Merchant & P2P guide

How to verify a USDT payment before you release anything

A notification, a screenshot or a balance in your wallet does not prove you were paid in real USDT. In P2P and OTC deals, the only evidence is the transaction on the blockchain explorer: its status, the token contract that moved, and the address that received it. Check all three before you hand over cash, goods or crypto.

Check an address free

Five checks on the explorer

Open the transaction yourself

Ask for the transaction hash (TxID) and paste it into tronscan.org for TRC-20 or etherscan.io for ERC-20. Do not use a link or screenshot the payer sends you.

Check the status

The explorer must show the transaction as confirmed or successful. Pending or failed means you have not been paid.

Check the token contract

Open the token from the transaction and compare its contract address with Tether's official list: TR7NHqjeKQxGTCi8q8ZY4pL8otSzgjLj6t on Tron, 0xdAC17F958D2ee523a2206206994597C13D831ec7 on Ethereum. Any other contract named USDT is not Tether's.

Check the recipient and amount

The 'to' address must be your own full address and the amount must match the deal. A payment to a third party or an 'escrow' address is not a payment to you.

Check the time and your own balance

The transaction time must match the deal, so an old payment cannot be passed off as new. Then open your own address on the explorer and confirm the balance of the official USDT contract went up by that amount.

Red flags during the deal

The payer pushes you to release before the explorer shows a confirmed transfer.
The token shows the right name and logo, but its contract is not on Tether's list.
You are asked to accept payment through a 'guarantor', escrow bot or third-party address.
You receive a 'bank receipt' or screenshot instead of a transaction hash.
The payer 'overpays' and asks you to refund the difference before the original transfer is confirmed.
The seller of the USDT says it will 'expire' or 'disappear' after some days: real USDT never does.
The payer sends an explorer link to a site you don't know, or a domain that only looks like tronscan.org or etherscan.io.
The payer asks you to connect your wallet or sign something 'to receive' the payment: receiving never needs a signature.

Already happened? First steps

Send nothing more and sign nothing new.
Save the transaction hash, the addresses and chat screenshots.
Report it today through official channels; never pay 'recovery' services.

Where to report crypto theft

Questions people ask

Is a USDT balance in my wallet proof of payment?

No. Wallets display any token that uses the USDT name. Only the contract address of the token that moved proves it was Tether's USDT.

What about USDT on BNB Smart Chain or Polygon?

Those are bridged versions with their own known contracts, not on Tether's list. Check them on bscscan.com or polygonscan.com before accepting them.

The payer sent a valid transaction hash. Is that enough?

No. A valid hash proves a transfer happened, not which token moved or who received it. Check the status, contract, recipient and amount.

I already released the goods and the USDT was fake. What now?

Save the transaction hash, the chat, the payer's address and any IDs, report the account on the P2P platform if there was one, and file an official report the same day. Do not pay anyone promising to recover it.

How long should I wait before releasing?

Until the explorer itself marks the transaction as confirmed or finalized, not just 'sent'. For large amounts, wait a few more minutes and reload the page before you release anything.

The explorer shows the payment, but my wallet does not. Who is right?

Trust the explorer opened by you, on your own address, under the official contract. Wallet apps can lag or hide tokens. A page or link sent by the payer proves nothing.

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Educational information only — not financial or legal advice.