---
title: "A Merchant's Glossary of Crypto Checkout Terms"
slug: "crypto-checkout-glossary"
language: "en"
date: "2026-11-01T21:02:31.111Z"
updated: "2026-11-01T21:02:31.000Z"
description: "Merchants adding crypto payments meet a new vocabulary quickly. This short glossary explains the terms that appear most often in gateway dashboards, support tic…"
canonical: "https://pandawm.slopit.io/crypto-checkout-glossary/"
---

Merchants adding crypto payments meet a new vocabulary quickly. This short glossary explains the terms that appear most often in gateway dashboards, support tickets and finance conversations.

**Invoice.** A payment request with a fixed amount, asset and expiry time, created per order.

**Stablecoin.** A token designed to track a fiat currency, usually the US dollar. USDT and USDC are the most common.

**Network.** The blockchain on which a token is sent. The same stablecoin may exist on several networks with different fees and speeds.

**Confirmation.** The point at which a transaction is recorded on the blockchain with enough certainty for the gateway to mark it as paid.

**Network fee.** The fee paid to process a transaction on the blockchain, separate from the gateway's processing fee.

**Processing fee.** The gateway's charge per transaction, often around one percent.

**Underpayment / overpayment.** A payment that is less or more than the invoice amount.

**Settlement.** The process of crediting the merchant's balance after confirmation.

**Conversion.** Exchanging received crypto for fiat, such as USD, often automatically.

**Payout / withdrawal.** Moving funds from the gateway balance to a bank account or wallet.

**Webhook.** A server notification sent by the gateway when payment status changes.

**API key.** A secret credential used by the merchant's systems to create invoices and read data.

**Custodial vs non-custodial.** Whether the provider holds funds on the merchant's behalf or the merchant controls the keys.

**Two-factor authentication (2FA).** An extra login step that protects dashboards and payout settings.

**Chargeback.** A card concept; crypto payments are not reversible by the payer's bank, so refunds are handled by the merchant.

**Payment link.** A shareable URL that opens a payment page for a fixed amount, useful for invoices sent by email or chat.

**Plugin.** A ready-made integration for an ecommerce platform such as WooCommerce, which adds crypto checkout without custom code.

**SDK.** A software development kit that helps developers integrate the gateway into apps and custom systems.

**Exchange rate lock.** The period during which the crypto amount on an invoice is fixed, protecting both sides from price movement.

**Address reuse.** Sending multiple customers to the same address; good gateways avoid it by generating unique invoices.

**Transaction hash.** The unique identifier of a blockchain transaction, used to look it up publicly and to resolve disputes.

**Multi-user access.** Separate logins and roles for team members, so finance, support and developers each see what they need.

A broader glossary covering advertising and payment terms is in our [overseas advertising and payments glossary](https://www.pandawm.com/blog/overseas-advertising-glossary.html).

*Published by [PandaWM](https://www.pandawm.com/), an overseas marketing team based in Hong Kong.*