Accept USDT on Ethereum (ERC-20)
ERC-20 USDT is the original Tether token on Ethereum, supported by MetaMask, Ledger, Trust Wallet and most major exchanges. It is the network of choice for customers who keep their funds on Ethereum. Here is exactly how it works with easyway.
How an ERC-20 payment works here
Every invoice gets its own deposit address on Ethereum, derived from a public key (an xpub) the API holds — no shared address and no memo, and the private key never touches the server that runs your checkout. The hosted checkout shows that address and the exact amount as a QR code and as text; the customer pays from any Ethereum wallet or with an exchange withdrawal on the "Ethereum / ERC20" network.
The payment is credited after 12 confirmations — a few minutes with Ethereum's 12-second blocks. A partial payment is tracked as underpaid rather than lost; the API docs cover over- and underpayment in full.
Payments from exchanges and smart wallets
Not every USDT transfer on Ethereum is a simple wallet-to-wallet send: some exchanges pay withdrawals in batches through a contract, and smart-contract wallets move tokens the same way. easyway watches the balance of each invoice address and then looks up the transaction that changed it, so a payment is credited however it arrived.
Gas, and when to offer another network
On Ethereum every transfer pays gas in ETH, so the customer's wallet needs some ETH next to its USDT (an exchange withdrawal avoids this — the exchange pays). Gas is also why a withdrawal of your ERC-20 balance carries a larger flat network fee than on cheaper chains. If most of your customers pay small amounts, offer USDT TRC-20 or USDT BEP-20 on the same checkout as well — the customer picks the network, and each balance is kept separately.
The address format 0x… is the same on Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon and Avalanche, but an invoice only watches the network it was created for. The checkout names the network next to the address; a transfer on another chain is not credited to that invoice.
The token contract
Deposits are only counted from Tether's USDT token 0xdAC17F958D2ee523a2206206994597C13D831ec7 with 6 decimals. Check it yourself on Etherscan. The API always returns human-readable amount strings, so you never deal with raw token units.
Fees
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Platform fee on a payment | 0.5% |
| Example: customer pays 100 USDT | you receive 99.5 USDT |
| Confirmations required | 12 |
| Minimum withdrawal | 0.5 USDT |
| Withdrawal network fee | 1.5 USDT (flat, covers ETH gas) |
Every other coin and network is on the pricing page.
Integrating USDT ERC-20 payments
Create an invoice with currency: "USDT_ERC20" (or let the customer choose from every enabled asset) and redirect to the hosted checkout, or build your own UI against the same API. A signed webhook fires when the invoice is paid. The quickstart and webhook guide have runnable code.
Common questions
Is my balance converted? No. An ERC-20 USDT balance withdraws as ERC-20 USDT to an Ethereum address you have whitelisted. Nothing is swapped; easyway holds the balance until you withdraw it.
Can I accept USDC or DAI on Ethereum too? Yes — both are enabled on the same checkout with the same flow; see the fees by coin. Customers on Telegram? See USDT on TON.