How to Send Bitcoin

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Sending Bitcoin is straightforward. Open your wallet, enter the recipient’s address, choose an amount, and confirm. But there’s one rule you should never forget: Bitcoin transactions are irreversible.

There is no “undo” button. No customer support to call. If you send Bitcoin to the wrong address, it’s gone. That’s why the old carpenter’s rule applies here: measure twice, cut once.

How to Send a Payment

Here’s the basic process:

1. Open your wallet and tap “Send”
2. Enter the recipient’s address — paste it or scan a QR code
3. Enter the amount in BTC or your local currency
4. Choose a fee (more on this below)
5. Review everything carefully and confirm

Before you confirm, verify the address. Check the first four and last four characters against what the recipient gave you. Clipboard malware can swap addresses between your copy and paste. Scanning a QR code is safer than copying text when possible.

For large amounts, send a small test transaction first. Send a few dollars’ worth, confirm it arrived, then send the rest. The extra fee is worth the peace of mind.

Understanding Units

You don’t need to send whole bitcoins. Bitcoin is divisible down to eight decimal places. The smallest unit is called a satoshi (or “sat”).

• 1 BTC = 100,000,000 sats
• 0.001 BTC = 100,000 sats
• 0.00000001 BTC = 1 sat

Most wallets let you enter amounts in BTC, sats, or your local currency. Use whichever feels most natural. Many Bitcoiners prefer sats for everyday amounts because whole numbers are easier to read than long decimals.

Choosing the Right Fee

Every Bitcoin transaction includes a fee that goes to miners. The fee doesn’t depend on how much you send. It depends on how much data your transaction uses and how busy the network is.

Your wallet will suggest a fee, usually offering three tiers:

• Low fee — Cheapest, but can take hours or even a day
• Medium fee — Balanced, typically confirms in 30 to 60 minutes
• High fee — Most expensive, usually confirms in the next block (about 10 minutes)

If you’re not in a rush, a low fee works fine. For time-sensitive payments, choose a higher fee. You can check current fee conditions on a blockchain explorer before sending.

After You Send

Once you confirm the transaction, your wallet broadcasts it to the Bitcoin network. Here’s what happens next:

1. The transaction enters a waiting area where unconfirmed transactions queue up
2. A miner picks it up and includes it in a block
3. You see your first confirmation
4. More confirmations follow as new blocks are added

You can track the status using a blockchain explorer. Just paste your transaction ID (your wallet shows this after sending) and watch confirmations accumulate. For most payments, one to three confirmations is sufficient.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping address verification. Always check the first and last characters. Every time.
• Sending the wrong amount. Double-check the decimal point. 0.1 BTC is very different from 1.0 BTC.
• Ignoring the fee. A fee that’s too low can leave your transaction stuck for hours. Most wallets suggest reasonable defaults.
• Panicking about pending status. Transactions can take 10 minutes or more to confirm. This is normal.

What’s Next

Now that you can send and receive Bitcoin, the next step is protecting your wallet. Learn how to back up your Bitcoin wallet so you never lose access to your funds.