Before you send: amount and destination
Know exactly how many sats you are sending and why. Use Satoshi to USD to double-check the fiat value — especially when copying addresses from messages or QR codes.
Ask whether the recipient wants on-chain Bitcoin or a Lightning invoice. On-chain suits larger transfers; Lightning suits instant small payments. See Lightning Network basics if you see a “lightning:” prefix or lnurl.
Step-by-step on-chain send
1. Open your wallet and tap Send. 2. Paste or scan the receive address — prefer QR codes over typed addresses. 3. Enter amount in sats or BTC — remember 100 million sats = 1 BTC. 4. Select a fee tier (economy if not urgent). 5. On hardware wallets, verify address and amount on the device screen before confirming.
Send a test transaction first — 10,000–50,000 sats is common — and wait for at least one confirmation before moving the rest. Track test value on 10k sats or nearby amount pages.
After sending and common mistakes
Transactions need block confirmations before recipients treat them as final. One confirmation is usually enough for small amounts; exchanges may require three or more.
Never send to an address someone DMed you unless you independently verified it. Scammers impersonate support and ask for “verification deposits.” Legitimate services never ask for your seed phrase.
If you bought on an exchange and have not withdrawn yet, start with how to buy Bitcoin and self-custody basics — sending from an exchange works the same but fees are set by the platform.