Buy and Sell Cryptocurrency

Beginning July 1, 2022, income tax law in India will require income taxes to be paid for the transfer, meaning the sale or exchange, of any virtual digital asset (VDA) such as cryptocurrency. Anyone who purchases cryptocurrency from a buyer located in India will be required to pay a 1% tax on the sale, regardless of where the buyer is located.

This tax isn't collected or remitted by Paxful, as all members of our community are responsible for reporting their income to the appropriate government agencies and paying any applicable taxes. For more information about this change check out our blog post. 

If you'd like more information about tax law or your specific circumstances, you'll want to contact a legal or tax professional.

So you've signed up for Paxful - welcome! Time to start trading! 

We know that choosing an offer can be challenging at first. Which one do you pick? Who can you trust?

You'll now be able to find offers that have been verified by Paxful from trusted members of our community.

How do I use Paxful Verified Offers?

When searching for offers in the Marketplace, enter your search criteria, like the type of cryptocurrency you'd like to buy, your payment method and currency, and how much you'd like to purchase.

To make sure you're only seeing Paxful Verified Offers, you'll want to click the toggle for this option.

You can then click 'Find Offers', and you'll be shown the offers that match your criteria. All of these offers have been verified by Paxful, and the sellers are in good standing in our community. 

Happy trading!

In this guide, we'll teach you how to buy your first cryptocurrency on the Paxful marketplace in three simple steps. If you want to create your own offer, please see our article on creating offers. 

Video

Here’s a short video on how to buy Bitcoin instantly:

Step 1 Setting up search requirements

1. Create an account or log in to your Paxful account, hover over the Buy arrow, and click your preferred cryptocurrency.

The page with offers to buy cryptocurrency appears.

2. Click Show All or Any payment method field and select your preferred payment method to buy crypto on the dialog box that appears.

Alternatively, click View offers for all payment options to see the list of all payment methods available.

3. Click Any currency and select your currency from the list. Enter the amount you want to trade in the Any amount field.
You can leave the Any amount field empty if you do not have any specific amount in mind.

4. Select your country from the Location list.

5. Click SEARCH FOR OFFERS. The offer list is updated according to your search requirements.

Step 2 Finding an offer

1. Browse through the list of offers.
The list begins with offers that have:

• Sellers with the best rating and reputation.
• Sellers who are the most active on the platform and are ready for instant trade.
• The most profitable margin.

Check the tags and labels for additional information about an offer. When you find an offer you like, click Buy.

The Offer page appears.

Study all details of the offer such as:

• Buying limits — is the offered amount neither too low nor too high?
• Seller’s rate — does it look profitable for you?
• Time limit — will you manage to execute the payment within this timeframe?
• Offer terms — is the seller requesting additional documents or having specific requests as part of the trade procedure?

2. Enter the amount you are ready to trade in the traditional currency field or cryptocurrency field. Click BUY NOW.
You can click Take a Tour to receive a walk-through of the process in case you have any questions or doubts.

The Trade chat page appears.

Step 3 Trading

1. Discuss the necessary details with your partner using our trade chat and follow their instructions carefully.

2. Make the payment.
After making the payment, click I have paid.

The Self Declaration dialog box appears.
3. Click Yes, I have paid.

The seller releases the cryptocurrency from the trade escrow to your Paxful wallet. At this time, the trade is now completed successfully. 

Check our tips for buying cryptocurrency for more information. In case if you want to sell cryptocurrency, explore the following guide.

Buying cryptocurrency can be tough at first, so we've prepared a guide to get you started and help you complete a trade on Paxful.

The minimum trade amount on Paxful.

If you’re buying Bitcoin, the current minimum is 10 USD or its equivalent in other currencies. If you’re selling, then the minimum is 0.001 BTC.

The seller’s reputation and activity.

A seller’s reputation is displayed with a green thumb.  This is the total of all of the positive feedback the seller has received.

Clicking on the seller's name will show their full profile, where you can see how much negative feedback they've received in addition to the positive. You can also see their location, all of their active offers, and other important information about them.

 
Pay attention to each type of feedback: positive and negative.
For example, despite having more than 10,000 positive feedback scores and 1000 negative feedback, you should still be cautious about such a user. Pay attention to the percentage of negative feedback in relation to the negative and positive ones. Also, do not forget to check for how long a user is present on our platform.
It is also much better if the seller is ID-verified. This means that we have checked his documents and background.
Additionally, check when the seller was last seen online on Paxful. This will help to make sure that you will have a quick trade without any delays from the seller’s side.

Always read the terms of the offer and the seller's instructions before you start a trade.

Sellers should mention what they expect and what you will need to provide. For example, for gift cards, many sellers require a receipt showing that the gift card was bought legally and also to establish that you are indeed the owner of the gift cards. If this information is requested and you cannot provide it, then it is better not to proceed with the trade. If you can provide all the requirements, then make sure you have everything ready before you start the trade.

Be aware of the price.

The Bitcoin price on Paxful is never equal to its official market rate as sellers charge a fee to convert traditional currency into Bitcoin. The price of the fee varies among sellers and depends on who you buy from. So be on the lookout for the best deals. The offer page always includes the rate of each seller. What should interest you the most is how much you get on dollar. The higher the number, the more profitable the trade will be for you.

Click the Paid button only when you have actually paid.

Once you’ve clicked the Paid button, the countdown timer stops and the order can no longer expire. This is important because if you had sent the seller the payment info such as a gift card code and the offer expires, then the escrow is released and you won’t get your cryptocurrency. The Paid button also provides security from dishonest or forgetful sellers. If you click the Paid button and you haven’t paid, the seller might think you’re a coin-locker or someone trying to scam them. Be sure to click the button only once you’ve paid to prevent complications.

Don't cancel the trade after you've already paid.

We know that problems sometimes arise during trades, but it's important to never cancel the trade after you've already paid the seller. If you've paid for your crypto but something has gone wrong, you can start a dispute! Beginning a dispute brings a Paxful Moderator in to help with the situation. If you cancel the trade, Moderators aren't able to help, and getting a resolution will take longer.

