What is a crypto payment gateway?
How crypto payments work, why businesses are adopting them, and how to start accepting Bitcoin, USDT and other cryptocurrencies — without giving up control of your money.
What is a crypto payment gateway?
A crypto payment gateway is the software that lets a business accept cryptocurrency from customers. It handles the parts that are difficult to do yourself: showing the customer the correct amount to pay, generating a payment address and QR code, converting your prices from fiat currency, watching the blockchain until the payment confirms, and then telling your website that the order is paid.
In other words, it does for crypto what Stripe or PayPal do for cards — except the money moves on a public blockchain instead of through the banking system.
Crypto IPG is a non-custodial crypto payment gateway: it performs all of those functions, but the funds go directly to a wallet you control. We never hold your money.
How does a crypto payment gateway work?
From the customer's point of view it's as simple as any other checkout. Behind the scenes, four things happen:
Invoice created
Your store asks the gateway for an invoice — for example €50. The gateway converts that to the crypto amount at the live exchange rate.
Customer pays
They see a checkout page with the exact amount, your receiving address and a QR code, and send the payment from their wallet.
Blockchain confirms
The gateway watches the blockchain and waits for the required number of confirmations, so the payment can't be reversed.
Order marked paid
A signed webhook notifies your store, the order is marked paid, and you and the buyer receive an email receipt.
The whole process usually takes seconds to a few minutes, depending on the coin. Stablecoins on fast networks like Tron typically confirm almost immediately.
Custodial vs non-custodial: the most important difference
Not all crypto gateways work the same way, and the difference matters a great deal for your business.
| Custodial gateway | Non-custodial gateway (Crypto IPG) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who holds the funds | The gateway company holds them for you | You do — payments arrive in your own wallet |
| Settlement | Payout schedules, withdrawal requests, minimums | Instant — the coins are already yours |
| Risk | Account freezes, company insolvency, hacks | No counterparty holding your money |
| Verification | Often heavy KYC before you can withdraw | You control your own wallet |
| Fees | Usually a percentage of every transaction | A flat subscription, not a cut of your sales |
Benefits of accepting crypto payments
No chargebacks
Blockchain transactions are final. Once confirmed, a payment cannot be reversed — eliminating friendly fraud and chargeback fees that plague card payments.
Lower costs
No 2–3% card processing fee on every sale. Network fees on chains like Tron are often a fraction of a cent, paid by the customer.
Global by default
Accept payments from customers anywhere, including regions where cards are unreliable or your business can't get merchant services.
Faster settlement
No waiting days for funds to clear. With a non-custodial gateway the money is in your wallet as soon as the transaction confirms.
No account freezes
Payment processors are known for abruptly holding funds. With direct-to-wallet payments there's no balance for anyone to freeze.
Reach new customers
Millions of people hold crypto and actively prefer to spend it. Offering it can win sales you would otherwise never see.
Which cryptocurrencies should you accept?
You don't need to accept everything. Most merchants do best starting with stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to the US dollar — because they remove price volatility while keeping crypto's speed and low fees.
Bitcoin
Tether USDT
USD Coin
Ethereum
Litecoin
Tron
Dogecoin
Solana
Polkadot
A practical starting point
- USDT or USDC on Tron — the most widely used option for real-world payments: dollar-pegged, confirms in seconds, and network fees are tiny.
- Bitcoin — the most recognised cryptocurrency; many customers expect to see it offered.
- Litecoin — fast and cheap, a good low-fee alternative to Bitcoin.
Crypto vs credit card fees
Card processing typically costs around 2.9% plus a fixed fee per transaction, plus chargeback fees when disputes occur. On €10,000 of monthly sales that's roughly €300 every month, before any disputes.
With a non-custodial crypto gateway, the economics are different: the blockchain network fee is paid by the customer sending the transaction, and the gateway charges you a flat subscription rather than a percentage. As your volume grows, your cost per sale falls instead of rising.
Who uses crypto payment gateways?
- Web hosting and VPS providers — a natural fit; many customers specifically look for crypto-friendly hosts.
- Digital products and software — instant delivery pairs well with instant payment.
- Online stores selling internationally, especially where card acceptance is difficult.
- Freelancers and agencies invoicing clients abroad without expensive cross-border transfers.
- Subscription businesses that want to avoid chargebacks and card expiry churn.
How to start accepting crypto payments
- Set up a crypto wallet. You need a wallet you control for each coin you want to accept. Our crypto wallet guide walks through choosing and securing one.
- Create a Crypto IPG account. Free to start — add your website and generate an API key.
- Add your wallet addresses for each coin you want to offer.
- Install the plugin for your platform — WooCommerce, WHMCS, PrestaShop, Blesta or Easy Digital Downloads — or use the REST API.
- Send a small test payment and confirm your order flips to paid before going live.
Security and compliance
Because a non-custodial gateway never holds funds, the biggest single risk in crypto payments — a third party losing your money — is removed. What remains is your own operational security: protect your wallet's recovery phrase, use strong passwords and two-factor authentication on your gateway account, and verify wallet addresses carefully when you add them.
Rules around accepting cryptocurrency differ by country and can change. Businesses should check their local tax and regulatory obligations — including how crypto revenue must be recorded — and take professional advice where needed. Crypto IPG provides the technology to accept payments; it does not provide legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to understand crypto to accept it?
No. Set up a wallet once, paste the address into your dashboard, and the gateway handles conversion, confirmation and notifications. Your customers see a normal checkout.
How do I avoid crypto price volatility?
Accept stablecoins such as USDT or USDC, which track the US dollar. Prices are still shown in your own currency, and the amount received holds its value.
How fast do payments arrive?
Usually seconds to a few minutes. Because payments are non-custodial, funds land in your wallet as soon as the network confirms — there is no payout delay.
What if a customer sends the wrong amount?
The invoice is matched to an exact amount. If something doesn't match, the payment shows as under- or overpaid so you can resolve it, and a dispute centre is built in for the customer.
Can I accept crypto and cards together?
Yes. Most merchants offer crypto alongside existing methods — it simply appears as another option at checkout.