Programmer Shocked That Someone Bought API Key

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — A local internet application developer was recently surprised by an automatic deposit in his PayPal account.

“I couldn’t explain the $1.25. My wife started asking questions about where the money was coming from,” said Payton Henning.

“Ultimately, I linked it back to some amateur radio software I’d made in 2003. A ham had actually bought a license key for my API,” he said.

Henning doesn’t have a ham radio license but knows a lot about hams.

“These guys are so cheap, I’d just never seen it happen before. The payment included the guy’s callsign so I looked him up and reached out to him via email. He thanked me for the message and said that he accidentally clicked “purchase” when viewing the page. He then asked if I wouldn’t mind refunding the $1.25,” Henning said.

After the PayPal fee, Henning actually lost .15 cents in the deal.

By K5PO, on the scene.