Brokering gift card codes is strictly prohibited on Paxful.

Brokering is when you buy a gift card code from someone, thinking you can sell it later to someone else. Even if you checked the code when you bought it, the person who sold you the code can use it anytime without your knowledge, and this is why it is against the Paxful Terms of Service. If you keep trying to give sellers used codes, you will be reported and banned from trading on Paxful as it is not only a waste of your own time but also that of others. Remember to only use gift cards you have bought yourself.

Using third parties for making payments is not allowed.

You must be the actual payer and be the original owner of the submitted payment (Owner of the gift card, credit card, bank account, an account of online payment platform). Being a middleman in paying for the cryptocurrency is not allowed and can be considered as a scam.

Always trade for the whole amount of the gift card.

If you have a $50 gift card, then you can’t trade for a fraction of that (ex. Asking someone to take only $33 only out of your $50). Note that the seller can only take the whole amount so if you start order for $33 and he takes $50, the only way to get your change back in cryptocurrency is by starting a new trade for the difference. Seller’s ranges may not meet that amount or the seller may take down their offers or go offline.

 Never ask the seller to release the cryptocurrency first.

This is grounds for an instant ban as it indicates a scam. We have a trade escrow service so you know the crypto is there and waiting for you once you complete the payment.

 Be polite to sellers.

They go through a lot of tough customers and being polite can save you a lot of time. Being polite is about a lot more than your language; it’s about following their instructions as well. Note that if there is a dispute, the moderator will take language into account.

 Not Interested? Cancel!

If you are no longer interested in the trade and have not yet paid the seller, feel free to cancel the trade. It will free their escrow and let them continue to trade with others who are interested. If you don’t cancel the trade and leave it hanging, the seller will have to file a dispute or report you, which will probably result in you getting negative feedback. You can see all of your active trades on your dashboard. Click Chat to open the trade, and click Cancel to cancel them.

Also, remember that any price negotiation is strictly forbidden. If you do not like the offer, do not insist on changing the price in the same trade. Just start a new trade with new values to avoid any disputes or misunderstandings with the seller.

Paxful allows you to trade cryptocurrency for in-game items from popular video games such as skins, weapons, game balance, and more. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Before trading

Before you start buying cryptocurrency for in-game items, make sure you have the means to prove if the item was actually transferred to your trade partner. Whether you choose a game currency, boost, or skin, you must ensure you have the means to verify the transition of the item.

Trading

Searching for an offer

The first step to buying cryptocurrency for game items is to look for an offer that accepts this type of payment. You can also specify the amount you wish to buy and the currency you prefer.

Choose the best rate of cryptocurrency to have the highest profit possible. Also, pay attention to the reputation of your potential trade partner. And finally, read through the offer terms and trade instructions carefully. 

Talk to your trade partner in the trade chat. Clarify how exactly the in-game item will be delivered and decide whether your trade partner is okay with the product before proceeding. 

Creating an offer

To buy crypto for game items, you can also create your own offer.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Set a margin you find profitable as no negotiations are allowed during the trade.
• Write clear offer terms and instructions.
• Use offer labels to highlight essential information such as the item type and the name of a game.
• Consider including FAQs section—think what questions trade partners may ask.
• If necessary, mention the following:
• the game server where the exchange should take place;
• will the delivery happen “face to face”, via game mail, or any other in-game exchange channel;
• required game character level, etc.
• Be clear about what proof of payment you can offer to your trade partner, for example, screenshots of an in-game transaction.

Once you’ve created and published your personalized offer, wait for a seller to start the trade with you. Once a trade has started, you will receive a notification. Feel free to discuss all the necessary details with your trade partner on the trade chat, and proceed accordingly.

Completing a trade

Once you have provided all the documents requested by the seller, click Paid. The last step will be for the seller to confirm receiving the payment. Please be patient because this may take some time. Once the seller has confirmed the payment, they should release the crypto to you and the trade will be complete.

After a trade

Once the trade is completed, you can leave appropriate feedback for your trade partner. Also, if you like trading with the user, you can add them to your trusted list.

See our step-by-step guide on how to buy cryptocurrency and tips on how to buy cryptocurrency.

Gold is one of the most valuable commodities whose value increased over time. On Paxful, you can trade your cryptocurrency for gold. Here’s everything you need to know about trading with gold. 

Before trading

Before you start buying cryptocurrency with gold, make sure you have a trustworthy source for the gold. One of the ways to obtain gold is to order it on a website and have it shipped to a specific address. If you decide to use your own private source or to deliver the gold in person yourself, you still must ensure minimal risk.

When you try to pay with gold to buy cryptocurrency, your potential trade partners may request the following as proof to validate the transaction:

• Proof of purchase (a receipt).
• Certificate of authenticity for the gold item.
• Photo of your ID.
• Photo of the actual gold item you are offering.
• The tracking number issued by the parcel service (in case the gold is being shipped to them directly).
  

Trading 

Searching for an offer

The first step to buying cryptocurrency with gold is to look for an offer that accepts this type of payment. You’ll also need to enter the amount you wish to purchase and the currency you prefer.

Choose the best rate of cryptocurrency to have the highest profit possible. Also, pay attention to the reputation of your potential trade partner and choose the location carefully, to ensure that you can deliver the gold to your trade partner. And finally, read through the offer terms and trade instructions carefully. Note that cryptocurrency sellers may request additional verification and have other specific requirements for verifying proof of payment.

Talk to your trade partner in the trade chat. Clarify how you will deliver the gold and whether your trade partner is okay with what you are offering. 

Creating an offer

To buy cryptocurrency with gold, you can also create your own offer.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Set a margin you find profitable and agreeable as no negotiations are allowed during the trade.
• Write clear offer terms and instructions.
• Be clear about what proofs of payment you are willing to present for the gold you possess.
• For in-person trades, be very clear about the meeting location and exchange procedure.

Once you’ve created and published your personalized offer, wait for a seller to start a trade with you. Once a trade has started, you will receive a notification. Feel free to discuss all the necessary details with your trade partner on the trade chat, and proceed with the trade accordingly.

