diff --git a/cashu/core/base.py b/cashu/core/base.py
index e30168b..0aa0244 100644
--- a/cashu/core/base.py
+++ b/cashu/core/base.py
@@ -153,10 +153,14 @@ class CheckRequest(BaseModel):
     proofs: List[Proof]
 
 
-class CheckInternalRequest(BaseModel):
+class CheckFeesRequest(BaseModel):
     pr: str
 
 
+class CheckFeesResponse(BaseModel):
+    fee: Union[int, None]
+
+
 class MeltRequest(BaseModel):
     proofs: List[Proof]
     amount: int = None  # deprecated
diff --git a/cashu/core/helpers.py b/cashu/core/helpers.py
index 0f8c885..cbc1dc5 100644
--- a/cashu/core/helpers.py
+++ b/cashu/core/helpers.py
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ def async_unwrap(to_await):
     return async_response[0]
 
 
-def fee_reserve(amount_msat: int) -> int:
+def fee_reserve(amount_msat: int, internal=False) -> int:
     """Function for calculating the Lightning fee reserve"""
+    if internal:
+        return 0
     return max(
         int(LIGHTNING_RESERVE_FEE_MIN), int(amount_msat * LIGHTNING_FEE_PERCENT / 100.0)
     )
diff --git a/cashu/lightning/lnbits.py b/cashu/lightning/lnbits.py
index ed655bf..97f8907 100644
--- a/cashu/lightning/lnbits.py
+++ b/cashu/lightning/lnbits.py
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ class LNbitsWallet(Wallet):
             )
         except:
             return PaymentStatus(None)
+        if r.json().get("detail"):
+            return PaymentStatus(None)
         return PaymentStatus(r.json()["paid"])
 
     async def get_payment_status(self, checking_id: str) -> PaymentStatus:
diff --git a/cashu/mint/ledger.py b/cashu/mint/ledger.py
index 97c621f..501eaa4 100644
--- a/cashu/mint/ledger.py
+++ b/cashu/mint/ledger.py
@@ -197,13 +197,13 @@ class Ledger:
             await update_lightning_invoice(payment_hash, issued=True, db=self.db)
         return status.paid
 
-    async def _pay_lightning_invoice(self, invoice: str, amount: int):
+    async def _pay_lightning_invoice(self, invoice: str, fees_msat: int):
         """Returns an invoice from the Lightning backend."""
         error, _ = await WALLET.status()
         if error:
             raise Exception(f"Lightning wallet not responding: {error}")
         ok, checking_id, fee_msat, preimage, error_message = await WALLET.pay_invoice(
-            invoice, fee_limit_msat=fee_reserve(amount * 1000)
+            invoice, fee_limit_msat=fees_msat
         )
         return ok, preimage
 
@@ -258,16 +258,15 @@ class Ledger:
         if not all([self._verify_proof(p) for p in proofs]):
             raise Exception("could not verify proofs.")
 
-        total = sum([p["amount"] for p in proofs])
+        total_provided = sum([p["amount"] for p in proofs])
         invoice_obj = bolt11.decode(invoice)
         amount = math.ceil(invoice_obj.amount_msat / 1000)
-
-        # check that lightning fees are included
-        assert total + fee_reserve(amount * 1000) >= amount, Exception(
+        fees_msat = await self.check_fees(invoice)
+        assert total_provided >= amount + fees_msat / 1000, Exception(
             "provided proofs not enough for Lightning payment."
         )
 
-        status, preimage = await self._pay_lightning_invoice(invoice, amount)
+        status, preimage = await self._pay_lightning_invoice(invoice, fees_msat)
         if status == True:
             await self._invalidate_proofs(proofs)
         return status, preimage
@@ -276,6 +275,17 @@ class Ledger:
         """Checks if all provided proofs are valid and still spendable (i.e. have not been spent)."""
         return {i: self._check_spendable(p) for i, p in enumerate(proofs)}
 
