At its simplest level, a crypto payment transfers cryptocurrencies from one wallet to another. To do this manually, you’ll need the recipient’s public address. Using your wallet, you then copy the address in and send the funds. While this sounds easy, the process can be tricky and intimidating for newcomers. It’s not rare for users to make irreversible mistakes, such as sending the wrong kind of crypto to a certain address or selecting the wrong blockchain network. As there is no way to return a crypto transaction, these often lead to significant losses. To help make the process foolproof, crypto service providers like Binance have created more intuitive crypto payment methods. These gateways turn a complicated process into one that can be done in just a few seconds. The exact steps differ depending on the payment processor, but the usual method is as follows:

1. A customer decides to pay for a good or service, or someone wants to pay a friend.

2. The recipient creates a digital invoice to be paid using their payment gateway. This is usually a QR code containing the receiving wallet address and the amount needed. For example, purchasing a $10 (US dollar) meal would require $10 of a specific cryptocurrency at the current market rate.

3. The payer scans the QR code with the app and confirms the payment.

4. The crypto is transferred to the payee’s account or digital wallet.

This whole process can be completed in just a few clicks. It’s also safer and more convenient than attempting to do all steps manually.