I have no idea how to use crypto safely to make a purchase.

[FlowerFairy]

You’ve clearly never had a tongue lashing if you think that was one.

The search feature for “PayPal” or “non-crypto” will give you tons of resources for vendors who take those alternatives forms of payment. Likewise, looking at all of the recent vendor posts, including the marketplace vendors, one by one will show you what payment options are out there, which is what I did and summarized in a comment on a thread months ago. (As others have said, vendors who start out taking PP typically soon stop after their accounts are frozen.) Several people on this thread also gave you places to go find that kind of information as well, but stopped just short of handing you a list of vendors.

Similarly, there are tons of crypto guides out there and threads including one from a member explicitly saying they had 10 years of crypto experience and are here to help. Did you reply to that thread or that person individually and ask for help?

The bottom line is people here are more than willing to help, but typically expect some indication you’ve done some legwork yourself. As it is, it appears as though you are posting for engagement for the sake of your forum privileges. Maybe that’s not true, but perception is someone’s reality. But I guess you’re getting there even if it’s just by some of us suggesting you research more. You’ll be a specialist in no time!

I think it’s like me- I can do it but im unsure and petrified of making a mistake. I van do it if I have to.. i just haven’t gotten comfortable yet.

In summary:

There's literally a step by step guide that walks you through each individual step. I don't know what anyone else here could possibly do to break it down more than that for you.

It’s the scary part, I think. I use Kraken when ihave to do it, because it spoonfed me thru it. But I’m not comfortable yet using it.. ijust do it if I have to.

And I’m used to being able toget it on my own, so I’m resistant to asking for help.

Edited because I can’t type tonight…

 

[Ruckus4519]

im unsure and petrified of making a mistake. I van do it if I have to.. i just haven’t gotten comfortable yet.

i’m on a similar situation. i’m not exactly petrified. i think push comes to shove, i can’t be arsed to make the jump, but the other side of me is adamant we need to make some changes

 

[randompersonrandom]

I think it’s like me- I can do it but im unsure and petrified of making a mistake. I van do it if I have to.. i just haven’t gotten comfortable yet.

It’s the scary part, I think. I use Kraken when ihave to do it, because it spoonfed me thru it. But I’m not comfortable yet using it.. ijust do it if I have to.

And I’m used to being able toget it on my own, so I’m resistant to asking for help.

Edited because I can’t type tonight…

I solved this by "paying" several people I knew online a couple bucks a pop or so to let me send them those few bucks at a time and confirm whether it came through. (NOBODY write me and ask me to let you do that, please, because now that I've suggested it, if I accept any money from anybody, then it will look like that was my goal all along.) Everyone involved offered to send the money back after, which I thought was sweet, but I said nope, that's payment for your time and we were all happy.

I say that with the caveat that you should not probably not do that here on this forum, because an argument can be made that the person then would technically be a vendor because you're paying them for a service, but there are other avenues to reach out to friendly people who might not turn down a couple of bucks besides this forum.

 

[Hambocommando]

I've been in crypto for a while. Had some stolen, lost money on it, made money on it...all the good things. One of the easiest trading platforms I have come across is Uphold.com. You can attach your debit card or bank account to your wallet, and purchase the crypto you want. The brokerage fees are steeper than I like, but you trade for ease of use. There is a system in place called KYC (know your customer), where you might have to provide photo id and a current face photo to prove you're real. It was pretty straight forward with instructions when I first set up there as they were the only one that carried XRP for a while in the states. Be sure to set up all the security 2nd party verifications etc and if you're not there to play the crypto game, only buy what you need and you can transfer to the vendor's wallet address directly from your crypto wallet using that network.

 

[Ruckus4519]

fake There is a system in place called KYC (know your customer)

tbh all of them is p much kyc for anti-money laundering reasons. paypal is kyc. even the btc for cash ATMs are kyc. if you wanted to avoid that, you probably need to find someone irl to buy crypto and send it over to you

 

[Wally H]

No shame going the PayPal/Alipay/ whichever route. Same ish risk based on vendor reputation anyway afaik.

There are Youtube videos on how to setup Alipay (preferred payment system for Aliexpress marketplace)

But it does require that you upload pics of a valid passport & requires 1 or 2 days for verification to take place

 

[Ruckus4519]

But it does require that you upload pics of a valid passport & requires 1 or 2 days for verification to take place

Are there crypto exchanges that do not need neither of these?

