USDT Overview: How to Pay and Which Network to Choose? (2024)

The stablecoin market features dozens of worthy options, but USDT still reigns as the most popular of them all. One of the reasons why USDT is so successful is the fact that it is available on multiple blockchains. The flexibility provided by USDT lets investors use it to interact with DeFi products and as a store of value. The large variety of blockchains in USDT’s arsenal also helps it maintain its status as a common payment option. Yet, the diversity of available networks may be quite overwhelming for someone who has never tried paying with USDT. Let’s find out the strengths and weaknesses of all networks where one can find USDT and discover which ones are the best to use when it comes to payments.

Key points:

• USDT exists on several blockchains.
• USDT on Tron and Solana are the best options for payments.
• NOWPayments is a USDT payment gateway that helps merchants accept USDT as a payment method.

What Is USDT

USDT, also known as Tether, is a stablecoin issued by Tether, the parent company of the project. Unlike many other stablecoins on the market, USDT is centralized, meaning it is controlled by Tether. USDT is called a stablecoin because its value is pegged to that of the U.S. dollar. In other words, 1 USDT is roughly equal to $1. According to Tether, USDT is always backed by reserves in order to maintain the ability for users to exchange their assets at any moment without any loss of value. USDT does not have its own blockchain; instead, it utilizes the infrastructure of several other networks, making it one of the most versatile assets in the industry. The apparent advantage of using USDT for the purpose of payments lies in the stability of its value. Thus, whenever a person needs to make a purchase using USDT, they do not face the risk of their funds depreciating due to market fluctuations. Basically, USDT is far more convenient than traditional cryptocurrencies, such as BTC or ETH.

What is the USDT payment gateway?

A crypto payment gateway is a solution that processes payments made in cryptocurrencies. Such tools provide businesses with the convenience of being able to accept digital assets in exchange for goods and services. They also give consumers the ability to utilize a means of payment that is more secure and easier to use. As a result, a USDT payment gateway is a system that lets you accept USDT or pay with it, depending on whether you are a business owner or a customer. NOWPayments is one of the USDT payment gateways available on the market today. The key features of NOWPayments are non-custodial services and low fees. NOWPayments does not store the funds of its clients and instead automatically makes payouts to the clients’ addresses. NOWPayments also charges just 0.5% per transaction, allowing customers to purchase their products with USDT without paying any exorbitant fees.

What Kind of Blockchains for USDT Are There?

When preparing to pay with USDT, it is especially crucial to choose the right network. Since USDT exists on several blockchains, utilizing the wrong one may cause you to lose your money, as it will not reach the merchant. This is why before making your payment, learn which blockchain is being used by the merchant by asking them about it. Alternatively, you can discover the blockchain type by looking at the address to which you need to send your payment. Still, asking the merchant is always a safer option, since some networks use the same kind of addresses.

Tron

Tron is an open-source blockchain used extensively by merchants for accepting USDT. Tron is the epitome of speed, as it is capable of handling 2000 transactions per second. The Tron network is powered by a Proof of Stake consensus, which is the secret to its unparalleled efficiency. What’s more, USDT transactions on Tron are among the cheapest across the available networks. A single USDT transaction will not cost you more than $1. You are unlikely to get such low fees when employing traditional payment systems. This is why, when you have a choice as to which network to utilize to send your payment in USDT, Tron seems like the most reasonable option.

BNB Smart Chain

BNB Smart Chain (BSC) is the network that belongs to Binance, the world’s leading crypto exchange. BSC has earned popularity thanks to its compatibility with Ethereum, but it does not mean that you can send the ETH version USDT to BSC without employing a special bridge. So, once again, be mindful of the network you use when sending payments in USDT. The particular advantage of BSC is the speed of transactions. The throughput of BSC currently stands at 2k transactions per second. Subsequently, you can transfer USDT payments fairly quickly using this network.

Ethereum

Ethereum is the biggest smart-contract blockchain in the industry. Yet, it is perhaps the least favorable one when it comes to USDT payments. Ethereum is too popular for its own good. This means that, occasionally, due to a high traffic on the network, transactions may cost you an arm and a leg. Moreover, the speed of USDT transactions on Ethereum leaves much to be desired. This is why using USDT on Ethereum is preferred mostly when you want to interact with certain DeFi protocols. Still, if the merchant you are buying your goods from accepts only the Ethereum version of USDT, you will be unlikely to encounter any considerable issues.

Bitcoin (Omni Layer)

Although Bitcoin does now let users create their own tokens on top of its network, there are solutions, which ensure smooth interoperability between the Bitcoin blockchain and various altcoins and smart contracts. Omni Layer is one such platform. In fact, it was the first network to host USDT. Today, the Omni version of USDT does not get much use. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of people who have Omni USDT in their wallets. NOWPayments lets merchants accept this kind of USDT and subsequently allows users to pay with it for products.

Solana

Solana is one of the main competitors of Ethereum. It is often referred to as an Ethereum on steroids. It is designed to serve as an efficient platform for Web3 apps and other projects. Solana can achieve an incredible throughput of 50k transactions per second, which makes it simply the quickest network in the entire industry. This ensures that USDT transactions on Solana are processed within seconds. Additionally, the cost of transactions on Solana is usually lower than one cent. Overall, Solana is another excellent choice when it comes to making payments with USDT. When choosing between Ethereum and Solana, selecting the latter is preferable.

How to Pay with USDT to a Merchant

How to create and fund a USDT wallet

If you are new to USDT but want to purchase a certain product with it, you will first need to start with setting up a crypto wallet. It is a straightforward process. You will simply need to create a wallet, fund it with USDT, and make your first purchase (Those who already have a cryptocurrency wallet with USDT in it may skip the steps below). Let’s begin:

1. Download and install a crypto wallet app. For instance, you can use Guarda, which supports USDT on Solana, Tron, and several other networks. You can create a web wallet.

2. Click “Create a new wallet,” come up with a secure password, and download your backup key. You will need it to recover your wallet in case you lose access to it. Make sure to save it and do not show it to anyone.

3. Once you sign in to your account, find your preferred USDT (Tether) version on the left-side menu and select it. You will now be shown your wallet address, which you will be able to top up with tokens.

4. In order to fund your Tether wallet, you can go to the Buy&Sell page of the Guarda website and exchange your preferred currency for USDT.

6. Alternatively, you can use any other service that sells USDT. Just enter your wallet address and make a payment. The sum will be transferred to your wallet. NOTE: Always choose trusted providers and remember to use the right network. If you want to fund your Tron USDT wallet address, you will need to make sure that you buy exactly the Tron version of the token.

How to pay for products with USDT via NOWPayments

NOWPayments let merchants create custom payment links and utilize a host of other payment tools that enable them to accept USDT payments. As a customer, you will be easily able to pay for your products using our tools. Here is how you can utilize the payment link:

1. Ask the merchant about the available payment options and choose the USDT version, which is required (see the green tag near the name of the token).
2. Next, the merchant will create a payment link, which you will need to settle by transferring the payment sum to the address specified in the invoice.

3. Once the transaction is processed, the payment will be deposited into the merchant’s wallet address and you will receive your product.

Conclusion

USDT is one of the most versatile and convenient payment methods in crypto. Thanks to NOWPayments’ tools, you can shop with USDT at many businesses around the world.