Completing a trade

Once you have provided all the documents requested by the cryptocurrency seller, click Paid. From this point, you will have 21 days to deliver the gold to the trade partner whether by post or in person. If the seller does not confirm receiving the gold within this timeframe a dispute will start automatically and our moderators will step in for assistance.

The last step will be for the cryptocurrency seller to confirm receiving the payment. Please be patient because this may take some time. Once the seller has confirmed the payment, they should release the crypto to you and the trade will be complete. 

After a trade

Once the trade is completed, you can leave appropriate feedback for your trade partner. Also, if you like trading with the user, you can add them to your trusted list. 

ID and address verification

Another important aspect to consider is your ID and address verification. You must complete your ID verification and address verification to trade with gold. This verification is important to protect our cryptocurrency sellers from any fraudulent activity. Therefore, it is not possible to trade crypto for gold or vice versa without being fully verified on Paxful.

See our step-by-step guide on how to buy cryptocurrency and tips on how to buy cryptocurrency.

You can sell cryptocurrency and get paid using 350+ payment methods. Here's how you can find buyers by browsing existing offers on Paxful.

Video

Step 1 Setting up search requirements

Step 2 Finding an offer

Step 3 Trading

Video

Here’s a short video on how to sell Bitcoin instantly:

Step 1 Setting up search requirements

1.  Create an account or log in to your Paxful account, hover over the Sell arrow, and click your preferred cryptocurrency.

The page with offers to sell cryptocurrency appears.

2. Click Show All or Any payment method field and select your preferred payment method to sell crypto on the dialog box that appears.

Alternatively, click View offers for all payment options to see the list of all payment methods available.

3. Click Any currency and select your currency from the list. Enter the amount you want to trade in the Any amount field.

You can leave the Any amount field empty if you do not have any specific amount in mind.

4. Select your country from the Location list.

5. Click FIND OFFERS. The offer list is updated according to your search requirements.

Step 2 Finding an offer

1. Browse through the list of offers.

The list begins with offers that have:

• Buyers with the best rating and reputation.
• Buyers who are the most active on the platform and are ready for instant trade.
• The most profitable margin.

Check the tags and labels for additional information about an offer. When you find an offer you like, click Sell.

The Offer page appears.

Study all details of the offer such as:

• Selling limits — is the offered amount neither too low nor too high?
• Buyer’s rate — does it look profitable for you?
• Offer terms — is the buyer requesting additional documents or having specific requests as part of the trade procedure?
• Paxful fee — this fee depends on the payment method you choose.

2. Enter the amount you are ready to trade in the traditional currency field or cryptocurrency field. Click SELL NOW.

3. In a dialog box that appears, click I understand the risk, proceed to sell.

4. A new caution dialog box appears. Confirm reading the warning by clicking I understand.

The Trade chat page appears.

Step 3 Trading

1. Discuss the necessary details with your partner using our trade chat and follow their instructions carefully.

2. Once your trade partner has made the payment, click Release.

Double-check if the amount sent to you is correct. Confirm sending BTC to the buyer by clicking Release in a dialog box that appears.

You release BTC from the trade escrow to buyer's Paxful wallet. The trade is completed successfully. 

Check our tips for selling cryptocurrency for more information. In case you want to buy crypto, see the following guide. If you want to create your own offer, please see our article on creating offers. 

If you are a Paxful seller, make sure to follow our basic rules when selling cryptocurrency to keep the marketplace safe and secure.

1. Accept your responsibility for possible risks.

We at Paxful do as much as possible to increase the level of security on our platform. However, you, as a seller, should accept all risks and liabilities that come with trading. It is up to you to protect yourself from malicious users and obvious scams. Check our security guide and safety tips for more information.

2. Brokering gift card codes is strictly prohibited on Paxful.

Brokering is when you buy a gift card code from a third party and resell it later to someone else. This goes against the Paxful Terms of Service and is strictly prohibited. This rule applies both to e-codes and physical gift cards. 

3. Be responsive to buyers.

• If you are not at your computer, please deactivate all your offers. You can easily do it from your Dashboard. This will also help you avoid having your BTC locked in a trade escrow if a buyer starts a trade during your absence.
  
  
• When a buyer starts a trade with you, say “Hi” and let them know you are ready to trade.
  Example: “Hi, I am ready, please follow the instructions and you can have your cryptocurrency in no time!“. This message may sound too simple and obvious. However, according to our statistics, a high number of canceled trades are due to an unresponsive seller. Please show to the buyer that you are ready.
  

4. Maintain a civil tone with your trade partners.

Offensive language and disrespectful tone are not allowed on our platform. Be understanding to buyers as some of them may lack trading experience. If you face any serious issue with your trade partner, do invite our moderators by starting a dispute.

5. Write clear offer terms and trade instructions.

• Have both offer terms and trade instructions in a simple short bulleted or numbered list. Read more on how to write good offer terms and trade instructions. This is relevant when creating your own offer.
  
  
• If you have special payment-related procedures that may delay the release of cryptocurrency for a longer period, make it clear for the buyer. This must be frankly stated in your offer terms and trade instructions. You must make sure that the buyer understands that the release of cryptocurrency may be reasonably delayed. Release time may not exceed the time stated in your terms. (Remember that Paxful advertises p2p service as instant.)
  
  
• Write concise offer terms. The buyer sees offer terms before he starts the trade. It may contain important information about the trade.
  
  Example: uploading a photo of ID, uploading a cash receipt, accepting physical gift cards only, etc.
  
  Note that buyers avoid offers with complicated terms. Clear offer terms also give advantage in case of a dispute. Never leave this section blank while creating an offer.
  
  
• Write clear trade instructions. Trade instructions are shown to a buyer once a trade starts. Instructions give additional guidance to your trade partner and should consist of clear steps.
  
  
• Provide your customers with helpful aids and examples if necessary. For example, if you require them to upload a selfie with a photo ID, then put an example picture.
  
