Crypto BasicsBeginner

Crypto payment button: what it is and how to add one

A crypto payment button adds a crypto checkout to your site: customers scan a QR code and send coins. Confirmed payments are final, so refunds are the fix.

Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief Updated Oct 5, 20263 min readFact-checked

Illustration: World-Crypt

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What is a crypto payment button?How do you add one to a site?What happens when a customer pays?What are the US tax rules?FAQ

Key takeaways

A button starts a payment; it is not a wallet.
Add one through a processor, a wallet address, or a plugin.
Crypto income still needs US tax reporting.

Short answer

A cryptocurrency payment button lets a customer pay a business in crypto on a website or at checkout. Clicking it starts a payment that settles on a blockchain.

Setting it up takes a processor account, a wallet address, or a site plugin. Because coin prices move all day, a Crypto Converter with live prices shows what a payment was worth.

What is a crypto payment button?

Crypto payment buttons at a glance

Value: Can change after it is received
Visibility: Visible to the public
Reporting: Report the income as ordinary income

A crypto payment button is a checkout tool for taking cryptocurrency as payment. The customer picks a coin and sends it straight to your wallet. That differs from a crypto exchange transfer.

Card checkout compared with a crypto payment button
	Card checkout	Crypto payment button
How the money moves	Through banks and card networks	On a blockchain
Who can reverse it	The card network	Nobody once it is confirmed

How do you add one to a site?

You have three routes: a hosted processor, a wallet address shown as a link, or a site plugin. Hosted crypto checkouts have existed since the 2010s, and Coinbase Commerce opened in 2018.

Adding a payment button

Pick a processor that supports your coins.
Create an account and connect your wallet.
Install the plugin or paste the button code.
Run a small test payment and check it arrives.

What happens when a customer pays?

After the click, the checkout walks the customer through the payment. Nothing is final until the network confirms the transfer. A confirmed payment cannot be pulled back, so a refund is the only fix.

An invoice with the amount and receiving address.
A QR code a phone wallet can scan.
A coin or network choice.

What are the US tax rules?

US tax rules treat crypto as property, not currency. A business that takes crypto for goods or services reports the day's dollar value as ordinary income. A customer who spends coins that gained value may owe capital gains tax.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, if the wallet supports the same network. The checkout shows a QR code.

The coins may not reach the business address, and recovery depends on the wallet owner.

Most processors want a business account and identity checks, though some tools work for individuals.

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Written byVahe HakobyanVahe Hakobyan is the editor-in-chief of World-Crypt. He covers bitcoin, markets and regulation, and leads the newsroom that fact-checks every story before it goes live.