BitcoinMadeClear

What happens during a Bitcoin payment?

You share an address to receive a payment. The sender approves it, computers check it, and a block can add it to the payment history.

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Sending and receiving learning mapAddress: A destination for the payment. Waiting payment: Seen but not yet in a block. Confirmed payment: Included in the shared history.AddressA destination for the paymentWaiting paymentSeen but not yet in a blockConfirmed paymentIncluded in the shared history
Address: A destination for the payment. Waiting payment: Seen but not yet in a block. Confirmed payment: Included in the shared history.
  • How do I receive bitcoin?

    Use your wallet's receive option to get a receiving address, then share it with the sender. Make sure you both mean bitcoin on the same network, and check the payment status in your wallet.

  • How long does a Bitcoin payment take?

    There is no guaranteed waiting time for a Bitcoin payment. It can appear in a wallet before a block includes it, and the recipient may wait for further confirmations.

  • Can a Bitcoin payment be reversed?

    A confirmed Bitcoin payment has no central operator who can cancel it for you. The recipient can choose to send a new payment back, but that is a refund rather than an undo button.

  • Why are there Bitcoin fees?

    A Bitcoin transaction fee helps pay a miner to include a payment in a block. Space in blocks is limited, so demand for that space can affect the fee people offer.

  • Who gets the Bitcoin fee?

    The miner whose block is accepted can claim the transaction fees from that block. A separate charge from an exchange or other service may go to that operator instead.

  • What if I send to the wrong address?

    If a confirmed payment reaches a wrong destination, Bitcoin has no central help desk that can return it. A recipient who controls that destination may choose to send a refund.

  • Do I pay a fee to receive bitcoin?

    For a normal Bitcoin network payment, the sender includes the transaction fee. You do not need to send a separate payment to the network to make an incoming payment arrive.

Where could you start?

A payment can appear in your wallet while it is still waiting for a block. Seeing it and having it confirmed are different stages.

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