  

6. Be aware of the minimum trade amount on our platform.

It’s important that you know what the minimum trade amount set on Paxful. Currently, the minimum trade amount is 10 USD to buy cryptocurrency. If you are selling cryptocurrency, the minimum is 0.001 BTC.

7. Do not use third parties for payments. 

You are the person responsible for accepting and processing payments. If you have no control over the payment and you transfer responsibility to others, this can be considered as fraud. For example, in the case of bank transfer, you should be the account owner, in the case of altcoins, you should be the owner of the wallet, etc.

8. Off-escrow trades are not allowed.

It’s important that you do not give other users your contact information to do a trade outside Paxful trade flow. Paxful escrow must be used at all times or your account may be banned. By avoiding paying escrow fees to our platform while trading outside our escrow service, you expose your BTC to much higher risk as our investigation team will not be able to assist you in case of an argument.

9. Price negotiations are strongly forbidden.

A buyer of cryptocurrency must pay the exact price that is set for trade. If during a trade both sides agree to change the amount, a new trade must be re-opened for the correct amount. Price negotiations within the same trade are against our Terms of Service.

Check our guide on how to sell cryptocurrency on Paxful to have an overview of our trade flow.

In addition to gift cards with a game balance, some games offer an option to gift in-game items such as resources, skins, weapons, etc. We are happy to offer you an opportunity to sell crypto for in-game items. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Before trading

Before you start selling cryptocurrency for in-game items, make sure you have the means to check if the item was actually transferred to you. Whether you choose a game currency, boost, or skin, you must ensure you have the means to verify the transition of the item.

Trading

Searching for an offer

The first step to selling cryptocurrency for game items is to look for an offer that accepts this type of payment. You can also specify the amount you wish to sell and the currency you prefer.

Choose the best rate of cryptocurrency to have the highest profit possible. Also, pay attention to the reputation of your potential trade partner. And finally, read through the offer terms and trade instructions carefully. 

Talk to your trade partner in the trade chat. Clarify how exactly the in-game item will be delivered to you and decide whether you are okay with the product before proceeding.

Creating an offer

To sell crypto for game items, you can also create your own offer.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Set a margin you find profitable as no negotiations are allowed during the trade.
• Write clear offer terms and instructions.
• Use offer labels to highlight essential information such as the item type and the name of a game.
• Consider including FAQs section—think what questions trade partners may ask.
• If necessary, mention the following:
• the game server where the exchange should take place;
• will the delivery happen “face to face”, via game mail, or any other in-game exchange channel;
• required game character level, etc.
• Be clear about what proof of payment you expect from your trade partner, for example, screenshots of an in-game transaction.

Once you’ve created and published your personalized offer, wait for a buyer to start the trade with you. Once a trade has started, you will receive a notification. Feel free to discuss all the necessary details with your trade partner on the trade chat, and proceed accordingly.

Completing a trade

Once you’ve received the item and the buyer has marked the trade as “Paid”, you can release the cryptocurrency from the trade escrow. Click the Release button only if you are absolutely sure about receiving the payment. Remember that cryptocurrency transactions are final and irreversible.

After a trade

Once the trade is completed, you can leave appropriate feedback for your trade partner. Also, if you like trading with the user, you can add them to your trusted list.

See our step-by-step guide on how to sell cryptocurrency and our rules for selling cryptocurrency.

Gold is one of the oldest known valuables in the world, and one that has consistently increased in value over time, despite the changes in the economy. We are happy to offer you an opportunity to sell cryptocurrency for gold. Here’s everything you need to know about trading with gold.

Before trading

Trading

Searching for an offer

Creating an offer

Completing a trade

After a trade

ID and address verification

Before trading

Before you start selling cryptocurrency for gold, make sure you have the means to check the quality of the gold before you make the payment. Whether you choose the gold to be sent to you by mail or delivered in person, you still must ensure minimal risk.

Don’t hesitate to request any additional documentation or proofs such as:

• Proof of purchase (a receipt).
• Certificate of authenticity for the gold item.
• Photo of your trade partner's ID.
• Photo of the actual gold item.
• The tracking number issued by the parcel service (in case the gold is being shipped to you directly).
  

Trading 

Searching for an offer

The first step to selling cryptocurrency for gold is to look for an offer that accepts this type of payment. You’ll also need to enter the amount of gold you wish to sell and the currency you prefer.

Choose the best rate of cryptocurrency to have the highest profit possible. Also, pay attention to the reputation of your potential trade partner and choose the location carefully, to ensure that your trade partner will be able to deliver the gold to you. And finally, read through the offer terms and trade instructions carefully. 

Talk to your trade partner in the trade chat. Clarify how the gold will be delivered to you and yourself decide whether you are okay with the product before proceeding. 

Creating an offer

To sell cryptocurrency for gold, you can also create your own offer.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Set a margin you find profitable as no negotiations are allowed during the trade.
• Write clear offer terms and instructions.
• Be clear about what proofs of payment you expect for the gold you are accepting.
• For in-person trades, be very clear about the meeting location and exchange procedure.

Once you’ve created and published your personalized offer, wait for a buyer to start a trade with you. Once a trade has started, you will receive a notification. Feel free to discuss all the necessary details with your trade partner on the trade chat, and proceed with the trade accordingly.

Completing a trade

Once the buyer has paid you and marked the trade as Paid, they will have 21 days to deliver the gold to you either by post or in person. If you do not confirm receiving goods within this timeframe a dispute will start automatically and our moderators will step in for assistance. 

Once you’ve received the gold, you can release the cryptocurrency from the trade escrow. Click the Release button only if you are absolutely sure about receiving the payment. Remember that cryptocurrency transactions are final and irreversible.

After a trade

Once the trade is completed, you can leave appropriate feedback for your trade partner. Also, if you like trading with the user, you can add them to your trusted list. 

ID and address verification

Another important aspect to consider is your ID and address verification. You must complete your ID verification and address verification to trade with gold. This verification is important to protect our cryptocurrency sellers from any fraudulent activity. Therefore, it is not possible to trade cryptocurrency for gold or vice versa without being fully verified on Paxful.

