License Activation

After purchasing a license, you need to download and activate it on your POS server.

Steps

1. Download Your License

Log in to the Moneta Pay Portal and go to Licenses. Click Download on your license to get the license JSON file.

2. Upload to Your POS

There are two ways to upload your license:

• From the dashboard — go to Admin > License & Hardware and use the Upload License button. The server validates and hot-reloads the license without requiring a restart.
• Manually — place the license file at /etc/moneta_pay/license.json on the server and restart the POS service.

3. Bind to Hardware

Licenses are bound to a specific hardware ID to prevent unauthorized use. The first time your POS server starts with a new license, it automatically generates a hardware ID and binds the license.

You can also manually bind from the portal: go to Licenses > [Your License] > Bind and enter the hardware ID shown on the POS server.

Trial Licenses

New installations automatically receive a full-experience trial license during the setup wizard:

• 21 days validity
• 15 waiters, 3 terminals
• All features included (Analytics, Stock Engine, ESD, M-PESA, Credit, Remote Access)

This gives you time to evaluate the system before purchasing.

License Expiry

When your license expires:

1. Grace period (7 days) — the system continues to work normally with renewal reminders displayed on the dashboard
2. Limited mode — after the grace period, new orders are restricted but existing data is preserved
3. Renewal — renew anytime from the portal to restore full functionality. Upload the new license from Admin > License & Hardware — no server restart needed

Card subscriptions renew automatically, so you don't need to worry about expiry.