How does Crypto work for online payments?
The merchant prices the order in its usual currency, such as USD or EUR. At checkout the shopper chooses crypto, then picks the coin and the network. The crypto provider converts the price into a crypto amount at a rate it locks for a short window, and shows a wallet address and a QR code. The shopper scans the code or copies the address into their wallet and sends the exact amount.
Choosing the network matters. A stablecoin such as USDT exists on many blockchains: Tether lists Ethereum, Tron, Solana, TON, Avalanche and others, and has stopped issuing on some older ones. A payment sent on a network the provider does not support for that address may not arrive, so the checkout has to show the network clearly next to the address.
The payment then waits for confirmations. A transaction is broadcast first and is only final once it is included in blocks on the chain. Bitcoin adds a new block about every 10 minutes on average, and low-fee transactions can take longer. BitPay’s documentation is a good example of how providers handle this. Its invoices give the shopper 15 minutes to pay at the locked rate, and an invoice expires if no payment arrives in that window. A Bitcoin payment can be treated as confirmed after one block, about 10 minutes, or as complete after two, about 20 minutes. If the transaction is not confirmed within one hour, the invoice is marked invalid, although it can still move to confirmed later.
Once the payment is confirmed, the provider credits the merchant. BitPay, for example, credits the merchant’s account in its chosen settlement currency when an invoice reaches complete. When that currency is fiat, the provider handles the conversion and the merchant does not need to hold crypto. The settlement currency is part of the provider agreement.
Where and how do shoppers use Crypto?
Shoppers who already hold crypto use it the way others use a bank transfer: they send funds from a wallet app or an exchange account. Stablecoins are the practical choice for paying, because their value is tied to a currency. USDC in the EU is issued by Circle’s French entity, which holds an electronic money institution licence from the French regulator, the ACPR. Holders of a MiCA e-money token have a right of redemption against the issuer at any time and at par value. Bitcoin is the best-known crypto-asset, but its price can rise or fall quickly, which is why providers lock the rate only for a short time.
A crypto payment cannot be reversed by the sender’s bank or card scheme. Bitcoin.org states plainly that a Bitcoin transaction cannot be reversed and can only be refunded by the person who received it. For a merchant, that means no chargebacks, and a refund is a new transfer to an address the shopper provides.
What rules and costs should merchants know?
In the EU, MiCA applies. The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, (EU) 2023/1114, sets EU rules for crypto-asset issuers and service providers and has applied in full since 30 December 2024. Crypto-asset service providers need MiCA authorisation, and an authorised provider can serve clients in every EU member state. ESMA has confirmed that the transitional period ended across the EU on 1 July 2026; any firm serving EU clients without a MiCA licence after that date is in breach of EU law and must stop. ESMA keeps a register of authorised providers.
Stablecoins face their own test. In January 2025 ESMA and the European Commission set out that service providers had to restrict services for stablecoins whose issuers are not authorised under MiCA, no later than the end of the first quarter of 2025. Which stablecoins a provider can offer to EU shoppers therefore depends on the issuer’s status.
The travel rule covers crypto. Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 extends the duty to send information about the originator and beneficiary to crypto-asset service providers, with EBA guidelines applying from 30 December 2024. Transfers to or from self-hosted wallets are part of this regime.
In the UK, the FCA says that buyers of cryptoassets have no consumer protections and are not covered by the compensation scheme, and that marketing must say so. A full UK regime covering stablecoin issuance, custody and trading platforms will apply from 25 October 2027. In the US, the GENIUS Act, signed on 18 July 2025, regulates payment stablecoins and requires full reserve backing in liquid assets such as US dollars or short-term Treasuries.
Regulators also warn consumers. In October 2025 the EU supervisory authorities said that crypto-assets can be risky and legal protection may be limited, and advised consumers to check that a provider is authorised in the EU. A merchant offering crypto should use an authorised provider and describe crypto only as a way to pay.
How would Omno handle Crypto?
- Same checkout: Crypto would appear in the hosted checkout next to cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and local methods. Merchants with their own payment screens would offer it through Direct Links on their own buttons.
- Connected providers: Omno would connect to licensed crypto payment providers. It is not a crypto exchange, does not hold crypto or fiat funds, and the provider handles the address, the rate and the conversion.
- Rules the merchant sets: Routing rules would choose the crypto provider, for example by currency or country. In the hosted checkout, if a provider is unavailable or rejects the request, the payment would move to the next provider in the rule until one accepts.
- Webhook status: The order would stay pending until the provider confirms the payment on the blockchain, and the final status would reach the merchant by webhook.
What should merchants plan for?
Decide which coins and networks to accept, and show the network clearly at checkout. Set when an order counts as paid, based on the provider’s confirmation status, and ship only after it. Plan for underpayments, overpayments and expired payment windows. Agree the settlement currency with the provider, and keep a simple refund process that asks the shopper for a return address.