See our step-by-step guide on how to sell cryptocurrency and our rules for selling cryptocurrency.

Bank Transfers are a popular payment method on Paxful. This article will show how to sell cryptocurrency with our automated Bank Transfers.

Before trading

Before you start selling cryptocurrency with Bank Transfers, add your bank account details to your Paxful profile.

Make sure your bank account is ready to make transactions and check if the account has any transaction limits or geographical restrictions in place. Also, consider using a bank that can easily provide proof of payment, with all of the details visible on one page or pdf file.

The required details for proof of payment on Paxful are: 

• Account holder’s first and last name.
• Bank’s name and logo.
• Transaction date, time and status.
• Sender’s account number and full name.

Trading 

Searching for an offer

The first step to selling cryptocurrency via Bank Transfer is to look for an offer that accepts Bank Transfers as payment. You’ll also need to enter the amount you wish to sell and the currency you prefer.

After you find a suitable offer, you’ll need to read and accept the new offer terms before the trade begins. These offer terms are set by Paxful and outline how the trade should be carried out.

Once the trade starts, the trade chat will be disabled. We now automatically send the buyer and seller’s bank account details to each other, making Bank Transfers even safer and easier. 

Creating an offer

To sell cryptocurrency via Bank Transfer, you can also create your own offer.

Here are a couple of tips for your Bank Transfer offer:

• Set a margin you find profitable as no negotiations during the trade are allowed.
• If you’d like to use the old Bank Transfer process and set your own offer terms, choose “Other Bank Transfer” as your payment method.

After creating and publishing your personalized offer, wait for a buyer to start a trade with you. Once a trade has started, you will receive a notification. Feel free to discuss all the necessary details with your trade partner.

Completing a trade

Once the buyer has paid you, marked the trade as Paid and uploaded proof of payment, double-check if you’ve received the payment on your end.

The last step for you is to release cryptocurrency from the trade escrow. Only click the “Release” button if you are absolutely sure you have received the payment.

After a trade

Once the trade is completed, you can leave appropriate feedback for your trade partner. Also, if you like trading with the user, you can add them to your trusted list. 

Here is some more information on how to sell cryptocurrency on Paxful.

There are a variety of cash payments that you can use to sell cryptocurrency on Paxful. This article gives you an overview of selling cryptocurrency using any of the supported cash payments. 

Before trading

Before selling cryptocurrency with cash payments, here are a few things to consider:

• Some payment methods such as Cash By Mail or Cash In Person, require full ID and address verification (for amounts higher than 50 USD per trade).
• In case of some disputes, it is very difficult for Paxful to provide assistance — be ready to file a Police report in such cases.

Trading 

Searching for an offer

The first step to selling cryptocurrency with cash is to look for an offer that accepts cash as payment. You’ll also need to enter the amount you wish to sell and your preferred currency.

When you find the offer that suits you, be sure to read the offer terms before starting the trade. This will show you a brief summary of what the buyer requires from you regarding the payment.  In the case of Cash In Person, the offer terms should provide a brief list of meeting preferences.

After reading through the offer terms and confirming that you agree with the conditions, it’s time to start the trade. Once the trade has begun, a more specific set of instructions should appear for the meetup. Usually, for cash trades, buyers should promise to provide a teller receipt. If at any point during the trade you feel confused about the instructions, feel free to send a message to the buyer via trade chat. They should be able to help you with any questions that you may have. 

Creating an offer

To sell cryptocurrency with a cash payment, you can also create your own offer. Here are some things to consider:

• Set a margin you find profitable as no negotiations during the trade are allowed.
• Write clear offer terms and instructions.
• Make it clear which proof of payment you require and how much time you need to confirm the payment.
• In the case of Cash In Person, state clearly, where you want to meet.
  

After creating and publishing your personalized offer, wait for a buyer to start a trade with you. Once a trade has started, you will receive a notification. Feel free to discuss all the necessary details with your trade partner.

Completing a trade

For a Cash In Person trade, once all the details have been settled, it’s time to meet up with your buyer. Go to the specified location and collect the cash from the buyer. Once this is done, wait for the buyer to mark the trade as Paid. Now click the Release button. 

Note that in the case of Cash By Mail, the trade may require a lot of patience from both sides.

With other cash payment methods, the payment process itself is usually quite simple. In any case, always make sure you have provided correct details to the buyer and collected all possible proof of receiving or not receiving the payment. 

The last step for you is to release cryptocurrency from the trade escrow. Click the Release button only if you are absolutely sure about receiving the payment.

After a trade 

Once the trade is completed, you can leave appropriate feedback for your trade partner. Also, if you like trading with the user, you can add them to your trusted list. 

Here is some more information on how to sell cryptocurrency on Paxful.

Once you make your buy or sell offer, you can easily edit the offer by following these quick steps:

1. Hover over to the Dashboard tab and click on My Offers.
Here you can see a snapshot of all your current offers which you can view and edit.

2. For your Buy Offers, click on Offers to Buy. For your Sell Offers, click on Offers to Sell.

3. Next, click on the Edit button, next to the View button.

4. You will be taken to the first Edit Offer page.
On this page, you can make changes to your payment method and other trade details. Once all your info is updated, click Next Step in the right-hand column. 

5. After hitting Next Step, you will be taken to the second Edit Offer page.
Here you can change trade pricing, offer margins, and other details. Once all the info is updated click Next Step in the right-hand column.

6. After hitting Next Step, you will be taken to the third Edit Offer page.
Here you can change trade instructions, offer tags, offer terms, and other details. Once all the info is updated click Update Offer in the right-hand column.

7. Once you update your offer, you will see a pop-up message confirming your updates. 

That’s it! You now have successfully edited your offer!

Featured offers are offers selected by our team that will be featured on the "buy" and "sell" sections in the Paxful marketplace.

If you see a featured offer in the marketplace, it could be from:

• An Expert Trader
• A trader that we trust (has received good feedback from trade partners)
• A trader that you’ve marked as “trusted” in the past 

How can I get my offer to be featured?

