Crypto Testing and Fees

Use this page to choose a practical crypto tender for testing, estimate how much value to keep in a test wallet, and understand which network fee assets are required.

Bead Sandbox crypto payments use live blockchain networks. Test payments require real assets and real network fee tokens. Keep test amounts small.

For USDC on Base and USDC on Solana, the minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD. This minimum is separate from any live-network fee the payer’s wallet may require to submit the transaction.

Which token is best for testing transactions

For most initial tests, USDC on the Base network is recommended because it combines low fees with fast transaction times and is widely supported in common wallets.

USDC on Solana is also a good choice for testing, especially if you are using Phantom, because Solana network fees are typically very low and confirmations are fast.

For both USDC on Base and USDC on Solana, create payments of at least $1.00 USD.

Once you have validated your hosted payment flow with USDC, you can extend testing to Bitcoin and Bitcoin Lightning if those tenders are enabled for your project.

How many tokens should I acquire for fees

The exact amount depends on current network conditions and how many test transactions you plan to run. Because Sandbox crypto payments use live networks, only acquire the amount needed for functional testing.

As a starting point:

• USDC on Base

  • Hold enough USDC on Base to cover each test payment. The minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD per payment.

  • Hold a small amount of ETH on Base for every test transaction.

  • As a rough guideline, a few cents worth of ETH per transaction is often enough under typical conditions.

  • Example: if you acquire 21 USDC on Base and convert about 0.20 USD worth into ETH on Base, you would still have roughly 20.80 USDC for tests and enough ETH for many functional test payments.

• USDC on Solana

  • Hold enough USDC on Solana to cover each test payment. The minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD per payment.

  • Hold a small amount of SOL on Solana.

  • Solana fees are usually extremely low, so even a small SOL balance can support many functional tests.

  • Note: while fees are low, in order to create transactions, your wallet may need to maintain a small SOL balance as a network minimum.

• Bitcoin on chain

  • Fees are paid in BTC and can change quickly based on congestion.

  • Always keep extra BTC above your invoice amount to cover network fees.

  • Be prepared to adjust fee settings in your wallet if transactions are slow to confirm.

• Bitcoin Lightning

  • Fees are typically low and are handled by the Lightning wallet and routing channels.

  • Make sure your Lightning wallet is funded and has usable channels before you start testing payments. This is typically managed by the wallet service.

These examples are guidance for functional testing only and are not fee guarantees. Always review the fee estimate shown in your wallet before sending.

Which tokens do I need for fees for each coin

Use this mapping when preparing test wallets:

Payment token and network	Fee asset	Notes
USDC on Base	ETH on Base	ETH on Base is used to pay Base network fees. The minimum Bead payment amount for USDC on Base is $1.00 USD.
USDC on Solana	SOL on Solana	SOL on Solana is used to pay Solana network fees. The minimum Bead payment amount for USDC on Solana is $1.00 USD.
Bitcoin on chain	BTC	Fees are deducted in BTC as part of each transaction.
Bitcoin Lightning	BTC in Lightning channels	Fees are handled by the Lightning network and wallet routing.

Common testing reminders

• Sandbox crypto payments use live networks, not testnets.

• Test payments require real assets and real network fee tokens.

• Keep test amounts small.

• For USDC on Base and USDC on Solana, use requestedAmount of 1.00 or higher.

• Make sure the asset and network in the wallet match the asset and network shown on the hosted payment page.

• Do not send funds to a recently used address from your wallet history. Always scan or copy the address shown on the current Bead hosted payment page.

For a current list of supported tenders, networks, and example wallets, see Compatible Crypto Wallets.

For environment specifics and common testing issues, see Crypto payments, environment and testing.