Accepting a payment with the GUI is very easy. Doesn't matter if you are a merchant or an user, you will have two pages available: Receive and Merchants.
A comprehensive list of terms that you often see and their explanation. If you don't know what a word means or you would like to have more info about it, just visit the Moneropedia. Some example of often searched terms are: @node, @fungibility, @view-key, @pruning.
After you have downloaded the Monero software (GUI and CLI alike), your antivirus or firewall may flag the executables as malware. Some antiviruses only warn you about the possible menace, others go as far as silently removing your downloaded @wallet / @daemon. This likely happens because of the integrated miner, which is used for mining and for @block verification. Some antiviruses may erroneously consider the miner as dangerous software and act to remove it.
After you install a wallet, you need to get some Monero. There are multiple ways to acquire some coins to spend, like mining or working in exchange for Monero, but the easiest way is to use an exchange and convert your fiat money into XMR. Many exchanges, centralized and decentralized, list Monero (XMR).
A full @node requires a considerable amount of storage and could take a long time to download and verify the entire blockchain, especially on older hardware. If you have limited storage, a pruned node is recommended. It only stores 1/8th of unnecessary blockchain data while keeping the full transaction history. If plenty of storage is available, a full node is recommended but a pruned node still greatly contributes to the network and improves your privacy.
A guide on how to accept a payment in Monero using the GUI wallet
library->masteringmonerop
A guide through the seemingly complex world of Monero.<br> It includes: <ul><li>A broad introduction to blockchains and the importance of privacy - ideal for non-technical users.</li> <li>Discussion of Bitcoin’s shortcomings and specific solutions provided by Monero.</li> <li>User stories (illustrating how Monero protects your privacy), analogies, examples, legal/ethical discussions, and code snippets illustrating key technical concepts.</li> <li>Details of the Monero decentralized network, peer-to-peer architecture, transaction lifecycle, and security principles.</li> <li>Introductions to technical foundations of Monero, intended for developers, engineers, software architects, and curious users.</li> <li>New developments such as Kovri, Bulletproofs, Multisignature, Hardware Wallets, etc.</li></ul>See <a href="https://masteringmonero.com/">Mastering Monero</a> website for information.
A guide through the seemingly complex world of Monero.<br> It includes: <ul><li>A broad introduction to blockchains and the importance of privacy - ideal for non-technical users.</li> <li>Discussion of Bitcoin’s shortcomings and specific solutions provided by Monero.</li> <li>User stories (illustrating how Monero protects your privacy), analogies, examples, legal/ethical discussions, and code snippets illustrating key technical concepts.</li> <li>Details of the Monero decentralized network, peer-to-peer architecture, transaction lifecycle, and security principles.</li> <li>Introductions to technical foundations of Monero, intended for developers, engineers, software architects, and curious users.</li> <li>New developments such as Kovri, Bulletproofs, Multisignature, Hardware Wallets, etc.</li></ul>