We’re not taking requests to feature offers right now. Keep trading safely and fairly in the marketplace and maybe your offer will be featured someday!

We have over 350 payment methods available on the platform. However, some payment methods are only available in certain countries:

To help make the marketplace a safer environment, Paxful has placed restrictions on some payment methods in certain countries. You won't be able to create a new offer or start a new trade using restricted payment methods. If you have current offers using restricted payment methods, those offers will be deauthorized.

If you are temporarily living or traveling in a country where a payment method is restricted, but you have proof that the payment method belongs to you, please:

1. Take a screenshot of the account that displays your name
2. Provide proof that you are only temporarily in a restricted country, and proof of address or documentation from your country of origin
3. Send the screenshots of the documents to our support team through PaxBot, our automated website helper. 
   

Our team will review your information and contact you if they have additional questions.

Sometimes, an offer will be removed from the marketplace because it may harm the Paxful community that buys and sells cryptocurrencies.

Here’s a short list explaining why offers are removed from the Paxful marketplace:

• Changing the terms and instructions - Do not change the terms and instructions you agreed to with your trade partner after the trade has started. 
• Sharing contact information - Do not attempt to communicate outside of Paxful’s trade chat with your trade partner. Giving out personal information is how fraud and identity theft start. This includes WhatsApp, Telegram, phone numbers, email, etc. 
• Being unresponsive with your trade partners - Do not create an offer and then become unresponsive with your trade partner once the trade is initiated.
• Being disrespectful - Do not use any profanity, hate speech, and other offensive or vulgar messaging in your offer. Paxful has a zero tolerance policy for this type of behavior. 
• Payment method was restricted - Offers can be removed from the marketplace because the payment method selected has been restricted in your location. For more information, take a look at this article.
• Violation of Paxful’s Terms of Service - If there’s a violation of Paxful’s Terms of Service, your offer may be removed.

If our system detects that your offer has a very low chance of success (e.g. extremely high margins), your offer may not be visible to other users. We recommend looking at the best offers and model your offers after them. Because the algorithm takes current market conditions into account, this is something you may have to calibrate regularly to increase or maintain the visibility of your offer.

I understand why my offer was removed, what are my next steps?

In most cases, you’ll receive a gentle warning about your offer and why it was removed. You’ll be expected to turn your offer on again and update the terms and instructions so it doesn’t fit the criteria mentioned above. Additional actions may be taken for severe or repeat offenses, such as being banned from Paxful or restricting the payment method. 

I understand why my offer was removed and now I can’t create a new offer using the same payment method, what are my next steps now?

Please contact our support team so we can help get this payment method reinstated for you. Our Marketplace investigations team will verify the request and ensure your account is in good standing before granting access.

Offer owners can now set a schedule when offers are active to the public instead of deactivating them manually before logging out. This guide will show you how to manage working hours for your offers and how to find them on an offer of your trade partner.

Managing working hours for your offers

To set or edit working hours for your offer, do the following:

1. Begin creating or editing your offer as usual, according to standard flow. 

2. On Step 3 of the offer creation flow in Advanced options, locate the Working hours section. Choose your time zone from the Your Time Zone drop-down list.

3. Click the days of the week you want to select or deselect.

4. Click a time box and select a time from the drop-down list that appears. Choose the timeframe for your offer to be active on the public listing.

5. Continue the offer creation or editing flow as usual and click Create offer or Update offer to save your offer working hours.

Working hours of your trade partners

To see the working hours of an offer, do the following:

• On the offers list page, locate an offer of your interest and click Buy or Sell, depending on the offer type.
  
• On the offer page, scroll down to see the Offer working hours section.
  

For more information on how to improve your offer creation flow, check our guides on how to write good offer terms and trade instructions. 

Buying and selling cryptocurrencies using Bank Transfer are now automated on Paxful to make trading even easier and safer for you.

From now on, the trade chat will be disabled in Bank Transfer offers you create or edit. We’ll automatically share the buyer and seller’s account details with each other instead. We’ve also introduced new Offer Terms for Bank Transfer trades, which have been set by Paxful. These Offer Terms outline how the trade will proceed. 

Here’s how our automated Bank Transfers work:

How to sell cryptocurrency with an automated Bank Transfer

How to buy cryptocurrency with an automated Bank Transfer

Chargebacks happen when the other party requests their funds back after a trade. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself.

Chargebacks can happen with some payment methods even after a trade is done. This means that your trade partner can request their funds back, even after you received the payment. There are a few different things you can do to protect yourself from chargebacks when trading in the marketplace:

• Chargebacks are usually related to third party payments*. If a third party payment was sent, try to get as much information as you can about the account the payment was sent from
• Take a look at your trade partner’s feedback history before starting a trade to make sure they aren’t getting feedback about chargebacks
• If you created the offer, add tags that indicate if you accept third party payments or not. 
• If the user is ID verified, ask them if they are making the payment with their verified name
• If you don’t accept third party payments and the buyer is trying to use one, ask the buyer to cancel the trade

*Third-party payments are payments made by someone who the payment method/account does not belong to.

If a buyer has filed a chargeback, take a look at this article to see what you can do.

To secure the marketplace, Paxful employs various protocols, such as escrow, to prevent fraud and make trades safe for everyone. Paxful’s escrow feature aims to ensure a fair trade experience for both parties. Paxful is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency marketplace where people can meet and safely trade crypto using over 300 payment methods. When a trade starts, the cryptocurrency from the seller’s wallet is automatically moved into a temporary safe deposit account (escrow) where it will be held until the transaction is complete.

So how does the escrow work?

When a trade starts, the seller’s crypto is automatically transferred into our secure escrow. 

How escrow helps cryptocurrency buyers: If you as a  buyer make the payment but the seller refuses to release your crypto, the secure escrow serves as a guarantee. The seller’s cryptocurrency will stay in escrow until our moderators step in to investigate the situation and award the cryptocurrency to the deserving party.

