RyanPlugins
Stablecoins such as USDC are digital dollars: each token is designed to stay worth one US dollar, and it moves on a blockchain in seconds or minutes, with no card network in between. For a WooCommerce store, that means customers anywhere can pay in dollars without card fees, chargebacks or currency conversion. This guide explains how stablecoin payments work, which coins and networks to accept, and how to set them up so the money goes straight to your own wallet.
How do I accept stablecoin payments in WooCommerce?
Short answer: Install a non-custodial stablecoin gateway plugin and choose the coins and networks you’ll accept, for example USDC on Base, Solana or Ethereum. Enter a receiving address from a wallet you control for each network. At checkout the customer pays from their own wallet, and the plugin confirms the transfer on-chain before marking the order paid. No exchange account or payment processor is needed.
Why accept stablecoins instead of other crypto?
Bitcoin and Ether can move several percent in a day, so a $100 order paid in either may be worth $95 by the time you look at it. A dollar stablecoin removes that risk: $100 in USDC stays about $100. That makes stablecoins the practical choice for a store that prices goods in dollars and pays its bills in dollars.
| Stablecoins | Cards | Volatile crypto (BTC, ETH) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price stability | Pegged to the US dollar | Fixed | Moves with the market |
| Fees for the store | None from the network. The customer pays a small network fee | A percentage plus a fixed fee | None from the network |
| Chargebacks | None. Transfers are final | Yes | None |
| Settlement | Seconds to minutes, to your own wallet | Days, to your bank | Minutes, to your own wallet |
| Customers | Anyone with a crypto wallet, worldwide | Almost anyone | Anyone with a crypto wallet |
Which stablecoins and networks should you accept?
The same coin exists on several blockchains, and a customer’s USDC on Solana can’t be sent to your Ethereum address. So you choose both the coin and the network.
- USDC is the most widely held dollar stablecoin and is issued by Circle. Start here.
- USDT (Tether) is the largest by volume and popular with customers outside the US.
- PYUSD is PayPal’s dollar stablecoin, on Ethereum and Solana.
| Network | Typical network fee | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Usually a cent or less | Low-cost USDC payments with Ethereum wallets |
| Solana | A fraction of a cent | Fast, cheap payments with Phantom, Solflare or Backpack |
| Ethereum | Higher and variable | Large orders and customers who hold funds on Ethereum |
| Cardano | Low | Customers in the Cardano community (USDM, USDCx) |
If you aren’t sure, accept USDC on Base and Solana first. Both are cheap for customers and well supported by wallets.
Custodial or non-custodial: who holds the money?
A custodial crypto processor receives the payment into its own account and pays you later, usually for a fee of around 1%, and it can freeze your balance. A non-custodial plugin sends the payment straight to an address you own. Nobody else holds your funds or your keys, and there is no processing fee. The trade-off is that you look after your wallet, and you handle refunds by sending coins back yourself.
Set up stablecoin payments step by step
These steps use Stablecoins for WooCommerce by RyanPlugins, a non-custodial gateway for USDC, PYUSD, USDM and USDCx on Ethereum, Base, Solana and Cardano.
- Create receiving wallets for each network you’ll accept, and store the recovery phrases offline. Use a wallet you control, not an exchange deposit address.
- Install and activate the plugin, then go to WooCommerce › Settings › Payments › Stablecoins.
- Choose tokens and networks on the Networks & Tokens tab, and paste a receiving address for each network. For wallet payments on Ethereum and Base, add a free WalletConnect project ID.
- Add verification keys on the Verification tab (Etherscan for Ethereum and Base, Helius for Solana, Blockfrost for Cardano) and click Test connection for each.
- Test on testnets. Turn on test mode, which uses Sepolia, Base Sepolia, Solana devnet and Cardano preprod with free test tokens, and place an order.
- Go live by turning test mode off.
What the customer sees
The customer picks a network at checkout and pays with a connected wallet: WalletConnect or a browser wallet on Ethereum and Base, Phantom, Solflare or Backpack on Solana, and Eternl, Lace or Vespr on Cardano. Paying from an exchange instead? The payment page shows the address, the exact amount and a QR code. Each order gets a slightly unique amount, so the transfer is matched to the right order automatically.
How payments are confirmed
Before an order is marked paid, the plugin checks on-chain that the right token went to your address, for the right amount, recently, and that the same transaction wasn’t already used for another order. Wrong amounts leave the order On hold for you to review.
Things to plan for
- Refunds: there’s no automatic reversal. Send the refund from your wallet and record it on the order.
- Accounting and tax: record each payment at its dollar value. Rules vary by country, so check with your accountant.
- Cashing out: to turn stablecoins into dollars in your bank, send them to an exchange or off-ramp that supports your country.
- Offer it next to cards, not instead of them. Most shoppers still pay by card.
Want to accept Bitcoin, Ether, XRP or ADA as well as USDT? Crypto Wallet Payment for WooCommerce Pro is a non-custodial gateway for many coins. There’s also a guide to accepting USDT in WooCommerce.
Frequently asked questions
Does WooCommerce support stablecoin payments on its own?
No. WooCommerce has no crypto payment method built in, so you need a gateway plugin that can confirm blockchain payments.
Are there fees for accepting stablecoins?
With a non-custodial plugin there is no processing fee. The customer pays the network fee, which is usually a cent or less on Base and Solana and more on Ethereum.
Can customers charge back a stablecoin payment?
No. Blockchain transfers are final, so there are no chargebacks. Refunds are up to you.
What if my store doesn’t price in US dollars?
Stablecoins for WooCommerce converts the order total to dollars using a live exchange rate, so you can keep your store in your own currency.
What happens if a customer sends the wrong amount?
The order stays On hold. You can attach the transaction on the order screen, and an amount within the underpayment tolerance you set completes the order.