database user has ALL PRIVILEGES on the target database
On a VPS, check the Nginx and PHP-FPM error logs:
sudo tail -50 /var/log/nginx/error.log
sudo journalctl -u php8.3-fpm --no-pager -n 50
On shared hosting, look for Error Logs in your control panel under the domain or hosting section.
Set the storage directory to be writable by the web server:
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/ownpay/storage
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/ownpay/storage
On shared hosting, use File Manager to right-click storage/ and set permissions to 755 or 775.
OwnPay writes a lock file after a successful installation to prevent accidental reinstallation. If you see this message, OwnPay is already installed. Log in at yourdomain.com/login with your administrator credentials.

​
Next Steps

First Steps After Installation

Create your first brand, configure a gateway, and generate your first API key or payment link.

Brands and Stores

Understand how the multi-brand architecture works before setting up your merchant entities.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us