Atomic settlement explained: why there is no payment window on Storspay Exchange
On most P2P markets the seller waits for the buyer to pay and then releases. On Storspay the two legs move in one step the instant the buyer confirms. What that means for a trader’s risk, time and disputes.
Read this guide in Français
The short answer. A buyer on Storspay pays from a balance, not from a bank. So the instant they confirm, Storspay moves their dollars to the seller and the seller’s USDT to the buyer in one ledger transaction — both or neither. No window, no proof, no release, no dispute about whether money arrived.
How the usual P2P trade works
Seller locks the asset; buyer pays by bank transfer or mobile money to the seller’s personal account; buyer uploads proof; seller checks their bank and releases. Each step is a place to wait, to be lied to, or to have a bank reverse the transfer after release.
How a Storspay trade works
The seller’s USDT or USDC is locked from their balance while the offer is live. The buyer’s dollars or euros are already in a Storspay balance. On confirm, Storspay checks the offer is live, the buyer has the money, the price is within the 30-second quote — then moves both legs in one transaction. If any check fails, nothing moves and the buyer is told why.
What disappears
Payment windows, screenshots, release buttons, “I paid, why haven’t you released”, bank reversals after release, and the counterparty who goes quiet. Cases still exist — within 24 hours, reviewed by a person — but they are about ledger errors, not about whether money moved.
What it costs and what it requires
Taker 0.5%, makers free. It requires that both sides hold their leg in a Storspay balance, which is why the local-currency leg happens before (Get paid) or after (Run Payroll) the trade, never inside it. That is the design choice that makes the rest possible.
How it works, in four steps
- Apply once. A verified business on a paid Storspay plan applies from the Exchange tab: a few questions about what it will trade and why, a one-time identity check for a director, the wallets it plans to use. Reply within one business day.
- Receive or convert. A client sends USDT or USDC to the address in your business name, or you convert dollars or euros from your balance at 0.75% all-in.
- Trade or hold. Keep the balance, convert between USDC and USDT at 0.25%, or trade with other verified businesses on the P2P market — taker 0.5%, makers free, settled the instant the buyer confirms.
- Cash out or send. Pay your local bank or mobile money the same business day at 2% all-in, or send to any wallet address for the network fee only.
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Receive USDC or USDT | Free |
| P2P market — taker | 0.5% (makers free) |
| Convert US dollars or euros ⇄ USDC or USDT | 0.75% all-in |
| Convert USDC ⇄ USDT | 0.25% |
| Send to a wallet address | Network fee only |
| Cash out to a local bank or mobile money | 2% all-in (1% · min US$2 to India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand) |
Who this is for — and who it is not for
Businesses, and a sole trader counts: every movement is a business transaction with an invoice, a contract or work delivered. Traders are welcome as businesses and should expect what the page says plainly — verified counterparties, instant settlement and a cash-out to their own business account, not the tightest spread on the internet. Personal accounts, gifts and family transfers are not what this is.
Keep your invoices and statements for your records and ask a local accountant how income in digital dollars is taxed where you live.
Read next
- Storspay Exchange — hold, convert and trade digital dollars
- Digital dollars for African businesses
- Storspay Exchange vs P2P exchange apps
- Can a freelancer hold USD, EUR, GBP or CAD?
Storspay Exchange is in early access — apply from the Exchange page. Fees and availability are as published there on the day you read this.
See your own corridor number. What your team receives, what Storspay costs, what you keep — no sign-up.
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