 

[lasveganon]

I wrote what I consider to be an easy step by guide for buying and transferring stable coins to the vendor for new people with no experience. This covers usdc on eth (erc20) network but can also be adjusted for other stable coins on other networks (sol,Tron)

This method introduces no holds on your funds and carries almost no fees when transferring:

Step 1:

Open a Robinhood account and complete verification (about 10 minutes). Link your bank during setup, but you won’t use it for this method.

Step 2:

Add your debit card. Go to the menu → Transfers → Linked Accounts → Add Account → enter debit card info.

Step 3:

Add funds from your debit card for your order total + $10. Do NOT use your linked bank account.

Step 4:

Buy enough USDC to cover your order plus $5

Step 5:

Buy $5 of Ethereum (ETH) with the remaining funds.

You should now have USDC and ETH available for immediate transfer.

Step 6:

Send both USDC and ETH to your third-party wallet (Exodus, Trust, MetaMask, etc.).

Do NOT send directly from Robinhood to the vendor.

When sending USDC, select the Ethereum network (ERC-20 on Ethereum). Choosing another network can result in lost funds.

Step 7:

Once USDC and ETH are in your wallet, send the USDC to the vendor’s ERC-20 wallet address. Select the Ethereum network.

You don’t need to send the ETH — it just covers network fees.

Step 8:

Locate the transaction ID (TxID) in your wallet history and send it to the vendor.

Note: this does not work for tx residents. Robinhood won't let you buy usdc/usdt but there is a low cost method for that too.

 

[LivingNow]

I wrote what I consider to be an easy step by guide for buying and transferring stable coins to the vendor for new people with no experience. This covers usdc on eth (erc20) network but can also be adjusted for other stable coins on other networks (sol,Tron)

This method introduces no holds on your funds and carries almost no fees when transferring:

Step 1:

Open a Robinhood account and complete verification (about 10 minutes). Link your bank during setup, but you won’t use it for this method.

Step 2:

Add your debit card. Go to the menu → Transfers → Linked Accounts → Add Account → enter debit card info.

Step 3:

Add funds from your debit card for your order total + $10. Do NOT use your linked bank account.

Step 4:

Buy enough USDC to cover your order plus $5

Step 5:

Buy $5 of Ethereum (ETH) with the remaining funds.

You should now have USDC and ETH available for immediate transfer.

Step 6:

Send both USDC and ETH to your third-party wallet (Exodus, Trust, MetaMask, etc.).

Do NOT send directly from Robinhood to the vendor.

When sending USDC, select the Ethereum network (ERC-20 on Ethereum). Choosing another network can result in lost funds.

Step 7:

Once USDC and ETH are in your wallet, send the USDC to the vendor’s ERC-20 wallet address. Select the Ethereum network.

You don’t need to send the ETH — it just covers network fees.

Step 8:

Locate the transaction ID (TxID) in your wallet history and send it to the vendor.

Note: this does not work for tx residents. Robinhood won't let you buy usdc/usdt but there is a low cost method for that too.

I'm pretty confident that I now know what my Granny was feeling when I was explaining how to program the VCR to record her soaps. lol

 

[stonedpixels]

I'm not sure if someone said this already, but if you have cash app, they make it insanely easy to purchase and send crypto. You can switch from $ to crypto when you purchase so you don't have to do the math yourself. Buying crypto on cashapp is pretty straight forward just don't be nervous and you will understand it. To send it, just make sure to have the crypto address correct (copy/paste it) and then send it. Soo simple once you try it, I just wouldn't leave the btc in cashapp too long. I just don't trust it's safety there long term.

 

[Wallydog]

I'm pretty confident that I now know what my Granny was feeling when I was explaining how to program the VCR to record her soaps. lol

Or helping someone new to computers at all try and understand DOS or Windows.

 

[attcbf]

I wrote what I consider to be an easy step by guide for buying and transferring stable coins to the vendor for new people with no experience. This covers usdc on eth (erc20) network but can also be adjusted for other stable coins on other networks (sol,Tron)

This method introduces no holds on your funds and carries almost no fees when transferring:

Step 1:

Open a Robinhood account and complete verification (about 10 minutes). Link your bank during setup, but you won’t use it for this method.

Step 2:

Add your debit card. Go to the menu → Transfers → Linked Accounts → Add Account → enter debit card info.

