Your wallet is set up, you've bought some crypto, and now you need to actually send it to someone. Whether you're paying for music promotion, buying a service, or sending funds to a collaborator, the first time you send crypto can be nerve-wracking. After all, crypto transactions are irreversible — there's no undo button.
This guide walks through the entire process step by step, so you know exactly what to expect, what to watch out for, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Before You Send: The Pre-Flight Checklist
Before you send a single satoshi, verify these things:
- You have enough crypto — check your wallet balance. You need the payment amount plus the network fee. If you're sending USDT or USDC on Ethereum, you also need a small amount of ETH in your wallet for gas fees (the network fee). If you're sending USDT on Tron, you need a small amount of TRX for energy/bandwidth
- You know the correct address — get the recipient's wallet address from a trusted source. For online purchases, this comes from the merchant's checkout page. Never use addresses from DMs, emails, or transaction history
- You know the correct network — this is critical. USDT exists on multiple blockchains (Ethereum, Tron, Solana, etc.). The address must match the network. Sending USDT on Tron to an Ethereum address will result in lost funds. Always confirm the network shown at checkout matches the one your wallet is sending from
- You're on the correct website — if paying a merchant, triple-check the URL. Phishing sites are the most common way people lose crypto
Step 1: Open Your Wallet and Select "Send"
Open your wallet app (Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, etc.) and find the "Send" button. Most wallets place it prominently on the main screen. You may need to select which cryptocurrency you want to send first — tap on your BTC, ETH, USDT, or USDC balance, then tap "Send."
Step 2: Enter the Recipient's Address
The safest way to enter the address is:
- Scan the QR code — if the merchant displays one, this is the safest method. It eliminates any possibility of clipboard hijacking or typos. Point your wallet's camera at the code, and the address populates automatically
- Copy and paste — if there's no QR code, copy the address from the merchant's checkout page and paste it into your wallet. After pasting, visually verify the first 6 and last 6 characters match the original. This catches clipboard malware that swaps addresses
Never type a wallet address manually. Crypto addresses are long strings of random characters. One wrong character means your funds go to the wrong address (or are lost entirely). Always copy-paste or scan.
Step 3: Enter the Amount
Enter the exact amount the merchant is requesting. Pay attention to whether the merchant wants a specific crypto amount (e.g., 0.0015 BTC) or a specific dollar amount (e.g., $50 in USDT).
For stablecoins, this is straightforward — $50 USDT is 50 USDT. For Bitcoin or Ethereum, the merchant's payment system typically calculates the exact crypto amount based on the current exchange rate. Send precisely what's displayed to avoid underpayment.
Important: Do not include the network fee in the payment amount. If the merchant wants 50 USDT, send exactly 50 USDT. The network fee is charged separately on top of that from your wallet balance. Most wallets show you the total (amount + fee) before you confirm.
Step 4: Understand and Set the Network Fee
Every blockchain transaction requires a network fee (also called gas on Ethereum or a miner fee on Bitcoin). This fee goes to the validators or miners who process your transaction — not to the merchant.
Most wallets offer fee tiers:
- Low/Slow — lowest fee, but your transaction takes longer to confirm. On Bitcoin, this could mean 30-60+ minutes. Not ideal when a merchant is waiting for your payment
- Medium/Standard — recommended for most payments. Balances cost and speed well
- High/Fast — highest fee, fastest confirmation. Use when you need the transaction to confirm quickly, or during periods of high network congestion
For merchant payments, the medium or standard fee tier is usually the right choice. You want timely confirmation without overpaying. If the network is congested and you see unusually high fees, consider waiting or switching to a different cryptocurrency with lower fees.
Step 5: Review and Confirm
Before hitting the confirm button, your wallet will show a summary screen. Check every detail:
- Recipient address — verify the first and last several characters one more time
- Amount — confirm it matches what the merchant requested
- Network — make sure you're sending on the correct blockchain
- Fee — confirm the fee amount is reasonable
- Total deduction — the amount plus the fee, which will be deducted from your wallet
Once you tap "Confirm" (and authenticate with your biometrics or PIN), the transaction is submitted. There's no going back after this point.
