USDT payment gateway for merchants

USDT is the payment most merchants get asked for first, because it is a dollar. A customer paying in Tether knows exactly what they are sending, and you know exactly what you are receiving, with none of the price-movement conversation that comes with Bitcoin.

GriffNode supports USDT on Ethereum, as an ERC-20 token. That matters and is worth being blunt about: USDT exists on several chains, and sending it on a chain your gateway does not watch means the payment does not arrive. The checkout makes the network explicit so customers do not have to guess.

USDT payment gateways compared

What it costs to take a dollar, depending on who you take it through.

Note that several processors charge more for tokens than for coins, and stablecoins are tokens. If most of your volume is USDT, check which tier you are actually on before comparing headline rates.

Stablecoins GriffNode supports on Ethereum

All settle to your own wallet, and all cost the same to accept, which is nothing beyond your plan.

• USDT (Tether): the most widely held stablecoin and the one customers ask for most, supported as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum.
• USDC: the usual choice for merchants who prefer a fully reserved, audited issuer.
• DAI: a decentralised, collateral-backed stablecoin for customers who prefer no corporate issuer.
• WBTC: Bitcoin represented as an ERC-20 token, useful for customers holding on Ethereum.
• LINK and UNI: major ERC-20 tokens, available if your customers hold them.
• BTC, ETH, LTC, DOGE and DASH: the native coins, supported alongside the tokens on their own chains.

Why the network matters more than the ticker

USDT is issued on multiple blockchains. The same ticker on a different network is, for payment purposes, a different asset. If a customer sends USDT on a network your gateway does not monitor, the payment will not be credited, and recovering it ranges from awkward to impossible.

GriffNode watches USDT on Ethereum. The payment page states the network alongside the address, so the customer is told which chain to use rather than left to assume. If your customers are used to sending on another network, say so clearly in your own checkout copy too.

Confirmations and gas

A USDT payment is confirmed once the Ethereum transaction reaches your confirmation threshold. GriffNode defaults to 12 confirmations for Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens, and you can adjust that per coin in your dashboard depending on how much you are willing to trade certainty for speed.

Ethereum gas is paid by the customer sending the payment, not by you, and it is separate from anything GriffNode charges. During busy periods that can make very small USDT payments uneconomic for the customer, which is worth knowing if your average order value is low.

Who this is actually for

• Merchants invoicing international clients who cannot or will not use cards.
• Businesses in industries that banks quietly deprioritise, who need a rail that does not get switched off.
• Sellers of digital goods and high-ticket items, where card chargebacks are the real cost.
• Anyone who wants dollar-denominated revenue without a bank account in the middle.

How to accept USDT payments with GriffNode

The wallet you already own is almost certainly fine.

1. Set up an Ethereum wallet you control. USDT on Ethereum arrives at a standard Ethereum address, so any wallet you already use for ETH will work. Export its extended public key. The wallet setup guide covers the details.
2. Create a free GriffNode account. Sign up with an email address, paste your xPub, and enable USDT along with any other assets you want to accept. No KYC, no business documents.
3. Add crypto payment to your checkout. Use the WooCommerce plugin, a payment link, or the REST API, depending on how your store is built. The quick start covers the API route.
4. Handle the confirmation webhook. Mark the order paid when the payment event arrives, after verifying the signature. See the webhook security docs.
5. Test a real payment path, then go live. Run the flow in test mode, confirm the network shown at checkout is correct, then switch to live keys.

Frequently asked questions

What is a USDT payment gateway?

A USDT payment gateway is software that lets a business accept Tether as payment. It generates a receiving address for each order, watches the blockchain for the incoming payment, and tells your store when the payment has confirmed so the order can be fulfilled.

Which network does GriffNode support for USDT?

GriffNode supports USDT as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. USDT exists on several blockchains, and a payment sent on a network the gateway does not monitor will not be credited, so the checkout page states the network alongside the address.

What does it cost to accept USDT payments?

With GriffNode you pay a flat monthly fee and nothing on the payment amount. The free plan covers 30 transactions a month, Business is $49 a month for 300, and Professional is $129 a month for 1,000. Many processors charge a higher percentage for tokens than for coins.

Do USDT payments have chargebacks?

No. A confirmed on-chain payment is final and cannot be reversed by the customer or a bank. That removes fraud disputes entirely, which is a large part of why merchants selling digital goods and high-value items move to stablecoin payments.

Who holds my USDT after a customer pays?

You do. GriffNode derives a unique receiving address for each order from your own extended public key, so the payment goes from the customer straight to your wallet. GriffNode holds no keys and cannot spend, freeze or delay your funds.

Do I need to verify my business to accept USDT?

Not with GriffNode. There is no merchant KYC, so you can create an account with an email address and start accepting payments the same day. Your own tax and reporting obligations in your country are unchanged and still apply.