- Scan the QR code at checkout with your Monero wallet. It fills in the address and the exact amount.
- Confirm and send. The fee is a few cents.
- Wait about 2 minutes for the first confirmation. Your remaining balance unlocks after about 20.
- Keep the transaction ID until your order arrives.
Paying with Monero feels unfamiliar the first time because the checkout shows things a card payment hides: a long address, a QR code, a countdown. Once you have done it once, it is quicker than typing in card details. This guide uses a typical online checkout, but the same steps work in a shop with a payment terminal.
Before you start: a wallet with some XMR
You need a Monero wallet with enough XMR to cover the price plus a few cents for the fee. On a phone, Cake Wallet (iPhone and Android), Monerujo (Android) and Stack Wallet all work. On a computer, Feather or the official Monero GUI. If you do not hold any XMR yet, you can usually swap another coin inside the wallet.
Step by step
- Choose Monero at checkout. The shop shows an address, an amount in XMR, a QR code and usually a timer, often 15 to 30 minutes, because the XMR price is locked for that long.
- Scan the QR code with your wallet's send screen. The code holds a payment link that looks like
monero:8Byke...?tx_amount=0.0821, so your wallet fills in both the address and the exact amount. On a computer, click the "open in wallet" link, or copy both values. - Check the details. Compare the first and last few characters of the address with the checkout page, and make sure the amount matches exactly. Do not round it.
- Pick the fee level. The default is fine. A higher priority only matters if the network is unusually busy.
- Send. The checkout usually updates within seconds to say the payment was seen.
- Wait for confirmation. A new Monero block arrives about every two minutes. Most shops accept the order after one confirmation; some wait for 10 (about 20 minutes) on expensive items.
The three kinds of address you will see
| Type | Starts with | Length | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard address | 4 | 95 characters | A wallet's main address |
| Subaddress | 8 | 95 characters | A fresh address per customer or order, the recommended default |
| Integrated address | 4 | 106 characters | An address with an order code built in, used by automated checkouts |
All three are normal. If a shop asks you to add a separate "payment ID" to your transaction, it is using an outdated system: separate long payment IDs were removed in Monero version 0.15. Contact the shop rather than guessing.
What it costs
Monero fees are small and do not depend on how much you send. We looked at 939 transactions on 25 October 2026: the median fee was about 0.000058 XMR, roughly 3.5 cents, and the cheapest about 2 cents. A $5 payment and a $5,000 payment cost the same to send.
Why your balance looks locked afterwards
After you pay, your wallet may show less available than you expect. Monero sends your "change" back to you in the same transaction and locks it for 10 blocks, about 20 minutes. Nothing is wrong. It becomes spendable again on its own.
How to prove you paid
Monero payments are private, so the shop cannot look you up by your name. If an order does not go through, you prove the payment with three pieces of information from your wallet's history:
- the transaction ID (TXID),
- the address you paid,
- the transaction key, or a transaction proof.
Where to find them:
- Cake Wallet: open the transaction in your history; the key is shown there.
- Feather: right-click the transaction and choose "Create tx proof".
- Monero GUI: open History, then the "P" button on the transaction.
The shop pastes these into its wallet or a block explorer to confirm the payment. One warning: restoring or rescanning a wallet can lose the transaction keys, so copy them before you do either while an order is open.
Sent the wrong amount?
Monero cannot be clawed back by the sender, so mistakes are fixed by the shop:
- Paid too little: payment systems such as BTCPay Server mark the invoice "paid partial". Many let you send the rest to the same address.
- Paid too much: the invoice shows "paid over". Contact the shop with the order number and transaction ID; a refund is a new payment from them to an address you give.
- Paid after the timer ran out: the invoice may show "paid late". Again, contact the shop. Do not pay a second time.
Small habits that keep it smooth
- Use the QR code or payment link rather than copying the address by hand.
- Pay within the timer. If it expires, start a new checkout instead of paying the old one.
- Pay from your own wallet, not straight from an exchange account: exchanges can delay withdrawals past the timer, and they link the payment to your identity.
- Keep the TXID until the order has arrived.
Ready to try it? Here is where you can spend Monero, and every business on Monero Friendly lists how it takes payment.
Questions people ask
How long does a Monero payment take?
The payment appears in the merchant's wallet within seconds, gets its first confirmation in about two minutes, and can be spent after 10 blocks, about 20 minutes. Many shops accept it after one confirmation; some wait longer for expensive items.
How much does it cost to send Monero?
A few cents. On 25 October 2026 the median fee across recent transactions was about 0.000058 XMR, roughly $0.035, and the cheapest about $0.02. The fee depends on the priority you choose and how many inputs the transaction has, not on the amount you send.
Do I still need a payment ID?
No. Separate long payment IDs were removed from Monero in version 0.15. Merchants now give you an integrated address or a fresh subaddress, which already tells them which order you paid.
How do I prove I paid with Monero?
Give the merchant the transaction ID, the address you paid and the transaction key (or a transaction proof) from your wallet's history. They can check it in their wallet or on a block explorer. Save these before restoring or rescanning a wallet, which can lose them.
What if I sent the wrong amount?
Contact the merchant with your order number and transaction ID. Payment systems mark underpaid orders as partially paid and overpaid ones as paid over; the merchant can ask you to top up or send the difference back. Monero payments cannot be reversed by the sender.
Why is my balance locked after paying?
Monero locks the change from a transaction for 10 blocks, about 20 minutes. It is a protocol rule, not a problem with your wallet, and your full balance becomes spendable again automatically.
Sources
- Monero: accepting payments (confirmations) getmonero.org
- Monero wallet RPC (payment URIs) docs.getmonero.org
- Cake Wallet: Monero URI scheme docs.cakewallet.com
- Moneropedia: address getmonero.org
- Moneropedia: payment ID getmonero.org
- Monero docs: subaddresses docs.getmonero.org
- Monero docs: integrated addresses docs.getmonero.org
- Cake Wallet: why is my balance zero (10-block lock) docs.cakewallet.com
- Monero guide: prove a payment getmonero.org
- Cake Wallet: prove a Monero payment docs.cakewallet.com
- Feather: prove a payment docs.featherwallet.org
- BTCPay Server: invoice states docs.btcpayserver.org
- Recent Monero transactions (fee data) xmrchain.net
Checked October 2026. Prices and payment options change, so confirm with the business before you pay. Found something out of date? Let us know.