How escrow helps cryptocurrency sellers: Sometimes a buyer may not be able to finalize the payment for the cryptocurrency. If you’re the seller in this case, then your cryptocurrency is safely returned back to your wallet.

Once the payment is made and confirmed, the seller can release cryptocurrency from escrow to the buyer, and this will mark the completion of the trade. 

Here is more information on how you can start a dispute. Also, check how you can contact our 24/7 dedicated customer support team.

All Paxful trades flow in a similar way. However, you may encounter some specific cases depending on the payment method you choose. If you familiarize yourself with the process, it’ll make trading on Paxful a lot easier.  

Buying cryptocurrency

Find an offer on our Buy Bitcoin list. For more information on how to buy crypto see our guide.

Selling cryptocurrency

Find an offer on our Sell Bitcoin list. For more information on how to sell crypto see our guide.

You can also create your own offers directly from your Paxful account. See our short guide on how to create your first offer.

Trade status determines the progress of your trades and you can view them from your user dashboard when logged in to your account. There are eight statuses your trade could possibly have:

Active funded – a trade has started, and funds have been transferred from the seller’s wallet into trade escrow.

Paid – a buyer has marked the trade as paid. It means that a buyer of cryptocurrency is sure that he has made the payment and has actually clicked the Paid button.

Expired – every trade has a payment window for a buyer to make a payment. When a trade is funded, but a buyer failed to mark a trade as paid, the payment window expires. This status means that a trade has been cancelled.

Cancelled – a buyer or a seller has willingly cancelled a trade.

Dispute open – a buyer or a seller has opened a dispute.

Successful – a seller of cryptocurrency has released funds from the trade escrow to the buyer’s wallet.

Awarded seller – a dispute has taken place, and cryptocurrency was awarded to the seller of cryptocurrency.

Awarded buyer – a dispute has taken place, and cryptocurrency was awarded to the buyer of cryptocurrency.

A QR Code is a machine-readable code made of black and white squares that help make your online wallet trades faster and easier. You can add a QR code to your Paxful account to help make your online wallet trades easier and faster. By adding a QR code, you can quickly share your online wallet details in the trade chat, or when you're creating an offer. We’ve broken down the steps on how to add and use a QR code in the Paxful marketplace:

To add a QR code to your Paxful account:

1. Head to the settings page of your Paxful account and click on Payment details
   
2. Scroll down to Online Wallets and click on Add New
   
3. Next, pick your wallet name, upload the wallet URL, and give the account a nickname 
4. Once you’re done, click Add
   

To edit or delete a QR code connected to your Paxful account:

1. Head to the settings page of your Paxful account and click on Payment details
   
2. Select the online wallet you’d like to edit or delete
   
3. Click on the action you’d like to do
   

To upload a QR code in the chat:

1. Once you’ve started a trade and you have a QR code linked to your Paxful account, you’ll see a mini QR code icon in the trade chat. Tap on the icon for the list of your linked online wallets
   
2. Select the QR code you’d like to use
   
3. From there, your QR code will be uploaded to the chat
   

To create an offer with a QR code:

1. Start by creating your offer as you usually would—if you select an online wallet that is supported by this feature, you’ll have the option to upload your linked online wallet during the first step:
   
2. Select the online wallet you’d like to use
   
3. From there, you can continue to create your offer as usual 
   

On Paxful, we have our dispute system through which conflicts between our users are settled in the fairest way possible.

Our marketplace offers an opportunity for our customers to freely trade cryptocurrency with each other and a vast majority of the trades go smoothly and successfully. But some cases require the intervention of a third party — our moderators. This article will give you an overview of the dispute resolution process.

Video

Here’s a short and informative video on the topic:

Steps to start a dispute

1. In the trade chat, click Dispute.

The Dispute dialog box appears.

2. Select a dispute reason from the list and explain what happened clearly in the text box below.

Here are the dispute options for sellers and buyers:

• Cryptocurrency seller: Coin locking, payment issue, other.
• Cryptocurrency buyer: Unresponsive vendor, payment issue, other.

3. Click Start dispute and check your trade chat for a message from a moderator.

4. Provide as much evidence as you can, such as:

• Proof of payment (transaction receipt, a screenshot of payment, video proof)
• Proof of ownership (transaction receipt, receipt from the store of the gift cards, online receipt,
• Operation screenshots or video recording.
• Phone call recording of a conversation with the third party’s customer support.
• Any additional proof as requested by our moderators.
  

The dispute will be investigated by our moderators and a decision will be made based on the evidence provided by both parties. Paxful moderators resolve disputes by evaluating trade terms, offer instructions, evidence of payment, trade chat interaction, user reputation, past trading history, as well as data submitted and or collected in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

How to cancel your dispute?

If you have started a dispute but changed your mind and want to cancel it, do one the following:

• If you started a dispute as a seller and you see that the buyer has resolved the issue from their side, click Release.
• If you started a dispute as a buyer and you see that the issue has been resolved, click Cancel.

Reasons for losing a dispute

If you lose a dispute, it could be for several reasons. The most common reasons are:

• You were not able to provide clear reasons and evidence as requested by the moderator
• The evidence you provided was not enough

We also check the trading history of both parties to see if you were able to follow the trade instructions or offer terms of the previous trades. A decision is made only when the investigation is finalized to the moderator’s satisfaction. Read more here: Why did I lose a gift card dispute? 

Read more on how to protect your funds from scammers in our security guide. 

As a buyer and seller of cryptocurrency on Paxful, find out when is the right time to file a dispute to resolve an issue.

As a buyer:

• If you’ve followed the seller’s instructions, completed the payment, but the seller refuses to release the crypto
• If you made the payment but the seller stops responding and has not released the crypto
• If you notice any violations of the Terms of Service

As a seller:

• If the buyer marks the trade as “paid” but is unresponsive
• If the buyer says they have paid you, but you did not receive the payment or there’s an issue with the payment
• If you notice any violations of the Terms of Service

If you’re not sure how to file a dispute, take a look at this article for a step-by-step guide.

