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When a user signs up for Gnosis Pay, a new Gnosis Pay Safe a smart contract wallet is created on-chain.
This Safe holds the user’s funds and is controlled only by its owners. A Gnosis Pay Safe owner can be either:
  • an EOA (Externally Owned Account), or
  • another smart wallet (e.g. a Safe) whose owners may use passkeys, EOAs, or other signers.
Funds in a Gnosis Pay Safe are never held by Gnosis Pay or any third party; ownership and control remain entirely with the Safe owners.

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Authenticating sessions with wallets

To access the Gnosis Pay dashboard or APIs, a wallet must authenticate using Sign-In With Ethereum (SIWE).
After SIWE, a JWT token is issued and used to authorize API calls (e.g. ordering cards, fetching user info, or linking additional authenticated wallets). Authenticated wallets are used only for login and API sessions. They do not perform on-chain actions and may or may not overlap with the Safe owners.
The first wallet connected during setup is automatically registered as both an authenticated wallet and the initial Safe owner (via the Delay Module).
Follow the guide on adding an authenticated wallet for step-by-step instructions.

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Safe Smart Account

Each Gnosis Pay user is assigned a Safe Smart Account, a self-custodied smart contract wallet deployed on Gnosis Chain (L1).
Currently, a new Safe is deployed for every user. Support for connecting an existing Safe multisig is planned.

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What is a smart contract wallet?

Smart contract wallets are contracts that manage assets on-chain with programmable rules.
They enable advanced security and automation beyond EOAs. Safe is the leading smart contract wallet, securing over $70B in assets.

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Exploring the Safe setup

Users can view their Safe configuration in the Safe web app via the Zodiac app:
  1. Open the Gnosis Pay Dashboard.
  2. Click “View all transactions here” to open the Safe web app.
  3. In the sidebar, select Applications.
  4. Search for Zodiac.
The Roles Module and Delay Module are open-source contracts licensed under LGPL 3.0.

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Modules

Modules extend Safe functionality with custom logic.
In Gnosis Pay, modules enforce spending rules and transaction flows while keeping user funds in self-custody. These modules follow the Zodiac standard developed by Gnosis Guild.

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Roles Module

The Roles Module enforces which actions Gnosis Pay can perform on behalf of the user. It defines:
  1. Token used → which token Gnosis Pay can spend.
  2. Daily limit → maximum amount spendable per day.
  3. Recipient address → destination for allowed transfers (e.g. the issuer’s settlement Safe).
  4. Role delegation → assigns these permissions to Gnosis Pay.
Only Safe owners can update these rules.
For example, a user may adjust the daily spending limit at any time.

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Delay Module

The Delay Module enforces a 3-minute delay for all non-card transactions (e.g. transfers, deposits).
This ensures funds remain available for card payments and prevents race conditions.
During the 3-minute delay, the card is paused if any non-card transactions are pending.
The Delay Module also ensures the user’s EOA retains ultimate control.
During activation, the EOA becomes an indirect Safe owner via the Delay Module. ⚠️ Reconfiguring or removing the Delay Module may prevent Gnosis Pay from functioning properly.

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What happens if I lose access to my EOA Wallet?

If you’ve forgotten the password to your EOA Wallet, you can regain access using its seed phrase.
However, if you’ve lost access to the seed phrase and cannot regain access to the EOA, you will also lose access to the Safe if it’s the only owner.
To mitigate this risk, consider using a Safe with multiple owners instead of an EOA.