Step 6: Save the Transaction Hash
After confirming, your wallet will display a transaction hash (txid) — a long string of letters and numbers. This is your receipt. Copy it and save it somewhere. You'll need it to:
- Track the transaction status
- Prove to the merchant that you sent the payment
- Troubleshoot if something goes wrong
- Keep records for tax purposes
Step 7: Check the Status on a Block Explorer
You can track your transaction's progress in real time using a block explorer:
- Bitcoin: Go to mempool.space and paste your transaction hash
- Ethereum/ERC-20: Go to etherscan.io and paste your transaction hash
- Tron/TRC-20: Go to tronscan.org and paste your transaction hash
The block explorer will show the transaction status (pending, confirmed), the number of confirmations, and the details of the transfer. Once the required number of confirmations is reached (varies by merchant), your payment is considered complete.
What to Do If Your Transaction Is Stuck
Sometimes transactions get stuck in the mempool, usually because the fee was too low during a congestion period. Here's what to do for each network:
Stuck Bitcoin Transaction
- Wait — most stuck Bitcoin transactions eventually confirm, even with low fees. It may take hours or in rare cases a few days, but the transaction will either confirm or be dropped from the mempool (returned to your wallet)
- RBF (Replace-By-Fee) — if your wallet supports it and you enabled RBF before sending, you can rebroadcast the transaction with a higher fee. Check your wallet's settings
- CPFP (Child-Pays-For-Parent) — a more advanced technique where the recipient sends a high-fee transaction that incentivizes miners to confirm both. Not practical for most payment situations
Stuck Ethereum Transaction
- Speed up — most Ethereum wallets (including MetaMask) offer a "Speed Up" button that resends the transaction with a higher gas price
- Cancel — some wallets let you cancel a pending transaction by sending a zero-value transaction with the same nonce and higher gas. This replaces the stuck transaction
Tron Transactions
Tron transactions very rarely get stuck due to the network's fast block times (about 3 seconds). If a Tron transaction doesn't go through, it typically fails immediately with an error rather than getting stuck. The most common issue is insufficient TRX for energy/bandwidth — make sure you have at least 15-30 TRX in your wallet for fees when sending TRC-20 tokens.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Wrong network — the number one mistake. Always confirm the blockchain network before sending. If the merchant asks for USDT on Tron and you send USDT on Ethereum, the funds are lost
- Not enough for fees — your wallet needs the payment amount plus a network fee. For ERC-20 tokens, you need ETH for gas even if you're sending USDT. Check that you have enough of the native token for fees
- Sending the wrong amount — double-check the amount. If the merchant asks for 49.50 USDT, don't round to 50 and don't send 49. Send exactly what's requested to avoid payment matching issues
- Using old addresses — some merchants generate unique addresses for each order. Using an address from a previous order may not be credited to your new order. Always use the address displayed for your current transaction
- Sending from an exchange instead of a wallet — some exchanges modify the sending address or batch transactions, which can cause issues with merchant payment detection. If possible, send from a personal wallet rather than directly from an exchange
Your First Crypto Payment: A Practical Example
Let's walk through a real scenario. Say you want to buy a Spotify plays package from StreamingFamous:
- You go to the Spotify plays page and select your package
- At checkout, you choose USDT as your payment method
- The checkout shows the amount (e.g., 29.99 USDT) and a wallet address, along with a QR code
- You open Trust Wallet, tap your USDT balance, tap "Send"
- You scan the QR code with your wallet's camera — the address auto-fills
- You enter 29.99 as the amount
- You confirm the network matches (e.g., Tron TRC-20)
- You review the summary screen: address, amount, fee, total
- You tap Confirm and authenticate with your fingerprint
- You copy the transaction hash and save it
- Within seconds (on Tron), the payment confirms
- You receive your order confirmation and tracking details
That's the entire process. After your first transaction, it becomes second nature.
Building Confidence
If you're still nervous, consider sending a test transaction first. Send a tiny amount (like $1 in USDT) to the merchant address and verify it arrives before sending the full amount. Yes, you'll pay the network fee twice, but the peace of mind is worth it for your first experience.
For a deeper understanding of what happens behind the scenes when you send crypto, read our visual guide to how blockchain payments work. And for tips on staying safe, check our guide to avoiding crypto scams.