Pay a Contractor on the Chain They Prefer

To pay a contractor on their preferred chain, send an asset their wallet can receive on the exact network they specify. A wallet address alone is not enough: the same token name can exist on several chains, and a transfer sent to the wrong network may be difficult or impossible to recover.

Start with the invoice. Ask for the chain, token, receiving address and amount, and confirm whether the amount is fixed in the token or pegged to a fiat value. Then check that your wallet or exchange can withdraw that asset on that network. If you need to move funds between chains first, this guide to a super bridge flow between chains explains the transfer path in more detail. A bridge adds another transaction and another point to verify.

What details do you need before sending?

You need four details that match: asset, network, address and amount. The contractor chooses the destination chain because that is where their wallet or business account is set up to receive funds. The token must also be supported on that chain; a token called USDC on one network is not automatically interchangeable with a similarly named token on another.

Ask the contractor to copy the receiving address from the wallet or payment service they will use. Check whether they also require a memo or destination tag, which some networks and services use to route a payment to the right account. Compare the first and last characters of the address after pasting it into your wallet. For a material payment, confirm the details through a separate, trusted channel if they arrived in a changed invoice or unexpected message.

If the invoice states a fiat value but payment is in a crypto asset, agree how the token amount is calculated and when the price is measured. The asset's market price can move between the quote and the transfer. A stablecoin is designed to track a reference value, but the token, issuer and network still need to match what the recipient accepts.

How does the payment move from your wallet to theirs?

Your wallet creates a transaction containing the recipient address, asset and amount, then signs it with your private key. The network's validators check that the transaction is valid and include it in a block. The recipient can see the transfer on that chain, and the payment becomes harder to reverse as the network confirms more blocks.

Each transaction also needs a network fee, often called gas. That fee is paid in the chain's native asset, which may differ from the token you are sending. Your wallet should show the fee and the network before you approve. Check both; a low token balance does not necessarily mean you lack the separate asset needed to pay the fee.

A transfer between chains has an extra step. A bridge coordinates movement between networks, commonly by locking or burning tokens on one chain and releasing or creating corresponding tokens on another. Designs differ, and the process can take longer or cost more than a direct payment. If your funds are already on the contractor's chain, a direct transfer usually has fewer steps.

How can you confirm the contractor was paid?

Save the transaction hash, the unique identifier for the on-chain transfer, and share it with the contractor. Both of you can use a block explorer for that network to check the destination, token, amount and transaction status. A wallet display or screenshot is useful context, but the transaction record is the stronger confirmation.

Before sending the full amount, consider a small test transfer when the address is new or the payment is significant. The test costs an additional network fee, so weigh that cost against the risk of a wrong address or network. Once it arrives, send the remainder using the same confirmed details.

• Match the network and token exactly to the invoice.
• Confirm the address and any required memo or tag.
• Keep enough of the network's native asset for fees.
• Record the invoice, transaction hash, amount and date for bookkeeping.

The practical rule is simple: let the contractor specify the receiving chain and asset, then verify every field before signing. A crypto payment is not just an amount sent to an address; it is an instruction submitted to a particular network, where mistakes may not have a customer service desk to reverse them.