Basics · 6 min read
Step 1: pricing the order
The checkout starts with a price in a currency the customer understands, usually USD. If they're paying a volatile coin like BTC, the gateway converts the amount at the current rate and shows a countdown, since the quote is only valid for a short window. If they're paying a stablecoin, the amount simply matches the dollar price.
Step 2: a unique payment address
The gateway derives a fresh address for the order from your wallet. Using a unique address per order is what lets the system tell payments apart and match each one to the right order. In a non-custodial gateway, that address belongs to you, so the funds are yours the moment they arrive.
Step 3: detection and confirmations
When the customer sends the payment, the gateway sees it appear on-chain. It then waits for confirmations, blocks built on top of the transaction, so the payment can't be reversed by a chain reorganization. Different chains need different confirmation counts; a good gateway tunes this per network.
This is the crypto equivalent of waiting for a card authorization to settle, except it's enforced by the blockchain rather than a bank, and once confirmed it's final.
Step 4: notifying your store
Once confirmed, the gateway fires a webhook to your backend: a signed message saying 'order X is paid.' Your store verifies the signature, marks the order paid, and triggers fulfilment, all automatically and idempotently so a retried message can't double-process.
That's the whole loop. My Crypto Server runs every step for you across 14 chains, with reorg-aware confirmations and HMAC-SHA256 signed webhooks, while the funds settle straight to your own wallet.
Key takeaways
- The gateway prices the order, usually in USD, and quotes a coin amount.
- A unique payment address per order links each payment to the right order.
- Confirmations make the payment final and safe from reversal.
- A signed webhook tells your store to mark the order paid and fulfil.
FAQs
How long does a crypto payment take to confirm?
It depends on the chain: fast networks like Solana confirm in seconds, while Bitcoin takes longer. The gateway waits for enough confirmations to be safe, then notifies your store.
What happens if the customer underpays or is late?
A good gateway detects underpayments and expired quotes and handles them explicitly, rather than marking the order paid. The customer is shown the shortfall or a fresh quote.
Put it into practice.
My Crypto Server is the self-hosted, non-custodial gateway from this guide. $699 one-time with code MCSINTRO $999.