The appeal of ecommerce is customer choice, especially regarding payment methods. Credit cards and digital wallets still dominate, but cryptocurrency and stablecoins have become too prevalent to ignore. What started as an experiment is now a global payment method used for hundreds of millions of retail-sized transactions each year, and crypto is gaining traction in online shopping. Ecommerce businesses that accept crypto can reduce costs, reach new markets, and meet the expectations of customers who often want to pay with digital assets.

Below is a guide to cryptocurrency acceptance in ecommerce, including how to set up crypto payments and how integration works.

What’s in this article?

• Why should ecommerce businesses accept cryptocurrency?
  
• How do you set up crypto payments for an online store?
  
• How to choose a crypto payment processor
  
• How does crypto payment integration work?
  
• What risks come with accepting crypto payments, and how do you manage them?
  
• How Stripe Payments can help
  

Why should ecommerce businesses accept cryptocurrency?

Adding crypto at checkout can solve some business problems and help you improve the customer experience. Here’s what it can offer your business:

• Broader customer reach: Accepting crypto lets you reach the estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide who don’t have bank accounts and those who prefer paying in digital assets. About 560 million people worldwide hold crypto—accepting it gives you access to that audience.

• Lower transaction costs: The costs of accepting crypto are typically less than credit card processing fees. Over thousands of transactions, that difference turns into tangible savings.

• Faster international payments: Traditional cross-border transactions can take days and accumulate conversion fees. A crypto payment clears in minutes, no matter the geography, and doesn’t require currency exchange.

• No chargebacks: Crypto transactions are final once confirmed. You won’t deal with disputes or lose revenue to chargeback fraud or surprise reversals. Refunds are possible, but they happen on your terms—not based on the decision of a card network.

• Built-in security: Payments happen between wallets and are secured by cryptography. Customers don’t hand over card details, and you store less sensitive data. That shrinks the surface area for fraud or breaches.

• Marketing lift: Accepting crypto can generate buzz and position your brand as innovative without much effort. New adopters often receive attention from crypto communities and media coverage.

How do you set up crypto payments for an online store?

Adding crypto payments to your store is simpler now than it used to be. Here’s how to do so:

Check the rules

Before you switch anything on, confirm that accepting crypto is legal where you operate—some countries restrict or ban it. If you have international customers, check local rules. Consulting a tax or legal adviser can be a worthwhile investment.

Pick a payment processor

Businesses typically use a crypto payment processor rather than manage wallets and blockchains directly. The processor generates wallet addresses, confirms payments on the blockchain, and converts crypto into dollars or another currency if desired.

Create your account

Sign up with the processor, verify your business information (most require Know Your Customer [KYC] checks), and configure payout preferences. Decide whether you want to hold crypto or have everything converted to fiat currency automatically.

Integrate checkout

On ecommerce platforms, integration is often just an app installation and configuration. If the processor you use on an ecommerce platform accepts crypto, setup is even easier. For example, businesses that use Shopify can now accept the stablecoin USDC without any new integrations to their payment flows.

If you have a custom site, you’ll connect via application programming interface (API). The processor generates a one-time wallet address or QR code for each order, then notifies your store when payment is confirmed. Always run a test transaction before you go live so you can see the full customer flow.

Use wallets if you need them

If you plan to receive crypto directly or withdraw it from your processor, you’ll need a secure wallet. Choose a reputable one—ideally a hardware option—for long-term storage. Many businesses choose automatic conversion to fiat and skip this step.

Launch and promote

Once you test everything, go live and let customers know. Add a “crypto accepted here” badge on your site, update your FAQ page, and brief your support team so it can answer questions. This is a functional necessity and marketing opportunity.

How to choose a crypto payment processor

Which crypto payment processor you use affects which coins you can accept, how much volatility risk you take on, and more. When you compare providers, look at:

• Integration: Does the processor have plug-ins for ecommerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce? Does it have a clean API for custom sites?

• Currency support: Though customers sometimes use Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum for ecommerce payments, stablecoins such as USDC are most commonly used.

• Conversion: Many processors can instantly convert crypto to fiat currency and deposit it in your account. This lowers volatility risk.

• Security: Pick a reputable provider with strong security practices and transparent reporting.

How does crypto payment integration work?

On the surface, paying with crypto feels like any other checkout: the customer selects a method, confirms payment, and gets a receipt. But in the background, the flow is built on blockchain rather than traditional networks.

Here’s what happens:

• The customer chooses crypto at checkout: Your store displays crypto as a payment option. Once the customer selects that option, the system creates a transaction request tied to that order.