+    async def check_fees(self, pr: str):
+        """Returns the fees (in msat) required to pay this pr."""
+        decoded_invoice = bolt11.decode(pr)
+        amount = math.ceil(decoded_invoice.amount_msat / 1000)
+        # hack: check if it's internal, if it exists, it will return paid = False,
+        # if id does not exist (not internal), it returns paid = None
+        paid = await WALLET.get_invoice_status(decoded_invoice.payment_hash)
+        internal = paid.paid == False
+        fees_msat = fee_reserve(amount * 1000, internal)
+        return fees_msat
+
     async def split(
         self, proofs: List[Proof], amount: int, outputs: List[BlindedMessage]
     ):
diff --git a/cashu/mint/router.py b/cashu/mint/router.py
index 7a0378c..3888514 100644
--- a/cashu/mint/router.py
+++ b/cashu/mint/router.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ from secp256k1 import PublicKey
 
 from cashu.core.base import (
     CashuError,
+    CheckFeesResponse,
     CheckRequest,
+    CheckFeesRequest,
     GetMeltResponse,
     GetMintResponse,
     MeltRequest,
@@ -72,6 +74,12 @@ async def check_spendable(payload: CheckRequest):
     return await ledger.check_spendable(payload.proofs)
 
 
+@router.post("/checkfees")
+async def check_fees(payload: CheckFeesRequest):
+    fees_msat = await ledger.check_fees(payload.pr)
+    return CheckFeesResponse(fee=fees_msat / 1000)
+
+
 @router.post("/split")
 async def split(payload: SplitRequest):
     """
diff --git a/cashu/wallet/cli.py b/cashu/wallet/cli.py
index f53eb78..39086ac 100755
--- a/cashu/wallet/cli.py
+++ b/cashu/wallet/cli.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from loguru import logger
 
 import cashu.core.bolt11 as bolt11
 from cashu.core.base import Proof
-from cashu.core.bolt11 import Invoice
+from cashu.core.bolt11 import Invoice, decode
 from cashu.core.helpers import fee_reserve
 from cashu.core.migrations import migrate_databases
 from cashu.core.settings import CASHU_DIR, DEBUG, ENV_FILE, LIGHTNING, MINT_URL, VERSION
@@ -125,11 +125,13 @@ async def pay(ctx, invoice: str):
     wallet.load_mint()
     wallet.status()
     decoded_invoice: Invoice = bolt11.decode(invoice)
+    # check if it's an internal payment
+    fees = (await wallet.check_fees(invoice))["fee"]
     amount = math.ceil(
-        (decoded_invoice.amount_msat + fee_reserve(decoded_invoice.amount_msat)) / 1000
+        (decoded_invoice.amount_msat + fees * 1000) / 1000
     )  # 1% fee for Lightning
     print(
-        f"Paying Lightning invoice of {decoded_invoice.amount_msat // 1000} sat ({amount} sat incl. fees)"
+        f"Paying Lightning invoice of {decoded_invoice.amount_msat//1000} sat ({amount} sat incl. fees)"
     )
     assert amount > 0, "amount is not positive"
     if wallet.available_balance < amount:
diff --git a/cashu/wallet/wallet.py b/cashu/wallet/wallet.py
index cfd6a3a..719ffee 100644
--- a/cashu/wallet/wallet.py
+++ b/cashu/wallet/wallet.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import cashu.core.b_dhke as b_dhke
 from cashu.core.base import (
     BlindedMessage,
     BlindedSignature,
-    CheckInternalRequest,
+    CheckFeesRequest,
     CheckRequest,
     MeltRequest,
     MintRequest,
@@ -211,14 +211,13 @@ class LedgerAPI:
 
         return return_dict
 
-    async def check_internal(self, payment_request: str):
+    async def check_fees(self, payment_request: str):
         """Checks whether the Lightning payment is internal."""
-        payload = CheckInternalRequest(pr=payment_request)
+        payload = CheckFeesRequest(pr=payment_request)
         return_dict = requests.post(
-            self.url + "/checkinternal",
+            self.url + "/checkfees",
             json=payload.dict(),
         ).json()
-
         return return_dict
 
     async def pay_lightning(self, proofs: List[Proof], invoice: str):