Step 3:

Add funds from your debit card for your order total + $10. Do NOT use your linked bank account.

Step 4:

Buy enough USDC to cover your order plus $5

Step 5:

Buy $5 of Ethereum (ETH) with the remaining funds.

You should now have USDC and ETH available for immediate transfer.

Step 6:

Send both USDC and ETH to your third-party wallet (Exodus, Trust, MetaMask, etc.).

Do NOT send directly from Robinhood to the vendor.

When sending USDC, select the Ethereum network (ERC-20 on Ethereum). Choosing another network can result in lost funds.

Step 7:

Once USDC and ETH are in your wallet, send the USDC to the vendor’s ERC-20 wallet address. Select the Ethereum network.

You don’t need to send the ETH — it just covers network fees.

Step 8:

Locate the transaction ID (TxID) in your wallet history and send it to the vendor.

Note: this does not work for tx residents. Robinhood won't let you buy usdc/usdt but there is a low cost method for that too.

I was informed that Robinhood currently paused USDC withdrawals. From their website:

"Withdrawals for EURC and USDC are temporarily paused. You can continue to buy, sell, and deposit these assets. We’ll provide an update when withdrawals are available again."

Is there a workaround?

 

[attcbf]

Step 3:

Add funds from your debit card for your order total + $10. Do NOT use your linked bank account.

Step 4:

Buy enough USDC to cover your order plus $5

Step 5:

Buy $5 of Ethereum (ETH) with the remaining funds.

You should now have USDC and ETH available for immediate transfer.

Step 6:

Send both USDC and ETH to your third-party wallet

Thank you for this breakdown. What is the expected wait time between each of steps 3, 4, 5 & 6?

 

[Madkate]

I'm wanting to make a purchase through a vendor who uses crypto but don't have the slightest idea how to go about it. I though about maybe using MoonPay but even that seems unclear to me (guess how old I am ). I was considering using Emmy at ERP. What's my firsts step? Thanks.

I was really intimidated too but it’s really not hard at all. I used Exodus (wallet) and it’s really easy to set up. Just get the app on your phone and it’s super easy to follow along I hated the idea of having to deal with crypto now it’s a breeze…….promise don’t be intimidated

 

[Madkate]

View: https://youtu.be/-t_MZEM37-w?si=hz0VR6hTNi9-drnj

 

[dobermom21]

I'm wanting to make a purchase through a vendor who uses crypto but don't have the slightest idea how to go about it. I though about maybe using MoonPay but even that seems unclear to me (guess how old I am ). I was considering using Emmy at ERP. What's my firsts step? Thanks.

I only set up my crypto wallet (Exodus) last week, and made my first payment today.

When you buy it, there are fees. Same for moving it from one type of crypto to another. I bought Solana, moved most of it to stablecoin (Tether), and couldn't make the purchase without buying more because it wouldn't let me move it to ethereum without purchasing ethereum. (I guess it's the same network or something?)

I didn't take time to figure out exactly what the problem was. My bank blocked blockchain, so I ended up switching my payment method and just buying bitcoin through MoonPay. That worked.

I then (successfully) made a payment following the vendor's instructions. Very very carefully. Whew!

Anyway, don't put a lot in at once, and start with a small order. I spent under $140, and have under $200 in my wallet now. I'm sure it gets easier, but my hands were shaking a bit.

 

[Sasquatch]

Hint for Happier Living!

If and when any newbie does research, sort by date.

Shit happens fast in these parts.

Check posting dates

Don't wake up a Zombie thread.

I can't say it enough.

Yesterday's news lines today's parakeet cage. Savvy?

 

[bbbilly]

For my first time, I just purchased through Exodus wallet through venmo as my bank blocked any crypto even bank transfers, which was a big headache but once I got venmo working it was pretty straightforward.

unrelated... i like that profile pic homie. nice choice

 

[lasveganon]

I'm pretty confident that I now know what my Granny was feeling when I was explaining how to program the VCR to record her soaps. lol

I still have no idea how to do that

 

[So_krispy69]

I was really intimidated too but it’s really not hard at all. I used Exodus (wallet) and it’s really easy to set up. Just get the app on your phone and it’s super easy to follow along I hated the idea of having to deal with crypto now it’s a breeze…….promise don’t be intimidated

Did u put ur social sec nunber in it? I was trying to set it up following the step by step guide pinned in this forum and it said i had to enter my info and social was one of them and thats where i stopped