• A unique payment address is generated: The processor generates a one-time wallet address or QR code that ties the incoming blockchain payment to the order. The invoice usually specifies the exact amount due in the chosen coin (e.g., 0.005 BTC or 50.00 USDC).

• The customer sends funds from their wallet: The customer uses their crypto wallet (via mobile app, browser extension, or hardware device) to verify the payment. Many customers simply scan the QR code, which automatically fills the address and amount.

• The blockchain confirms the transaction: The transaction enters the blockchain, and the processor monitors the network to verify it has been received and confirmed. Timing depends on the asset and the network, but crypto transactions usually confirm in seconds. While this happens, the customer typically sees a status screen such as “Payment pending.”

• The processor notifies your store: Once the order is confirmed, the processor marks it as paid. Your ecommerce platform gets a webhook or plug-in update that changes the order status. The customer sees a “payment successful” page.

• Funds are settled and converted: Some providers instantly convert crypto to your chosen currency and credit your balance. This minimizes volatility risk. Other providers let you keep the funds in crypto. You can hold them or convert them later. Either way, the processor guarantees the exchange rate at the time of purchase so you’re not exposed to price swings during confirmation.

• Fulfillment proceeds as usual: With payment confirmed, you ship or deliver the product. Unlike with credit cards, there are no chargebacks. The funds are yours unless you issue a refund through the processor.

What risks come with accepting crypto payments, and how do you manage them?

Accepting crypto has a clear upside, but it also presents risks that businesses should understand. These are the main risks and the best tools and practices to manage them:

Price volatility

Crypto has a reputation for wild price swings. Coins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum can dramatically change in value overnight. A $1,500 payment today could be worth $1,300 tomorrow.

To manage this:

• Use processors that lock in the exchange rate at checkout and instantly convert to fiat.

• Accept stablecoins such as USDC and USDT, which are pegged to the US dollar and designed to minimize volatility.

• If you want to keep crypto on your balance sheet, treat it as an intentional investment decision.

Irreversible transactions

Once a blockchain payment goes through, it can’t be pulled back. That eliminates chargeback fraud, but it also means mistakes, such as a refund sent to the wrong wallet, are permanent.

To manage this:

• Use gateways that handle refunds within their own systems so you can securely push funds back to the right customer wallet.

• Always confirm wallet addresses with customers before you process refunds.

• Keep clear records that tie each transaction ID to an order to avoid confusion.

Compliance and regulation

The rules regarding crypto are developing quickly, and the different jurisdictions you operate in can range from being highly supportive of crypto to being highly restrictive.

To manage this:

• Pick regulated, reputable providers that handle sanctions screening and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks.

• Stay up-to-date on local tax and reporting rules, especially if you sell internationally.

• Have a policy for large-value transactions that might require extra customer verification.

Taxes and accounting

Accepting crypto payments can complicate your taxes and accounting processes. If you hold coins, later conversions can create capital gains or losses.

To manage this:

• Convert to fiat immediately to simplify tax reporting.

• Keep detailed records of each transaction’s date, coin type, and fiat value.

• Use accounting software or your processor’s exportable reports to track everything cleanly for year-end.

Adoption

You might set up crypto and find that it’s rarely used at first. Many customers still default to cards or other payment methods they already know.

To manage this:

• Start with an easy integration so your up-front effort is minimal.

• Market the option to crypto-savvy communities.

• Be patient. Even low initial usage can grow as customer habits shift.

Stablecoins, instant conversion, strong refund policies, and clear recordkeeping go a long way toward making crypto just another reliable checkout option.

How Stripe Payments can help

Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payment solution that helps any business—from scaling startups to global enterprises—accept payments online, in person, and around the world. Businesses can accept stablecoin payments globally that settle as fiat in their Stripe balances.

Stripe Payments can help you:

• Optimize your checkout experience: Create a frictionless customer experience and save thousands of engineering hours with prebuilt payment user interfaces (UIs) and access to 125+ payment methods, including stablecoins and crypto.

• Expand to new markets faster: Reach customers worldwide and reduce the complexity and cost of multicurrency management with cross-border payment options, available in 195 countries across 135+ currencies.

• Unify payments in person and online: Build a unified commerce experience across online and in-person channels to personalize interactions, reward loyalty, and grow revenue.

• Improve payment performance: Increase revenue with a range of customizable, easy-to-configure payment tools, including no-code fraud protection and advanced capabilities to improve authorization rates.

• Move faster with a flexible, reliable platform for growth: Build on a platform designed to scale with you, with 99.999% uptime and industry-leading reliability.

Learn more about how Stripe Payments can power your online and in-person payments, or get started today.