Find out what evidence you should provide during a trade dispute whether it’s via gift card, bank transfer, credit card, or other payment methods.

General tips:

The more information you provide during the dispute process, the easier our team will be able to process your dispute. We’ve put together a collection of best practices to help our team accurately process your disputes.

When uploading evidence:

• Make sure the image is not cut off or cropped
• Make sure the image is clear
• Do not alter or change the image

What information should I provide?

Gift card disputes:

Buyer:

• Image of the gift card with the Paxful trade chat clearly in the background (please make sure that all four corners of the card are in the image)
• Receipts to prove that you own the gift card
• Video recording of checking the balance of a gift card before uploading it during the trade 
• Evidence showing you own the gift card (history from the issuer’s website, etc.)
  

Seller:

• A full screen, un-cropped screenshot that shows both the code itself and the error message received when trying to redeem

For more information on gift card disputes, take a look at this article. 

Bank transfer disputes:

• A PDF of your bank statement that shows the transaction
• Video recording of transaction history (name must match the name on your Paxful account, and please show the transaction history from the day before the trade up until today)
• Audio recording from you and the financial institution confirming the transaction

Goods and services disputes:

• Any evidence you have (selfie with the person you traded with, receipts, etc.)
  

Online wallet disputes:

• Screenshot of the online wallet transaction that took place
• Proof that the online wallet belongs to you (video recording of your online wallet account name matching the name on your Paxful account)

Debit/credit card disputes:

• Proof that your card was charged (video recording of your bank account name matching the name on your Paxful account and 10 days of transaction history and please make sure the date is visible)
• Audio recording of the conversation between you and your card provider confirming the transaction

Cash disputes:

• Any evidence that you have that shows your cash withdrawal (bank statement, ATM receipt, etc.)

Digital currency disputes:

• The trade/hash ID of the transaction
• Any additional screenshots that prove you completed the transaction

The best way to resolve a trade issue is by filing a dispute as soon as possible so that our team can quickly investigate the matter. The sooner a dispute is filed, the more resources our team will have to help resolve the dispute. 

If you’re not able to file a dispute, our team will do our best to help, but we may not be able to resolve the issue. Our team will investigate and take necessary action, if needed, to help make sure that this doesn’t happen again in the future.

If you reach out to us about this, please send us as much information as you can, such as the trade ID, proof of ownership, evidence, details of what happened, etc. 

To keep Paxful a safe experience for all, neutral judges (moderators) decide who wins or loses a dispute. A user may lose a dispute because:

• The user did not provide the requested evidence within 12 hours of the dispute.
• Suspicious trade activity
• The user did not submit the trade/hash ID of the transaction
• Buyer or Seller did not submit a PDF of their bank/online account statement that shows the transaction
• The user provided insufficient, false, or edited evidence
• Buyer or seller violated the other party’s offer terms and/or trade instructions.
• User violated any of Paxful’s Terms of Service.

What to do during a dispute?

During a dispute, we recommend that users of both parties adhere to our Terms of Service. At Paxful, we try to be as fair and as helpful as possible, and during the process, we recommend that users be forthcoming with information in order to quickly and correctly resolve the dispute. 

What do we ask for in disputes?

During a dispute, we also ask for any evidence that may help the moderator make a decision. Evidence can include the following:

• A PDF of your bank/online account statement that shows the transaction

• A video recording/screenshot of the online wallet transaction that took place
• The trade/hash ID of the transaction
• Any additional screenshots that prove you completed the transaction

For further information on what to provide in a dispute visit our Help Center page: What Information Should I Provide During a Dispute.

Paxful understands that filing a dispute can be a frustrating experience, and we are continuously working towards solutions to make the Paxful trading experience safe and secure for all our users. If you have further questions on your dispute claims please reach out to our support team. 

For more information on why you may have lost a dispute specifically related to gift cards, visit our page Why did I lose my gift card dispute. For more information on how to start a dispute, visit this Help Center page.

Paxful conducts thorough investigations to resolve gift card disputes. Here are several possible reasons why you may lose a dispute.

As a buyer, you could lose your dispute due to any of the following reasons:

• Not providing valid evidence requested within the time frame given to you
• Unable to prove that you are the original owner of the gift card. We do not advise selling a card that you did not originally buy. No brokering of gift cards is allowed
• Selling a used or invalid gift card
• The evidence provided was insufficient 
• A violation of the other party’s offer terms and/or trade instructions
• Failing to provide proof of payment, not responding to the seller or otherwise being inactive in the trade after clicking "Paid" (please note that in these cases, your dispute may be decided in under 12 hours)
• Other violations of Paxful’s Terms of Service

Supporting the trade of gift cards for a cryptocurrency is complicated. The guidelines we follow are to protect the Paxful community when a gift card trade is disputed.

As a seller, you could lose your dispute due to any of the following reasons:

• You redeemed a valid gift card and did not release the cryptocurrency
• A violation of the offer terms and/or trade instructions
• Suspicious trade activity
• You provided insufficient, false, or edited evidence
• Other violations of Paxful’s Terms of Service

What to do during a gift card dispute?

Paxful conducts thorough investigations to resolve gift card disputes, despite minimal support from gift card services. If you enter a dispute, you must be prepared to prove that you are the owner of the card. If you are not the original owner of the gift card, this makes proving the validity of the gift card very difficult. For this reason, sellers of cryptocurrency are highly favored in such disputes. 

What do we ask for in gift card disputes?

• A photo of the original gift card with your Paxful trade chat clearly visible in the background
• A complete photo of the original receipt (no cut-offs)
• For electronic codes (e-codes), an invoice of the original payment and video recording of your bank statement as proof of purchase
• Proof of conversation with the gift card issuing company’s customer support
• Any additional evidence as required by Paxful (Example: ID Verification)

As per our Terms of Service, we remind you that Paxful is not a licensed gift card vendor nor an authorized dealer of any gift card issuer - and brokering or reselling gift cards is strictly prohibited on our platform. Paxful understands that gift card disputes can be quite challenging and we are continuously working towards solutions to make the trading experience safe and secure for all our users.